BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
At Watches & Wonders Geneva, Chopard presented multiple watches, including two different versions of their classy Alpine Eagle collection. Introduced a few years ago, the Alpine Eagle is Chopard’s version of the currently trending smart/casual sports watch featuring an integrated bracelet. Chopard’s Alpine Eagle is based on a historical model from the brand called the St Moritz. Named after the alpine skiing resort in the east, near the Italian border, the St Moritz was the very first watch designed by a young Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, who is now the co-president of Chopard alongside his sister Caroline. The St Moritz can easily be identified by its unique bracelet with polished and raised centre links and its uniquely shaped bezel, which protrudes outward around the eight screws holding it in place.
Today’s Alpine Eagle heavily resembles the St Moritz, although the bezel has changed shape and the dial is completely different. The bracelet, however, remains and is very eye-catching. In fact, all of the models are. This was my first time seeing the Alpine Eagle in person, thanks to the kind folks of Chopard, and I can say without any doubt that the watches are striking indeed.
The first new watch shown to me was the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF ref. 298600-3020. The name Cadence refers to the movement that this watch uses, which has an unusual beat rate of 8Hz or double the industry standard beat rate. The aim of this is to improve accuracy, as there is less time for deviations to occur during each swing of the balance wheel. Chopard introduced its first 8Hz movement years ago but hasn’t done much with it, with the movement appearing in one other Alpine Eagle and one L.U.C watch from memory. That movement comes inside a light-yet-durable 41mm case with a jet-black dial and red seconds hand. Chopard hasn’t indicated that this is a limited edition watch, although I doubt production will be as high as the regular watches. The price is set at
The other variant is the Alpine Eagle 41mm XPS ref. 298623-3001. Unlike the above watch, it has a case made of Lucent Steel A223, which, as we’ve covered before, is mostly made from recycled steel. It’s also got a lustre closer to gold than regular steel, thanks to its proprietary molecular structure and how it interacts with light. On the wrist, this is a very sparkly watch which, when you think about it, is one of the reasons we like these things. It has an L.U.C calibre in it for the first time in an Alpine Eagle, with the self-winding calibre 96.40-L taking pride of place behind a sapphire caseback.
The solid gold micro-rotor and Geneva Seal finishing are hallmarks of Chopard’s watchmaking prowess. When Chopard originally announced the Alpine Eagle, this was more the watch I was expecting, as it is a luxury sports watch with an haute horlogerie movement which undercuts the competition by a large margin. Despite the fine striping on the movement and the small seconds hand on the salmon dial, this is still a go-anywhere sports watch, as the 100m water resistance shows. It’s a mightily impressive piece on the wrist too.
