The Alpina Extreme Diver AL-525 44mm automatic watch ($1,250–$1,450) is crafted in stainless steel with a black PVD-coated Alpina rotor and a sapphire crystal see-through case back. It also is available with a link or mesh bracelet. Maddaloni Jewelers, 1870 E. Jericho Tpk., Huntington, 888-999-4038. BELOW: Baldwin sports his
wear-anywhere Alpina
William Baldwin is a man with a deep respect for time. As such, the Amagansett summer resident has taken on the role of Global Brand Ambassador for Alpina and introduced their 2012 Extreme Diver Collection.
“With time and with relationships, I am no longer in that place I was when I was young,” says Baldwin. “I am not obsessing about the future, and I’m not on the hamster wheel worrying about being in headlines and movies. I’m more interested in what’s going on in the present. I want to smell the flowers and enjoy the quality of life.”
The busy actor, husband, and father is also a diver, and he appreciates the craft and quality of the watch, made by the family-owned-and-operated company. “I don’t wear it just for diving,” he says. “It’s sporty and dressy at the same time, and it works for me with jeans, a suit, or even a tuxedo—although that may not go over as well here on the East Coast as it would in California.”
The Alpina pairs well with any Hamptons ensemble for when Baldwin is relaxing out East with his wife, Chynna Phillips, and their three children, walking on the beach in Montauk, or stopping by his favorite spots, like Joni’s in Montauk, Serafina, and Hampton Chutney Co. for its fresh gourmet food.
A former model who previously served as a spokesperson for other companies in the past, Baldwin stresses that Alpina watches particularly strike a chord with him. “I grew up in an art deco building, with marble from Italy, and fountains, and such artistic beauty,” he recalls warmly. “The saying, ‘They don’t make them like they used to’ is true in most things, but not in watches. At Alpina, they make watches the way it used to be done, and I am drawn to that. I have a real romantic relationship with artistry and craftsmanship, and this was a true influencing factor in this relationship.”
