Hands-on with the Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” Watch
Wednesday - 05 April 2023
The new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch reignites the style and the allure of the iconic Jaws watch seen in the 1975 blockbuster film with yet another reiteration – this time with a bronze case that recalls the dive watches of the 1960s and 1970s and a striking red coloured dial that demands attention inside a resized 40mm case diameter.
If you were in your youth during the hype of the classic blockbuster film, Jaws and you wanted “that” watch, you were one of many thinking the same thing. The Nautoscaph acquired a huge following after it featured on the silver screen during the filming of the American natural horror film. A couple of years ago, Alsta reinvented the watch with its original styling and continued to grow the range and its offerings with several variations to the design, including the newly released model for 2023 – the Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana”. The model has been released alongside a striking blue watch named the “Anacapri” watch with the same bronze case, a coloured ceramic bezel and a more-than-enough 300-meter water resistance. Before we go into the finer details of the new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch, let’s recap on the model’s successful history.
A little about the Alsta Nautoscaph watch
The iconic Jaws film of 1975 showcased an equally iconic wristwatch – the Nautoscaph dive watch by Alsta, as worn by Richard Dreyfuss as the character Matt Hooper. Having developed an array of beautifully engineered watches for men and women during the 1960s and 1970s, Alsta went into a state of dormancy for 40 years but was revived in 2017 when the watchmaker released a redesigned version of the Nautoscaph dive watch. The Nautoscaph II, was inspired by the original Jaws watch. During its heyday, there were around 20 configurations of the popular model. The brand’s general consensus was “why not?”. The watch was popular - collectors wanted more variations – more they got!
The iconic Jaws watch named the Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic has an interesting story of evolution. Following this came a limited edition of just 1975 pieces, paying homage to the release year of the blockbuster film. Along with several other iterations that followed, the watch featured a burley physique, seriously deep water resistance, and a streamlined stainless steel diver’s case. The golden anniversary of the Superautomatic watch was celebrated with the Superautomatic 50 model. It featured a gilt dial and a Sellita movement for reliable accuracy. Since the rebirth of Alsta in 2017, the brand has released newer versions of the Nautoscaph, namely the II and III models – the latter of which is adorned with a black PVD-coated case. For the design of the Nautoscaph II, Alsta chose a larger 40mm case size as opposed to the former 36mm options. It was also cast from 316L stainless steel. The way to tell the difference between the Nautoscaph II generation and its younger cousin, the Nautoscaph III is the addition of the number 9 on the hour track of the III model, as well as the aforementioned PVD-coated case.
The Nautoscaph IV followed on from the third generation, with coffin-shaped indexes for the hour markers and a sapphire crystal glass front for added robustness. It also featured a PVD-coloured bezel and sword-shaped hands, not to mention several dial colours in addition to the standard black, including the Tropic option, the Blue Shark and the Great White. This brings us to the very latest edition of the Nautoscaph – the Nautoscaph V.
The new Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch
The new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” features a vivid red dial adorned with coffin-shaped indexes that have been treated with a generous amount of Super-LumiNova. These indexes, together with a set of sword-shaped hands, illuminate in dark conditions to promise all-day and all-night precision timekeeping. These features are protected underneath a scratch-resistant and anti-reflective piece of domed and hardened mineral crystal, which promises superior shatter-resistance underwater. Together with these features, there’s also a screw-down crown with a triple gasket system, a closed and screwed-in caseback and a unidirectional rotating bezel in a matching bronze material with a black ceramic-filled centre. Upon the surface of the black ceramic bezel inlay is a 60-minute scale in white numerals that stands out in high contrast under the water.
Whether you plan to take the new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch underwater or whether you plan on utilising it daily on dry land. The watch can easily transition from a rugged diver’s watch to a companion for wearing alongside a buttoned shirt thanks to its durable red handmade Italian leather strap and a bronze buckle to finish. The 40mm model is also 300-meter water resistant and features a handy date feature at 3 o’clock, which now forgoes the cyclops magnifying lens above it, in order to reduce the risk of damage to the mineral glass. Inside the new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch is a Seiko movement. The self-winding Calibre NH35A, which provides a 42-hour power reserve also performs at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour. The movement also comprises 34 jewels and sits inside its robust copper casing within an anti-magnetic structure resistant to 4,800 A/m. The copper case of the dive watch consists of 7.7% tin, 92% Copper and approx. 0.3% phosphorus, giving it a unique rose gold tint.
If you’d like more information on the new Alsta Nautoscaph V “Porcelana” watch, or if you’d like to place an order for it today, you can call and speak to our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453
