From the very beginning, Alpina has always been the kind of manufacture to build bridges between the traditional and the modern, the luxurious and the affordable, not to mention the air, land and sea. Today, with specific reference to air travel, the brand is introducing three new Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big Date designs and marking a new phase by adapting two leading complications in fine watchmaking to quartz technology: the chronograph and the large date.
There can only be one must-have; Alpina‘s iconic Startimer Pilot range is the only one devoted to aviation, the conquest of the skies, its history and its future. Its timepieces are tailored to pilots, offering all that flying requires: resilience, readability and precision.
Through this exercise, the mechanical watch laid the foundations for aviation-related watchmaking, more than a century ago. Many collectors remain very attached to it, but the evolution of watchmaking technology has provided another solution to pilots’ needs… quartz.
Now perfectly integrated into the Startimer Pilot range, it promises unparalleled precision, autonomy that has gone from a few days to a few years, as well as the ability to withstand the most unlikely aerobatics.
Noble complications, quartz precision
The three new Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big Date watches fall within this framework. Their large 44 mm cases feature a compax chronograph, accompanied by a large date at 6 o’clock. This is a rare complication in fine watchmaking. It enables you to display the date on two separate discs, one for the tens, the other for the units. The technique also allows for wide-format windows that make reading the date as easy as can be.
With an autonomy of 4 years (48 months), each of the designs features an engraved case back, large hand-polished hands, luminescent Arabic numerals, 10 ATM (100 metres) of water resistance, a calfskin leather strap, two push buttons and a seconds hand finished with Alpina‘s signature red triangle, inspired by the brand’s Alpine roots.
One compax, three versions
The first luxurious option features a rose gold-plated case that houses a radiant navy blue dial embellished with three black counters and rose gold plated hands. It comes with a brown calfskin leather strap with off-white topstitching.
The other two affordable editions feature steel cases. The first has a clandestine feel inspired by night flying and features a midnight blue dial with black counters, emphasised by a complementary black calfskin leather strap with off-white topstitching. Setting the second steel version apart are three silver snailed counters that really stand out against the deep navy blue dial for improved readability.
Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big Date Technical Specifications
Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big date Reference AL-372NB4S4
Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Big Date
Movement
- AL-372 caliber, quartz
- 13 jewels, 48 months battery life
Case
- Brushed and polished stainless steel rose gold-plated 2-part case
- Diameter of 44 mm, thickness of 12.94 mm
- Convex sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant up to 10 ATM
- Engraved case-back
Dial
- Navy blue dial with black counters, white graduation
- Applied rose gold-plated indexes with white luminous treatment at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock
- Applied rose gold-plated Arabic numbers filled with black luminous at 1, 4,5, 7, 8, 11 o’clock
- Hand-polished rose gold-plated hour and minute hands filled with black luminous
- Rose gold-plated chronograph second hand with red triangle, Chronograph 10th of a second counter at 3 o’clock, Small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph 30 minutes counter at 9 o’clock, all with hand-polished rose gold-plated hands
- Big date window at 6 o’clock
Strap
- Brown calf leather strap with off-white stitching
RRP 1’195€
Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big date Reference AL-372NB4S6
Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Big Date
Movement
- AL-372 caliber, quartz
- 13 jewels, 48 months battery life
Case
- Brushed and polished stainless steel 2-part case
- Diameter of 44 mm, thickness of 12.94 mm
- Convex sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant up to 10 ATM
- Engraved case-back
Dial
- Navy blue dial with black counters, white graduation
- Applied silver color indexes with white luminous treatment at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock
- Applied silver color Arabic numbers with black luminous in the center at 1, 4,5, 7, 8, 11 o’clock
- Hand-polished silver color hour and minute hands with black luminous in the center
- Silver color chronograph second hand with red triangle
- Chronograph 10th of a second counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph 30 minutes counter at 9 o’clock, all with hand-polished silver color hands
- Big date window at 6 o’clock
Strap
- Black calf leather strap with off-white stitching
RRP 895€
Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big date Reference AL-372NS4S6
Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Big Date
Movement
- AL-372 caliber, quartz
- 13 jewels, 48 months battery life
Case
- Brushed and polished stainless steel 2-part case
- Diameter of 44 mm, thickness of 12.94 mm
- Convex sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant up to 10 ATM
- Engraved case-back
Dial
- Navy blue dial with silver color counters, white graduation
- Applied silver color indexes with white luminous treatment at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock
- Applied silver color Arabic numbers with white luminous treatment at 1, 4,5, 7, 8, 11 o’clock
- Hand-polished silver color hour and minute hands with white luminous treatment
- Silver color chronograph second hand with red triangle
- Chronograph 10th of a second counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph 30 minutes counter at 9 o’clock, all with hand-polished silver color hands
- Big date window at 6 o’clock
Strap
- Black calf leather strap with off-white stitching
RRP 895€
ABOUT ALPINA
SWISS MANUFACTURER OF ALPINE SPORTS WATCHES SINCE 1883
Founded in 1883 and famous for its iconic red triangle, Alpina is a Swiss watch manufacturer based in Geneva. The brand set out to design luxury sports watches offering exceptional accuracy and reliability in the most challenging sporting environments, like the Alps.
A true pioneer of the watchmaking industry, Alpina has been the source of numerous patents and innovative calibres over the past 138 years. At the beginning of the 20th century, Alpina became the official supplier of watches to military pilots, before revolutionising the concept of sports watches in 1938 with the legendary Alpina 4.
True to its long tradition of innovation, Alpina launched the first Swiss made Horological Smartwatch in 2015, creating a new segment in the luxury Swiss sports watch market. In 2020, the brand introduced the AlpinerX Alive, a new generation of connected watches equipped with a heart rate monitor and GPS, among other things. Also committed to protecting the planet, Alpina created the Seastrong Diver Gyre Automatic range using recycled plastic from the oceans. In 2021, the brand is doubling down on its promise to get involved with organisations fighting to protect the environment. Joined together by the unifying principle We Shape the Change – the environmental equivalent of Reach Your Summit – Alpina will undertake a variety of measures aimed at drawing public attention to current environmental issues.
Inspired by the Alps from the very beginning, Alpina has always been heavily involved in outdoor activities and mountain sports. The brand has established strong partnerships demonstrating its commitment to this world, as well as a team of ‘Alpinists’, including athletes and friends of the brand working in the most challenging environments.