The founder of Alsta Watch, Joseph Alstater, was born in 1910 in Belgium. He emigrated with his wife to the United States in 1940 and settled down in New Jersey. After the Second World War he moved to New York City and established the Alstater Watch Corporation.
Around 2014 Glasgow based Businessman Angus MacFadyen decided to acquire the commercial rights of the by then defunct Alsta watch Brand. MacFadyen, a watch collector himself, happened to own a vintage Alsta Nautoscaph skin diver in his collection and became intrigued by this fairly unknown brand and started doing some research.
Alongside reviving the Brand in 2017 with new iterations of iconic pieces such as the Nautoscaph and the Superautomatic, CEO and Founder Angus MacFadyen has also devoted time to develop his vision for Alsta in the twenty first century. This is clearly visible with the Motoscaphe watch, the first new creation of Alsta since its rebirth and a solid, purpose-built tool watch for motorcyclists of all kinds.
"I am a proud owner of a Superautomatic and absolutely love the watch. The design, quality and movie appearance all make this a great watch. I am pleased to hear that you are considering releasing a revised and COSC version of the super automatic in the future."
"Man this is sweet. Worth the wait and underpriced!!!"
"I really love my Watch and I wear it every single day…and night."
"Hi there! My name is Tyler - I love your watches so much. I have the Superautomatic in both the classic and gilted colorways, and am a huge fan of Jaws, Narragansett beer, and these watches!"
"Thank you so much Angus, really a great service! I’ll tell everybody I know about Alsta. "
"Angus, just wanted to say thank you! Whatever you said to FedEx they sure did get it in gear; the watch was delivered 2 days later! It’s amazing! This is most I’ve ever spent on a watch and I don’t regret a cent of it, truly unique and captures the movie perfectly. Thanks again- Jess."
"My two Alsta watches are going strong. Their 'wrist presence' always provokes interest and complimentary remarks. Once again, thank you for these wonderful watches."
"Angus. The Nautoscaph IV arrived this afternoon as promised. I love it, and it was definitely worth the wait. Superautomatic is also on my list!"
"I am the proud owner of the Alsta Nautoscaph Jaws watch. I love it and it is favorite watch. I wear it all the time, from sailing to swimming. Thank you for making such a great watch, it has been my daily companion for years now, and many years to come."
"I just wanted to let you know that after a long old wait, I collected my Superautomatic #1975 today from FCW and it is a thing of beauty. Thank you for all of your help over the last couple of years, for keeping me in the loop, for keeping the Alsta brand alive and for making a wonderful timepiece to honour my favourite film of all time."
"Hi. I just receive an Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic watch as a gift. I’ve wanted one forever and I love it. It is my daily driver Monday - Friday."
"Just received my watch. Love it!.......And still loving this watch..one of my favorites in my collection."
"Hello Angus, today I finally received the watch repaired and in perfect working order. The piece is beautiful and I didn't want to sell it for a loss because I had lost the bezel. I don't know how to tell you how grateful I am for the service provided. I will comment on it in the forums, however. I knew from your face that you were a great guy, I was not wrong. [...] Thank you from the bottom of my heart, it is a shame that people like you are scarce. However, I am grateful to have met you. Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!"
"I got my Nautoscaph Superautomatic today. Holy shit! What a great watch. The quality is awesome and the price is great. Why are some people so focused on a swiss movement?? I am thankful that the Alsta brand is back again, and I am glad I got the Nautoscaph. Wearing for one day I already know this is gonna be a favorite. So thanks for making great quality watches with a lot soul. I’m gonna be a loyal Alsta fan forever and I‘m already planning on getting some other Alsta models in the future."
"The watch just arrived. I am so happy! It is perfection! Thank you so much for all that you do. I’ll be wearing it to the John Williams concert at the Hollywood Bowl. I’m really itching to watch Jaws again, but that’s a Fourth of July tradition. Ha ha, so thrilled."
The Alsta Nautoscaph was first released in the mid-1960s and was a skin diver which was served a different market need than the professional diver watches of the time. Skin divers were designed to be work on the wrist against the skin as opposed to over a wet suit, hence the name skin diver. They were usually rated to be waterproof to a shallower depth than professional diver watches. Alsta skin divers were still rated to dive well below the depths of typical sports divers. Alsta is proud to announce the next in the series of re-editions of the Nautoscaph family.
The Alsta Nautoscaph is a timepiece with a rich history, dating back to the 1960s—an era of diving exploration and iconic tool watches. Cementing its place in pop culture, the Nautoscaph Superautomatic famously appeared on Richard Dreyfuss’ wrist in Jaws (1975), making it a sought-after collector’s item.
Alsta Watch CEO Angus MacFadyen sits down with filmmaker Hayley Easton-Street to discuss her journey in the film industry, the success of Something in the Water, and the challenges of directing a female-led survival thriller.
The Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic became an iconic timepiece thanks to its appearance on Richard Dreyfuss’s wrist in Jaws (1975). For decades, the identity of the watch worn by oceanographer Matt Hooper remained a mystery, until brothers Gary and Christian Stock uncovered its origins in 2010.
