THE NAUTOSCAPH

Image of a Vintage Alsta wristwatch

PAST

Alsta was known in the 1960s and 1970s for its distinctive skin divers. Prior to the arrival of the Superautomatic Alsta was mainly focusing on the release of smaller, thinner waterproof sports watches - called skin divers- which were ready to go straight into any adventure on land, air or sea.

Skin divers are slimmer versions of dive watches with depth ratings typically between 100 and 200 metres as opposed to the 300m-plus found in professional grade divers. They were sufficiently slender and elegant to be worn also under a shirt cuff.

Always an early mover when new ideas or trends were catching attention, Alsta caught the mood of the time by releasing its first waterproof sports watch in the mid-1960s - the Nautoscaph.

The origins of the Nautoscaph were inspired by those days when the possibilities for human endeavour seemed endless. Apollo astronauts were flying in space and there was talk of going to the moon. James Bond was travelling the world to keep us safe and Jacques Cousteau was showing previously unimagined creatures in the depths of the oceans. These adventurers always had a life-dependent need for accurate time-keeping and therefore wristwatches were part of the essential equipment and were accessible by the general public, unlike space rockets and dive ships.

More adventurous leisure sports such as snorkelling and diving became accessible to a wider audience. This wider audience, of course, wanted to imagine participating in the full adventure including owning the equipment, which included waterproof dive watches. Even better were rugged and waterproof watches that were sufficiently thin and elegant to also be worn to dinner. This was what Alsta achieved with its Nautoscaph line.

Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph Black Bronze

PRESENT

The Nautoscaph was the ideal choice for Alsta to burst back onto the scene in 2017 with its Nautoscaph II, which was inspired by the original Nautoscaph of the 1960s. The new line followed the same design language as the original Nautoscaph and was updated with modern materials and a slightly increased case size for contemporary tastes. It was presented on a Milanese-style mesh bracelet.
The original Nautoscaphs were steel with mostly black dials, although some rare ones were made with blue ones. The new Nautoscaph II is finished in high-quality stainless steel or in elegant high-grade bronze and offers a variety of dial colours. The steel models sport steel bracelets whereas the bronze models come with hand-made Italian leather straps.

In 2018 Alsta released the limited edition Nautoscaph III, which was similar to the Nautoscaph II except it had a black PVD-coated case. It was still dive rated to the Alsta standard of 999ft/300m and it was presented on a black leather strap with a PVD-coated buckle.

 

In 2022, two variants on the Nautoscaph line were introduced with cases made of high-grade CuSn8 Bronze: The Nautoscap V Anacapri and the the Nautoscaph V Porcelana. The casing appears almost rose gold in colour and is made of approximately 7.7% of Tin,. 92% of Copper and. 0.3% of Phosphorus. This mix is optimum due to its low impurities, making the material more resistant to corrosion. And due to the nature of bronze, each piece is unique in its patination and appearance.

The Anacapri is inspired by the beautiful Italian island of Capri; its stunning blue waters and skies experienced during many visits made to the region and the island. The blue dial and blue handmade Italian strap on the elegant bronze case invoke emotions of this remarkable holiday spot which was so famously captured in the 1950s and 60s by photographer Slim Aarons with his studies of the “sophisticated classes”.

Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph White Bronze
Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph Anacapri

The Porcelana is inspired by warmer, autumnal emotions as summer changes to fall and we prepare for earlier sunsets. The brown tones in our wardrobes oppose the brighter colours or the previous season. The brown dial evokes the warm tones of the Porcelana cocoa bean, the finest grade and highest priced cocoa ever farmed. This iteration of the Nautoscaph stands for sophistication, exoticism and rarity.

Two more bronze variants were released towards the end of 2023 in the Nautoscaph line: Bronze Black and Bronze Silver. These are robust and waterproof timekeepers with black, rugged and hard wearing rubber straps but with refinement and a look of sophistication as the patinated bronze case looks almost rose gold, and the strap buckle is bronze.

FUTURE

Alsta strives to draw on its heritage and provide best in class skin diver timepieces, focusing on thinness, mechanical precision and elegance of design.

The modern Nautoscaph follows the design language of the original, however, it has taken on some different looks, such as coloured dials and even a bronze case. The elegance of the Nautoscaph has remained even though the dimensions have increased. The ruggedness and waterproofness is at the heart of the Nautoscaph and despite its elegant looks, it is made to withstand the knocks and bumps of any good adventure.

The Nautoscaph started life as a skin diver, and is still a skin diver at heart, although it is rated to withstand professional dive depths. This is where the Nautoscaph will continue to sit in the Alsta line. Tough enough for the mountain face or the ocean and elegant enough for the board room or the dinner table.

WHO IS THE NAUTOSCAPH FOR?

The romance of the sea, pulling on the urban, professional/creative, affluent, lifestyle diver/sailor etc who wants to have an elegant, robust and beautifully designed timepiece that fits alongside their elegant and beautifully designed other lifestyle items that they covet and enjoy owning.
These are not watch nerds – these are people who love beautiful things that have been designed with purpose in mind but also with elegance and sophistication at its heart. The imagery is sexy, sophisticated and unlike other watch brands which can become a bit same-y.
The Nautoscaph line holds a series of lifestyle pieces aimed at the person who wants to seamlessly and effortlessly go from their outdoor activities to their working hours and back into their evening leisure outings without having to change their timepiece.  

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 40mm diameter case, 51.3mm lug to lug, 20mm lug size, 16.2mm thickness including crystal, 43.4mm width including crown, 217.8mm total length including opened-out bracelet.
Packaging: L 118.5mm W 96mm H 74mm
Weight: 158g unpackaged. 365g packaged.
Case:  316L Marine grade brushed stainless steel
Crown: Screw down, polished stainless steel, “cross-hatch” engraved
Bezel: Steel, unidirectional, black ceramic insert,
Dial: Orange with applied C3 Super-LumiNova
Hands: Tapered sword with C3 Super-LumiNova. Seconds hand with C3 Super-LumiNova insert.
Movement:  Automatic Seiko NH35A, 24 jewels.
Function:  Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Casebac:  Stainless steel, engraved
Glas: Sapphire crystal with AR coating on the inside
Wate: resistance 999ft/300m
Shock Resistance: ISO 1413
Anti-magnetic: Field strength of 4,800 A/m (ISO 764 compliant)
Bracelet: Alsta “Valencia” bracelet with safety deployant clasp. 20mm at end tapering to 17.7mm
Strap bars: Spring-loaded stainless steel

MARINE SPIRIT

GALLERY

Close up of the dial of the Alsta Nautoscaph Anacapri
Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph Grey White
Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph Porcelana
Image of the Alsta Nautoscaph White Bronze
Image of the

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