Alpina is growing its list of in-house mechanical calibers with the new manufacture caliber AL-760, while also keeping pace in the competitive race of smart watches replica. To find out more about Alpina’s Horological Smartwatch plus the new Alpiner 4 Flyback Chronograph, iW sat down with Guido Benedini, CEO of Alpina, to discuss these innovations. Watch this video jam-packed with details on this independent watch manufacture’s recent introductions.
Alpiner 4 Flyback Chronograph
A sporty and durable timepiece, the 45mm Alpiner 4 Flyback Chronograph embodies the virtues of Alpina by maintaining four elemental characteristics: antimagnetic properties, water-resistance, incabloc shock protection and a robust case of non-rusting stainless steel. Caliber AL-760 came to fruition after a three-year development process, from concept to the final production, and is the first chronograph caliber completely designed and produced in-house. The module construction of the Alpiner 4 Flyback Chronograph movement uses the AL-710 as a solid base rotor caliber powering the central hours, minutes and seconds as well as a date function displayed at 6 o’clock. The flyback chronograph module consists of 96 components and is layered on the AL-710 to create the AL-760 with a total of 233 components. In this module Alpina introduces a non-standard type of column wheel, a star column wheel, which allows for smooth operation with the help of the operating lever. In addition, the clutch connecting the chronograph to the power source is a new construction composed of a swiveling component with two toothed pinions joining the two modules. With one simple press of the pusher located at 4 o’clock the chronograph is reset to zero. The retail price is $4,750 CHF.
Horological Smartwatch
This spring Alpina announced a high-tech watch innovation using the traditional style of an analog timepiece in a partnership with Fullpower Technologies, a leader in motion recognition technology such as MotionX ® and Sleeptracker® used in products by Jawbone and Nike to track activity and sleep. Together they developed the Horological Smartwatch with advanced technology and a classic analog display—and no recharging necessary. This technology is incorporated in watches replica from Frederique Constant, the Alpina Horological Smartwatch and Mondaine.
Equipped with technology to track your activity and sleep patterns, the Alpina watch has the capacity to become a more integral part of one’s life. As you wear the watch, the data accumulated in the module is synced to the app on your handheld device via Bluetooth technology. The watch will operate independently from your handheld device and store data for approximately thirty days. Activating the activity or sleep modes, which are indicated in the subdual at 6 o’clock, is achieved via a simple push of the crown pusher.
Through the app, it is possible to set individual activity as well as sleep goals to display progress throughout the day. Have trouble getting up in the morning? Well, the sleep-cycle alarm may help. It will monitor your sleep patterns and be sure to wake you in a light sleep pattern to make the morning a little easier. Another feature, that may be configured as you wish, is the Get-Active Alert, which sends a quick vibration to your wrist reminding you to get up and move. The time is always correct as the watch adjusts through your handheld device once synced. Therefore, as you enter a new time zone, it will change the time display on your wrist.
Both the gents’ and ladies’ timepieces are designed for an active lifestyle while the aesthetics remain true to the Alpina DNA. The watch is powered by a quartz movement, AL-285, and maintains a two-year battery life. Arriving in a 44mm stainless steel case, the gents’ version displays the hours and minutes along with the date and daily activity progress in the subsidiary dial located at 6 o’clock. This watch offers the options of a black or white dial with a stainless steel bracelet or leather strap—both easy to wear from day to night while tracking each step along the way. The sporty ladies’ collection is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case and arrives with either a white or black dial decorated with guilloche and nine diamond markers to lend a feminine touch. Interested in more diamonds? Both the black and white models are available with a diamond bezel and a leather strap.
Retail price for the gents’ model on a leather strap is 1,095 CHF; with a stainless steel bracelet, 1,195 CHF. Retail price for the ladies’ version with diamond markers and stainless steel bracelet is 1,195 CHF; the version with diamond markers and bezel on a leather strap is 2,595 CHF.