Mario Canonizado 
While Watches & Wonders 2024 heats up, leave it to Chopard to help cool everything down! This year, they unveil the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS in platinum, featuring an ultra-thin case, reshaped bracelet, and a stunning ‘Shades of Ice’ blue gradient dial inspired by Alpine glaciers.
When it comes to integrated bracelet sports watches, which brands come to mind? Tissot, with the PRX, is a household name, while Audemars Piguet pioneered the design with the Royal Oak. However, in today’s watch landscape, this subgenre has become so ubiquitous that every new release risks blending into the crowd. No matter how much effort a brand puts into differentiation, their offering is often – perhaps unfairly – lost in the shuffle.
To truly stand out in the crowded world of integrated bracelet sports watches, a timepiece must strike a balance – respecting the genre’s design principles while offering a unique, unmistakable identity. Achieving this is might sound near impossible, yet in 2019 independent brand Chopard set out to do just that. To understand how this was to be, however, we must take a look back through time.
Forty-five years ago, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele convinced his father, Karl, to create a steel sports watch that reflected the sophisticated and vibrant lifestyle of St. Moritz, giving birth to the eponymous collection in 1980. Eventually, Karl’s grandson, Karl-Fritz, discovered a St. Moritz watch on his father’s desk and persuaded him to revive this iconic timepiece. The result was the Alpine Eagle, a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz, reimagined to meet the expectations of today’s watch enthusiasts. Met with critical acclaim, it didn’t take long for the Genevan brand to establish the Alpine Eagle as a staple of their roster, representative of a new, contemporary era in Chopard’s watchmaking legacy.
For Watches & Wonders 2025, Chopard has elected to continue the modern legacy of the collection with the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum. Standing at a classic 41mm case diameter, with a 47.2mm lug-to-lug and an ultra-thin 8mm thickness, the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum provides a similar wearing experience to that of its older siblings. The design remains largely the same – not just to other Alpine Eagle references, but also to the St. Moritz collection that had inspired its creation. Using a mix of industrial, blocky frames and elegant, rounded lines, the Alpine Eagle projects both a bold strength and a subtle, formal flair.
However, the new Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum possesses a few tricks up its sleeve to further lean towards the mor formal side of things. As the name suggests, this new Alpine Eagle reference forgoes the steel and gold outfits of the older models, instead opting for a full, 950 platinum case and bracelet construction. While they have used platinum a few times before – namely in the L.U.C. collection – this marks the first time that Chopard has elected to use it in the Alpine Eagle catalogue. The density of the platinum, combined with its signature, understated shine, makes for a wearing experience like no other, providing a wrist presence that even two full-steel watches could only dream of having.
The debut of a new metal in Chopard’s Alpine Eagle line also signals the debut of a new colourway. While Chopard is no stranger to alpine inspirations, the newest ‘Shades of Ice’ dial goes beyond that of just a simple colour swap. It starts as a light blue in the centre of the dial, transitioning eventually to a deeper blue around the circumference of the watch in a fumé effect. This unique gradient is helped along by the use of the Alpine Eagle’s dial finish, made from a layer of brass stamped into a signature pattern called ‘eagle’s iris.’ The spiralised nature of the finish gives the Alpine Eagle a unique level of light play that evokes the cold and harsh, but spectacular beauty of the Alps and glaciers
“The Alpine Eagle collection is renewed in a subtle combination of refined textures, materials and changing colours that embody the timeless elegance of Chopard craftsmanship, the technical excellence of our watchmakers and the ethereal beauty of Alpine Nature. This new Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum model is more than a timepiece, paying vibrant tribute to the majesty and richness of this Nature.”
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard Co-President
Now, an exceptional watch such as this requires an exceptional movement to go along with it – and the family-owned brand has never been one to disappoint. Within the ultra-thin case of the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum lies the L.U.C. 96.24.L movement, visible through the case back in all of its glory. Beating the luxury standard 4Hz (28,800VpH) atop a 65-hour power reserve, the micro-rotor movement provided by Chopard already makes it a capable and reliable running mate. Yet, Chopard have decided to take the time to go above and beyond with the L.U.C. 96.24.L, as it also qualifies for the Poinçon de Genève. English for ‘Geneva Seal,’ this subtle mark seen on the bottom end of the case back denotes one of the most sought-after commendations in the Swiss watch industry. The rules of being eligible for one are so extremely demanding – so much so, that achieving COSC chronometer certification is considered to be the easiest requirement to get for the Poinçon de Genève. Thus, the manufacturing of the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum is always a massive undertaking for Chopard. However, for the consumer, and for the love of watches, no challenge is too tough for Chopard’s craftsmen and engineers to undertake.
My Thoughts
As I might have insinuated by my opening statements, I believe that the Chopard Alpine Eagle collection can often get so unfairly lost in the shuffle within the integrated bracelet sports watch market. It’s strange, considering that I don’t see a reason why it does: It’s a collection inspired by a heritage design, from an independent brand, and has a singular set of aesthetics that makes it recognisable to most people within the watch community.
It’s perhaps for this reason that Chopard have elected to elevate the lineup to the highest possible level with the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum. While it’s certainly not going to garner any wearers in the PRX price range, that’s hardly the point. The point is, with design chops and engineering prowess that competes with some of the best household names in the world, Chopard continually campaigns to become mare and more noticeable in the horological community. With the release of this new timepiece at the world’s biggest watch fair, Chopard is making a bold statement that the Alpine Eagle collection deserves its place among the finest integrated bracelet sports watches. I can’t wait to see how much buzz this incredible timepiece will generate for them – I always want to see more of Chopard in the future!
References: 295396-9001
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 41mm case diameter x 47.2mm lug-to-lug x 8mm thickness
- Case Material: 950 platinum
- Dial: Light blue fumé with ‘Eagle Iris’ stamped pattern
- Movement: Automatic Chopard L.U.C 96.24-L with micro-rotor and Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal)
- Power Reserve: 65h
- Water Resistance: 100m (10bar)
- Strap: Integrated platinum strap with butterfly clasp
