Given all the conservations about industries reducing their carbon footprint it was only a matter of time before a mainstream watch brand introduced a recycled plastic case. Alpina, a Swiss company that’s been around since 1883, has tied up with Dutch start-up Gyre Watch to create a new line of watches featuring a composite case made from recycled oceanic plastic and glass fiber. Meet the Seastrong.
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The new line is a subset in Alpina’s Seastrong diver’s watch family. The composite case that is 70 percent plastic debris derived from fishing nets collected in the Indian Ocean and strengthened with fiberglass. The composition of the matt black case is 70 percent PA6 thermoplastic and 30 percent fiberglass. Water-resistant to 300 meters, it is fitted with a unidirectional black PVD steel bezel with black luminous markers. The case is available in two sizes – the men’s version is 44 mm wide and 12.5 thick. The 36 mm wide women’s case is 11.75 mm thick. Both cases are fitted with a screwed-in crown and an engraved caseback.
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A lot of credit for this new line goes to Gyre Watch, a Dutch micro-brand set up this year with the hope of raising awareness about ocean pollution and creating watches made from oceanic plastic waste. Gyre Watch is the handiwork of Dutch journalist Bernard Werk and the brand’s first model the Gyre SeaCleaner is currently available via the crowfunding Kickstarter platform.
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The Seastrong Diver Gyre Automatic is available in five variations, two case sizes and three dial finishes. The Seastrong is a descendant of the Seastrong ‘10’, a watch Alpina made in the 1960s. While the original was water-resistant to 200 meters, the updated Seastrong is good for 300 meters.
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The dials are available in shades of blue or dyed mother-of-pearl (for the 36 mm). In what is increasingly becoming a trend in the industry, watches are paired with NATO-style straps made from recycled plastic bottles. In addition, Alpina is offering a black vegetable leather strap comprised of recycled apple waste with every men's model. The self-winding AL-525 movement (a rebadged Sellita SW-200) is the engine that powers all watches in this range. While the 44 mm version is priced at €1,395 (Approx. AED5,766), the 36 mm version is €1,295 (AED5,353).
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