With 25 days to go before the start of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, it is time to introduce the race's official timekeeper. You may already have come across it during the Warm-up by Alpina, since Alpina keeps time on the water as well as in Virtual Regatta. For the occasion, the Swiss watchmaker is offering six of its brand-new watches, a limited series of only 513 pieces worldwide.

The essentials

• In each of the game's five categories, the player who finishes 1883rd wins an Alpina watch.
• A sixth watch goes by prize draw to one of the finishers sailing with the Alpina skin.
• All six watches are Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre x Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe models, a series limited to 513 pieces.

A watchmaker born in 1883

Alpina was founded in 1883 in Switzerland. Its founder, Gottlieb Hauser, brought watchmakers together within the "Union Horlogère Suisse", where they pooled their expertise.

In 1938, Alpina took a decisive step with the "Alpina 4" concept. It set out the principles that a true sports watch must follow: antimagnetic, shock-resistant, water-resistant and housed in a stainless steel case. Since then, the brand has designed watches built for demanding environments, in the mountains as well as at sea.

A timekeeper at home in offshore racing

The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is not Alpina's first offshore race. The brand already kept time for the Arkéa Ultim Challenge - Brest, the round-the-world race for Ultims.

On the water, Alpina also has a face. Its ambassador Éric Péron will start in Vintage Multi, aboard a former 60-foot ORMA trimaran. Meanwhile, Virtual Regatta players will follow the same route, in the real weather conditions.

Why 1883rd place wins a watch

In the virtual race, winning doesn't only mean finishing first. In each of the five categories, the player who finishes 1883rd receives an Alpina watch, a nod to the year the watchmaker was founded.

This rule opens victory to every kind of player. The 1883rd player is not necessarily a routing expert. It may be a regular player who saw their race through to the end without aiming for the podium. To be in with a chance, the main thing is therefore to cross the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre.

A sixth watch for boats in Alpina colours

Alpina has also designed a skin for the race. This livery is available in the game and covers all five categories: Ultim, IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, Class40 and Vintage Multi.

It even gives you one more chance to win. A prize draw awards a sixth watch to one of the finishers sailing with the skin, across all categories. So remember to choose this skin when you prepare your boat, then keep it all the way to Guadeloupe.

The Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre x Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe

The six watches up for grabs belong to a series limited to 513 pieces. This number is a nod to the 13th edition of the race.

These are Solarmetre models with solar quartz movements. Their dial lets light through, which recharges the watch. Alpina developed its solar calibre with the La Joux-Perret manufacture. Thanks to this movement, a single minute of exposure is enough for a full day of operation, and the watch can withstand 10 consecutive months of total darkness without stopping.

The 37.5 mm steel case is water-resistant to 10 ATM. The bezel also features a carbon insert. As for the caseback, it carries an exclusive engraving of the race route.

Take the start

The virtual Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe starts on Sunday 1 November at 13:02, at the same time as the skippers in Saint-Malo. Registration has been open since 1 October, and the game is free.

To understand everything about the race, read our guide to the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2026 on Virtual Regatta. The other prizes are presented in everything you can win. Among them, five trips to Guadeloupe reward the winner of each category. Finally, the competition rules set out all the conditions.

To find out everything about the race and to play it, visit our dedicated page on the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.