The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono welcomes a new 44 mm model in the form of a eye-catching “Maritime Blue” dial timepiece.
On October 5th, the Co-President of Chopard, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, hosted an event on the shores of Lake Geneva to present the brand new timepiece joining Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono collection of watches. This new model comes fitted as standard with a contemporary rubber strap, and a beautiful light blue dial called ‘Maritime Blue’.
The Alpine Eagle collection has a special place in Chopard’s line up of watches, as it is a modern re-interpretation of the St. Mortiz timepiece. Chopard explains the history behind this collection as “Devised by three generations of men in the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection is a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first horological creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the late 1970s. With its pure and assertive design, Alpine Eagle enriches this heritage with powerful inspiration drawn from Nature.”
The characteristic look of the Apline Eagle Collection is easily noticeble from some distance. A round case with stylised flanks, a crown engraved with a compass rose and a bezel with eight functional indexed screws make up the core aesthetic design of the timepiece. The Alpine XL Chrono gets the 3-6-9 sub-counter layout, along with the mixture of baton-style and “XII” 12 o’clock Roman hour indices.
Chopard’s extra-large 44mm case of the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is forged from Lucent SteelTM. The brand states that this material “is made with a recycling rate of at least 80% and developed by Chopard for its anti-allergenic properties, its robustness as well as its incomparable brilliance achieved through a meticulous recasting process.” A noticable characteristic of the Apline Eagle Xl Chrono is the well-balanced aesthetic design. This can be seen from the chronograph pushers, which have seamlessly integrated into either side of the crown guards, which make it appear as if it’s part of the case.
The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono does come with a seamlessly integrated bracelet, however, since 2022, some models have been offered as standard on the rubber strap. The rubber strap is an ideal choice for a sports watch, with the material providing a range of benefits compared to it’s steel counterpart. Sport’s chronograph timepieces can be subjected to harsh environmental conditions, so having a strap that’s water resistant, malleable and provides comfort during rough conditions becomes an easy choice for the wearer.
Chopard has introduced a brand new colour to the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono collection with the introduction of the “Martime Blue”. This particular colour was previously introduced as a first for the brand on their Alpine Eagle 36mm model. This stunning shade of blue was inspired by the natural colours that make up the Alpine landscape, for example like Aletsch Blue, Bernina Gregy and Pitch Black. The colour also closely resembles the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea bordering the southern slopes of the Alps. Like all of the models in the Alpine Eagle collection, the texture and the sunburst pattern on the dial was done specifically to create the look of an eagle’s iris.
The depth of the sub-counters on the dial give a 3-dimensional effect, while readability is easy thanks to the contrast of the rhodium plated hour indices and hands against the Maritime Blue colour background. The hour indices and hands also have Grade X1 Super-LumiNova which provide low light visibility. Subtly placed between 4 and 5 o’clock is the date window, with the background of the date wheel colour matched to the dial.
At the heart of the timepiece is Chopard’s 03.05-C movement, which while operating at a high frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz) and giving out a power reserve of 60 hours, the brand states that it is one of the world’s most innovate movements. This isn’t a blanket statement either, as they have the technical features to back it up. Alongside the column wheel, the movement comes equipped with several technical features including three with patents.
Chopard explains these innovations as “the 03.05-C movement is equipped with a unidirectional gear drive system that prevents energy losses while ensuring rapid automatic winding, a function much appreciated in the inherently energy-hungry chronograph category. In addition, its vertical clutch ensures accurate time-measurement starts. This chronograph calibre is also of the flyback variety, enabling smooth successive timing operations thanks to three pivoting hammers with elastic arms facilitating zero-setting of the counters.”
This latest edition of the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono stands out from the crowd with ease. While the watch retains the design and mechanical characteristics of previous Alpine Eagle XL Chrono timepieces, the new aesthetically pleasing Maritime Blue coloured dial is bound to turn heads.
Reference: 298609-3006
Specification:
- Case: 44mm / 13.15mm thick
- Case Material: Exhibition case-back with sapphire crystal and Alpine Eagle logo.
- Case back: Lucent SteelTM
- Dial: Brass dial stamped with a Maritime Blue sunburst pattern inspired by the iris of an eagle. Applied numerals and hour-markers, rhodium-plated and enhanced with Grade X1.
- Crystal: Glare-proofed sapphire crystal.
- Water resistance: 100m / 10bar
- Movement: Automatic winding Chopard 03.05-C
- Power reserve: Approximately 60 hours.
- Strap: Black rubber strap with titanium insert. Pin buckle in Lucent SteelTM.
