If you’re in the market for a good two-tone sports watch, then the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 in Lucent Steel and Ethical 18k Rose Gold may just be the watch you’re looking for!
What We Love
- Wearability and comfort
- THAT Iris of the Eagle dial!
- Sturdy, good looking movement
What We Don’t
- Lack of taper on the bracelet
- No ability for size adjustments
- Clasp not easy to open
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
- Value for money: 8/10
- Wearability: 8.5/10
- Design: 9/10
- Build quality: 8.5/10
Chopard is a brand that’s probably not first on people’s list when they think of a steel sports watch. In fact, it may not be even top three. I know it wasn’t for me, and if you’re like me and think about steel sports watches, then your mind probably runs through a range of brands from Rolex, to TAG Heuer, to Omega, Breitling, Tudor, and the like. But maybe, you should think of Chopard?
As the watch community’s lust for steel sports watches continued to rise, Chopard recognised this and introduced the Alpine Eagle in 2019 – a modern re-interpretation of the 1970s St. Moritz, the first timepiece that was created by (now Co-President of Chopard) Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. And it was a good release. The star of the watch was the Iris of the Eagle dial that if you have seen it in person, is mesmerizing. And let me tell you, it is very cool.
For this review, I was lucky enough to get my hands on the two tone variant in Chopard’s 18k Ethical Rose Gold and Lucent Steel. I’ve not been a major lover of two-tone watches, but can appreciate them for what they are. Maybe I’ve just never tried the right two-tone piece on, but slipping this on my wrist, my initial thoughts were, it was ok. But over the week or so, it grew on me massively!
The Design
I feel the best place to start here is the dial. Chopard have given the Alpine Eagle a very unique dial in various colours, but in this case, it was the grey Iris of the Eagle. You really need to see this dial up close to really appreciate it. Chopard have given it a galvanic treatment in brass and combined a sunburst motif with a swirling textured pattern that plays with the light magically. It can be anything from a light grey, to a dark hue in certain light, and as the name suggests, has been designed to imitate the iris of an eagle.
Outside of the dial itself, Chopard have used a combination of Roman numerals for the 3, 6, 9 and 12 markes, and then straight indices for the rest, all filled with good amounts of Super-LumiNova. To test this out, I did charge the lume at night to see how it went, (more to get some nice images of it) and it glows beautifully in an aqua blue colour. However, I found that the lume did not last as long as I would have hoped for, especially compared to if I did the same exercise with my Panerai Luminor or my Rolex Sea-Dweller. These seem to go the distance with ease.
The Alpine Eagle’s overall design is very reminiscent of the St Moritz, with the typical integrated bracelet design that came to trend in the 70’s and the fixed bezel with the 2 screws holding it in place at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The 18k ethical rose gold offsets the grey dial so well, and leads into the centre links, in the same rose gold breaking up the bracelet. This creates a look on the wrist that is hard to describe. Put in on with a t-shirt and shorts and it dressed down, or dress it up with suit and tie and it will look the part. I mostly wore this with the former – but let me say that sitting down by the marina with this on, sipping a coffee and I feel instantly transported to the French Riviera or the Amalfi Coast.
How It Wears
It’s no secret that integrated steel bracelets wear well due to the absence of a large clasp, and with the Alpine Eagle, this is no different. The bracelet design on the Chopard means it hugs the wrist nicely, and doesn’t catch the hairs on the wrist, which is nice if you’ve got a few like me. The main case sits flush on the wrist, and due to it being a 41mm sized watch, and relatively slim at about 10mm, and almost no lugs, it sits and wears perfectly on my 17-ish cm wrist (depending on the weather!)
It’s not too weighty either, with the size of the watch potentially offsetting the additional weight of the gold in the watch. It is also well balanced too. Set the bracelet to the right size, and it doesn’t seem to move around too much or fall to one side of the other. I like to have a little give in my watches, so I don’t wear them super tight, but on the same hand, I don’t like them slopping around on the wrist either. The Chopard does a good job striking this balance.
Final Thoughts
The Chopard Alpine Eagle in two-tone Lucent Steel and 18k Ethical Rose Gold is definitely a watch worth consideration if you’re in the market for that next piece. It is versatile as a daily wearer and able to be dressed up when needed, and at 41mm, it wears well and is comfortable on the wrist. The rose gold is a subtle colour, and not too in your face, and when paired and contrasted with the Iris of the Eagle dial, just looks the business in any situation.
The only part of the equation I struggled with is the price point. At AUD $35,300 this isn’t a cheap watch, and even when you factor in the rose gold, this still sits well above other two-tone sports watch alternatives and puts this in the realm of Patek and AP models, albeit, not gold or two-tone. However, it is a very good looking watch and is something completely different to more mainstream brands that will turn heads. And maybe, this is where the value comes into play?
Reference: 298600-6001
Specification
- Case: 41mm, 10mm thick, 47mm lug to lug
- Case:18-carat eithical rose gold and lucent steel
- Dial: Grey with a galvanic treatment – finish design inspired by the iris of the eagle
- Hands/Indices: Applied gilded Roman numerals and hour markers coated with Super-LumiNova
- Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 100m (10BAR)
- Movement: In House CHOPARD 01.01-C self winding mechanical movement. 28,800 VPH / 4Hz and 31 Jewels
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Bracelet: Lucent Steel A223 tapering bracelet with satin-brushed wide link and sides, polished central links in 18k Ethical Rose Gold and triple folding clasp with safety pushers
