Alpina’s latest release, the Seastrong Diver Extreme with a Retro Touch-Up, represents more than just another colourway for its growing dive-tool portfolio. With a nod to vintage dive aesthetics and proportions many enthusiasts favor, it draws you in by balancing rugged functionality and nostalgic design without over-promising or over-restoring. It merits attention because it manages to feel both authentic and contemporary — a rare middle ground.
Brand & Collection Context
Alpina has long been associated with tool watches forged in tough environments—mountains, seas, and everything in between. The Seastrong line is its dive-heritage pillar, known for water resistance, legibility, and robustness. Over the past few years, the Diver Extreme sub-series has sharpened that identity, adopting a cushion-style case, ceramic bezel, and aggressive finishing. These retro-styled editions continue that evolution: they do not chase oversized “bigger is better” trends so much as revisit modest proportions, material contrasts, and vintage luminescent tones. Alpina’s positioning remains “affordable luxury”—Swiss made, strong technical specs—but with designs that resonate both with tool watchers and retro lovers.
Technical DNA That Sets It Apart
The new Seastrong Diver Extreme Retro variants share much of the same technical architecture: a 39 mm stainless steel case, length (lug-to-lug) ≈ 40.5 mm, and thickness of 12.65 mm. The case is a three-part construction, with brushed surfaces complemented by polished bevels. The bezel is matte ceramic, unidirectional, with deep knurling or notching for grip. Under scratch-resistant sapphire crystal (with AR coating), the dial offers clarity and texture. The movement is Alpina’s AL-525, based on the Sellita SW200-1: 4 Hz beat rate, 26 jewels, manual winding and hacking, with around 38 hours of power reserve. Water resistance is a solid 300 metres, with screw-down crown and case back. What distinguishes the retro versions is the treatment of lume (old radium tones), dial texture (sandblasted or grain, depending on version), and the decision to pair both with a black textured rubber strap even when the dial colour is khaki or vintage tone.
Aesthetic Reading & Intended Use
If you imagine a watch equally at home under water, during a weekend outdoors, or in a more casual workplace setting, these Seastrong Diver Extreme editions deliver. The retro lume (fauxtina-style) softens what might otherwise be a purely technical tool look, making the black version feel aged but not tired; the khaki-green version leans more military / field-watch territory, especially with that textured dial, though Alpina wisely resists making it too field-centric by keeping the bezel and strap in black. These are watches for someone who values versatility, durability, and moments of style that whisper, rather than shout. Collectors who prefer more modest, wearable dive watches (around 39 mm) will find appeal here, as well as anyone drawn to vintage design cues that aren’t simply gimmicks.
Verdict, Price & Availability
These retro-touched Diver Extremes are strong entries in Alpina’s Seastrong line—solidly built, convincingly styled, and fairly priced for what you get. The price is €1,995 in Europe. In USD terms, depending on local taxes & dealer margins, the expectation is somewhere around $2,500 to $2,600. They’re available now, directly from Alpina and authorised dealers. Whether the vintage lume will age gracefully or feel dated in a few years is debatable, but in terms of value, wearability, and design, they check many boxes. Which brings us to two dive watches from other “micro-brands” worth taking a look at : Eska’s Amphibian 250 Green Turtle and Hanhart’s Aquasphere Ocean Fade !
