Alpina, official timekeeper of the 13th Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, has presented two limited-edition watches for the upcoming 2026 race.
The Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic and Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre combine the brand’s sporting watch designs with details referencing the route from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre.
The race will start on 1 November 2026, with competitors setting sail from Saint-Malo for Guadeloupe. The current record for the route stands at 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds. Among this year’s competitors is French skipper Éric Péron, who is supported by Alpina.
The first of the two watches is the Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic “Route du Rhum”, limited to 313 individually numbered pieces, corresponding to the race’s 13th edition.
The model draws on the Seastrong, Alpina’s diving watch originally introduced in the 1960s and reinterpreted in 2024, adapting it for the occasion with a turquoise dial engraved with a pattern representing Atlantic Ocean currents.
The dial is framed by a turquoise outer ring with a white minute track and features applied silver-coloured indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova Grade X1.
Silver-coloured hour and minute hands use the same luminous treatment, while the seconds hand has a red triangle. A date display is positioned at 6 o’clock, with the number 13 appearing in red as a reference to the edition of the race.
The watch is housed in a brushed and polished three-part stainless steel case measuring 39.00 by 40.50 mm and 13.40 mm thick. Its bidirectional bezel incorporates a carbon-fibre insert and a compass graduation, while an anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial.
The screw-down crown is designed with a rubber grip, and a screwed solid case back carries a decoration depicting the Route du Rhum course from Saint-Malo to the Caribbean.
Water resistance is rated at 30 bar, equivalent to 300 metres / 1,000 feet.
Inside is Alpina Calibre AL-525, an automatic movement comprising 198 components and 24 jewels. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, the movement provides a power reserve of 38 hours.
The Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic is fitted with a two-tone rubber strap featuring a textured black central section and contrasting turquoise side sections, secured by a stainless steel pin buckle. The colour combination echoes the dial and bezel while maintaining the watch’s maritime theme.
The second model, the Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre “Route du Rhum”, takes a different approach to endurance, using solar-powered quartz technology.
Limited to 513 pieces, the watch shares several visual elements with the Seastrong edition, including turquoise detailing, a carbon-fibre bezel insert and a case back engraved with the race route.
The Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre measures 37.50 by 38.90 mm and 10.19 mm thick. Its brushed and polished three-part stainless steel case is fitted with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and a standard crown, while water resistance is rated at 10 bar.
The black matt dial features a triangular pattern, a turquoise outer ring and a white minute track. Applied silver-coloured indexes are filled with white luminous material, with a blue triangle at 12 o’clock surrounded by blue luminous treatment.
The date is displayed at 3 o’clock, and the silver-coloured seconds hand features a blue triangle.
Power comes from Alpina Calibre AL-140, a solar quartz movement based on a La Joux-Perret calibre, presented earlier this year. According to Alpina, the system can continue running for up to 10 months in complete darkness.
The solar technology uses a translucent dial that allows light to reach the cells beneath its surface, where energy is captured and stored in a rechargeable battery.
Alpina states that one minute of exposure to light is sufficient to provide a full day of operation, while the watch can restart after approximately 10 seconds once exposed to light following a fully depleted battery.
The Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre is fitted with a black rubber strap and stainless steel pin buckle.
Both watches are presented as limited editions created specifically for the 13th Route du Rhum, linking Alpina’s maritime and outdoor-oriented watchmaking with the demands of the race.
The Alpina Seastrong Extreme Automatic x Route du Rhum, reference AL-525T3VE6, is limited to 313 pieces and retails at €2,195. The Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre x Route du Rhum, reference AL-140BT3AE6, is limited to 513 pieces and retails at €1,095. alpinawatches.com
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