Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic Review

Can something be greater than the sum of its parts? Can an intangible property emerge from an assembly of mundane pieces, favorably skewing one’s perception of its value? The Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic has caused me to ask these questions, and I’m still searching for the elusive answers.

Background: Alsta is a Swiss watch brand founded in 1946, which was eventually consumed by the quartz crisis of the 1970s. The brand was purchased by a Scottish entrepreneur in 2014, and in 2019, Alsta released a faithful reproduction of the watch worn by Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) in the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic movie, Jaws. There are some minor changes from the original, but overall, it’s an extremely close recreation.

Specs: As far as I know, Alsta watches are made of components manufactured in Switzerland and Germany, using Sellita or Seiko movements. The watch is made from 316L stainless steel, and features a domed sapphire crystal and screw down crown for a 300 meter water resistance rating. The watch also claims to be anti-magnetic to 4,800 A/m and shock-resistant to ISO 1413 standards. Case diameter is 38mm, lug-to-lug is 43mm, lug width is 20mm, and thickness is a stout 15mm including the rather prominent crystal. The watch also came in a nice leather travel style case.

Design: The design is to me, where this watch really excels. It captures and recreates the retro 70’s era dive watch look perfectly, with its cushion style case and bracelet segments with oval shaped holes. This watch has a unique personality to it and the connection to iconic 70s cinema adds to this character. The dial is well balanced with 12, 6, and 9 numerals along with a tastefully done date window at 3 o’clock. The logo is pleasingly proportioned and well positioned under the 12. Four lines of text are displayed above the 6, and are not obnoxious in any way. The Superautomatic text is done in a 70s style script font with all the remaining text in block capital letters. The hands are somewhat sword shaped and nicely legible in all positions. The seconds hand features a lumed arrow tip. The indices are hexagons, stretched into tooth-like shapes, and are also nicely lumed, offering good visibility in dark environments. 

The bezel is interesting, displaying a positive/negative theme with the first 15 minutes silver with black text, and the remainder black with silver text. Numbers are shown at every 5 minute mark, along with smaller 1-12 numbering for possible second time zone tracking. The triangle at 12 is split with half black and half silver continuing that interesting positive/negative effect. Unfortunately the bezel is not lumed at all, reducing its nighttime usefulness. The caseback is solid and highly polished, with the typical information regarding specs, and a small etching of a shark.

Wearing experience: On the wrist, this watch wears quite nicely. It is a rather dense chunk that sits a bit top heavy, but not too bad. The bracelet wears comfortably and has a distinctive presence thanks to the oval holes. The 15mm thickness is not as much of a problem as I expected as the watch sort of tapers into the height, stepping inward from the case, to bezel, to crystal. So it’s really not as bulky as it might seem on paper. The watch does a decent job of hugging the wrist which helps it not seem so tall. The bezel lines up perfectly, and turns smoothly, with stiff, but appropriate resistance and no problematic backplay. But it has a kind of sproingy, springy sound that I’ve never quite heard before. Not really a problem, just a bit strange. The unsigned, screw-down crown operates smoothly, and the NH35 movement functions nicely when setting the time or date. 

Movement: This watch is powered by a Seiko NH35A movement. The same movement found in many watches less than a quarter the price of this one. I will say, mine is running very well, only gaining a couple seconds per day. I’m not sure if any regulation is performed on these. It would be nice to see a Swiss movement in a watch of this price, or a significant price reduction.

Quality: I have no complaints about the quality of the dial, crystal, and case components at all. Everything is nicely finished, appears well built, and looks great. The bracelet features solid links and end links, which seem high quality, though the spring bars are not the most confidence inspiring, and the clasp is pressed, and quite stiff to operate. If any skimping took place on materials, I would say it was on the bracelet components. 

Negatives: The big negative here is price. This watch has a retail price of over $1,000. At that price, I would expect an ETA or Sellita movement, and a milled, push button clasp at a minimum. I understand there are many costs involved in producing an original, limited production piece in Switzerland or Germany, but the perception of value takes a big hit when a similar movement can routinely be found in watches 1/10th the price. Questionable bracelet components add to this sense that corners were cut. This tends to make one wonder if any other, less noticeable corners have also been cut.

Summary: So, the question remains, does the whole add up to more than the parts? As for the bracelet’s stamped clasp, once the watch is comfortably fitted onto the wrist and the clasp is closed, the wearer will notice the small engraving of a shark on the clasp. A nice touch that may suddenly bring back memories of Chief Brody telling Quint he’s going to need a bigger boat. Having an NH35 movement in a watch of this price is a bit disappointing when a Swiss movement could have easily been used, but throughout the day, that workhorse movement reliably and accurately does its job. The movement works away invisibly behind that beautiful dial. As the wearer appreciates the pleasing balance of complementary shapes and colors, the strong, retro inspired charm may take hold. As this beautiful watch reliably ticks away, the specifics of the movement are likely to soon be forgotten. As for the price, I managed to apply a discount to my purchase, bringing the price well under that 4 figure mark that does seem a bit excessive. After a few weeks, the price was largely forgotten. For fans of 70s dive watches and 70s cinema, I’d say there is something intangible that emerges from the nebulous depths of this collection of parts, making it special, and giving it a unique character with a nostalgic charm that definitely won’t appeal to everyone. I must say, these issues did give me reservations about jumping in and buying this watch, but for now, I’m glad I took the plunge.