Alpina was among many notable brands to release an interesting type of dive watch in the 1960s that used water pressure itself to tighten its seals. This type of case was called a “super compressor,” and it was often characterized by two crowns and an inner rotating bezel. Alpina’s Seastron Diver Heritage line is a tribute to its 1969 version, featuring the same visual cues, and the newest model in the collection is earth-toned with a brown dial and bronze-colored case.
At 42mm wide and 12.3mm thick, this may look like one of the many bronze-cased watches that are so popular in recent years, but it is in fact steel with a “bronze color PVD.” So it will presumably not develop the patina actual bronze is known for. The new Alpina Seastrong Diver Heritage is a super-compressor-style design, so it doesn’t actually use the super-compressor case, but with modern specs, its water-resistance is actually rated to 100m deeper than its 1969 inspiration at 300m.
Just like other dive watches of this style, one crown is used for normal setting and winding, whereas the other is used to rotate the inner bezel. The Alpina Seastrong Diver Heritage is powered by a Sellita SW200 automatic Swiss movement with 38 hours of power reserve providing the time and date, with date window placed at the uncommon position of what looks like around 3:45. The Alpina Seastrong Diver Heritage is available now directly from the brand for a price of $1,795.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 Dive Watch ($695)
Autodromo Group B Series 2 Automatic Corsica Blue Watch ($975)
Yema Superman Heritage Blue ($1,199)
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