Would you have thought that in 2023 I'd be talking about a watch with a regulator watch dial? Brands often dig deep into history, their own or horological historical past more generally, to find ways to stand out in a crowded market. Take for example regulator displays - a dial with one large minute hand at the center and a smaller hour display to the side - which were useful tools on clocks that increased possibility of easy-reading, often in places like a watch factory where a room full of watchmakers needed an accurate and large reference for everyone to set the time against at once. Today a regulator watch certainly at probably raises some eyebrows as a bit anachronistic and unnecessary. Not many brands really do them anymore. Which explains why I like it. It's an example of a brand taking something uncommon from the past and bringing this to the present.
And watches are supposed to be fun, right? These two versions of the Alpiner Extreme Automatic are at the very least enjoyable. Technically identical to two models released last year, the Watches & Wonders debut of the regulator on bracelet (and the basic Alpiner Severe Automatic model) marked a new moment for the still-young model. In my opinion, it creates a ton of difference.
But let's go back to last fall when Alpina announced the Alpiner Extreme Regulator. It wasn't the brand's first entrance into the odd time screen, the company had a product back in july 2004 which came in at a whopping 48mm. I was going to remark that this year's watch must have been a bit chunky at 41mm by 12mm thick, but I have to stop myself in the event that's the comparison. Whereas many writers like to say "it wears small compared to its measurements, " I will say this is the opposite, at least on a rubber strap. But a band changes things.
In my short time wearing the watch I noticed that the rubber strap, while comfortable, left this timepiece and its heavy-duty steel case feeling a bit top-heavy on my wrist. It was fine, no doubt, but the balance felt a little off. Part of that is mental, the pretty intense tiered and faceted case is visually quite sizeable regardless of measurements. The deployant clasp for the rubberized strap is great and my preference for any watch not on necklace, but it doesn't quite do anything to balance out the weight (whether real or even perceived).
The actual bracelet, however , is not only fairly visually appealing, with handcrafted surfaces that this brand said were done to hold up against the scratches that will come with intense wear (as the watch is actually ostensibly meant to be used) however helps with stability as well. That's actually itself a surprise as the bracelet is very thin as well as reminded me a bit of Bulgari's Octo Finissimo pendant. The "head" of an Octo Finissimo has never been anywhere near this thick, but in my mind, the weight of even a light bracelets helps far more than a plastic strap. The only downside is that fingerprints (which can more easily be wiped off the high-polish strap) seem to really stick to the hand crafted case and also bracelet. Then again, who cares about fingerprints when you're rock climbing?
The case has a blend brushed surfaces and high-polished facets that should also show wear a lot better if you are using this particular while mountaineering. It also comes with 200 feets of water proofing which is nice, albeit less useful scaling a mountain unless which mountain will be underwater, and even has a show caseback, albeit for a movement with relatively affordable finishing. That motion, the AL-650 caliber, based on a Sellita movement but it gets the job done.
Then we get to the core of what makes this specific watch stand out from the other Alpiner Extreme Automatic models: the regulator. I wouldn't say I spent enough time with the watch to guage how quickly I could become skilled at reading any regulator while searching for the actual hours on the subdial at 10: 00. Next to some sort of 24-hour dial, I imagine it's simple, but regardless the fun is in its existence, not its practicality. The particular rubber-strap version comes with a black dial while the steel accessory has a blue dial along with grey subdials, both using the brand's signature triangle switch motif along with both limited by 888 pieces.