Alpine Eagle in Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold. A new dial colour joins the Alpine Eagle collection in support of the Foundation dedicated to preserving the Alpine environment and its biodiversity.
The Alpine Eagle collection of sporty-chic timepieces has been enriched by two 41 mm-diameter models adorned with a dial in an original “Pine Green” colour. Available in versions featuring either Chopard‘s exclusive ultra-resistant and highly luminous Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold, this timepiece beats to the rhythm of the Chopard 01.01-C movement, whose high-precision timing is authenticated by chronometer certification. In keeping with the Maison’s commitment to the preservation of the Alpine environment and its biodiversity, part of the proceeds from sales of these models will be donated to the Alpine Eagle Foundation, whose programmes have already enabled the reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle in the Lake Geneva region.
A highly legible, stylish green dial
A new colour is making its debut on the dial of the watches in the Alpine Eagle collection: like Aletsch Blue, Bernina Grey or Absolute Black, “Pine Green” is inspired by the palette of natural colours shaping the beauty of the Alpine biotope. It evokes the forests carpeting the mountains when, on summer days, the melting snow gives way to a deep greyish-green mantle of vegetation.
On this textured dial with its radiating pattern evoking the eye of an eagle, the indication of the hours, minutes and seconds provides an elegant and legible contrast through rhodium-plated or gold-plated hour-markers and hands enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova® to ensure optimal visibility even in the dark. Positioned between 4 and 5 o’clock, the date is clearly indicated on a green disc matching the dial and thus ensuring perfect overall discretion and harmony.
Sustainable materials
Since the launch of the collection in 2019, Alpine Eagle has been distinguished by its choice of materials, of which the origins pursue the objective of promoting sustainable luxury. The large 41 mm-diameter case of this new Alpine Eagle model is available in a first version entirely made of Lucent Steel A223. In keeping with the ethical approach to which the Manufacture is committed, this metal exclusive to Chopard is made from 70% recycled material. Thanks to its anti-allergenic composition, it has properties comparable to surgical steel, making it highly dermo-compatible. With its resistance of 223 Vickers, this alloy is 50% more resistant to abrasion than conventional steels and has a unique hardness. Finally, thanks to a crystal structure boasting superior homogeneity, its purity enables uniquely shimmering light effects.
A second version of the timepiece is available in 18-carat rose gold. The fine gold used to produce Alpine Eagle watches is 100% ethical, as is indeed the case for all the Maison’s watch and jewellery creations since July 2018. As a rare watch Manufacture that has operated its own precious metal foundry for several decades, Chopard is thus in a unique position to control its value chain in order to offer creations reflecting a more rational world.
Mechanical precision
In keeping with the Manufacture’s commitment to certified precision, the Chopard 01.01-C self-winding movement at the heart of the Alpine Eagle watches and visible through a transparent sapphire caseback is developed in its own watchmaking workshops and certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. The word “Chronometer” on the dial is a reminder of this label of precision and excellence.
When fully wound, the mechanism enjoys a 60-hour power reserve. Constantly seeking to meet the highest standards of precision, the watchmakers have also equipped this movement with a stop-second function enabling the user to set the time to the nearest second.
The Alpine Eagle collection
Devised by three generations of men in the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection is a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz, the first watch creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now Co-President of Chopard) in the late 1970s.
With its pure and assertive design, Alpine Eagle further enriches this heritage with powerful natural inspiration. Alpine Eagle is a token of refined and resolutely contemporary elegance characterised by a round case with stylised raised sides, a crown engraved with the compass rose, a bezel with eight functional indexed screws, a textured dial with deep hues and luminescent indications, as well as an integrated metal bracelet.
Thanks to its independence and the integration of its various professions, Chopard performs all the production and assembly stages of the collection within its own watchmaking workshops, from movement to bracelet and including components as well as the case.
Direct support for the Alpine Eagle Foundation
Throughout its history, Chopard has always associated the success of its creations with a commitment to improving the common good. The Alpine Eagle collection is no exception, as it accompanies the actions of an eponymous Foundation. This non-profit organisation co-founded by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Jacques-Olivier Travers and Ronald Menzel is pursuing innovative and multidisciplinary environmental projects designed to raise awareness and mobilise the public regarding the importance, beauty and fragility of the Alpine biotope.
Alongside the unveiling of two new Alpine Eagle timepieces whose aesthetics are inspired by the power of Nature, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has pledged to dedicate a portion of the profits from their sale to fund the Foundation’s programmes. As the Co-President of Chopard and co-founder of the Alpine Eagle Foundation explains: “Given that I personally find refuge in the pleasures of hiking and skiing, I appreciate the calm of the mountains, which are conducive to inspiration, reflection and serenity. Preserving this environment is very important to us, and I am extremely proud that the beauty of our Alpine Eagle timepieces pays tribute to the Nature that inspired them and enables the funding of concrete actions to support the conservation of this fragile ecosystem.”
The most important project in which the Foundation is currently involved focuses on reintroducing the white-tailed eagle around Lake Geneva. As the most densely populated region in Switzerland, the plains of the Lake Geneva area have long been the natural habitat of this species. Agile, fast and powerful, this bird of prey with its majestic wingspan had nonetheless vanished from the region for 130 years. Thanks to funding from the Alpine Eagle Foundation, the “Aigles du Léman” animal park, created in Sciez (Haute-Savoie, France), by falconer Jacques-Olivier Travers is working on reintroducing new specimens in the region. On June 18th, the first eaglet of a litter of four was successfully released after spending 81 days in its parents’ nest. The first signs of adaptation in the wild have been positive, thanks to a GPS beacon fitted to the animal to provide daily tracking of such precise data as its location, heart rate and diet. Thanks to this first action, more than 80 white-tailed eagles will be released on the shores of Lake Geneva over the next eight years.
The new Alpine Eagle 33 Chopard’s emblematic sporty-chic watch is revisited in a new 33 mm case size in Lucent Steel A223 and/or ethical 18-carat rose gold
The story of Chopard’s sporty-chic Alpine Eagle watch continues with a new case size joining the collection. As with all models introduced since 2019, the 33 mm versions combine adventure and performance with technical and aesthetic excellence in a design which is rapidly becoming one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the luxury sports watch category. As with previous iterations, both the watch and the Chopard 09-01.C movement were developed and manufactured in-house. The new case size will be available in six references crafted in Chopard’s exclusive Lucent Steel A223 and ethical 18-carat rose gold – including bi-material options – and complemented by dials in colours inspired by Nature.
Chopard is enriching its Alpine Eagle collection with a new case size designed for smaller wrists. In addition to the existing 36, 41 and 44-mm sizes, the new models feature a 33 mm-diameter case, while preserving the same harmonious sense of proportions and contemporary allure that contribute to the collection’s strong identity.
The new Alpine Eagle 33 is presented in three material options: Lucent Steel A223, Chopard’s highly luminous, anti-allergenic material that’s twice as hard as steel and produced using 70% recycled material; ethical 18-carat rose gold; and a two-tone mix of the two metals. All are water-resistant to 50 metres.
There are diamond-set bezel options in the Lucent Steel A223 and two-tone variants, while both rose gold iterations are diamond-set: one on the bezel alone and the other also on the central bracelet links as well as the hour-markers.
Each of the six references proposed in the Alpine Eagle 33 family has a thoughtfully selected dial colour to enhance its character: Aletsch Blue for the Lucent Steel A223 versions, created to capture the bluish shimmer of the largest glacier in the Swiss Alps; while the bi-material iterations are finished with dials in Bernina Grey, evoking the rock of the eponymous mountain chain. The diamond-set bezel option in ethical rose gold features a dial in Vals Grey, recalling the silvery reflections of the quartzite stone found in the canton of Grisons, which has been used to build the walls and roofs of traditional houses in the region of the village of Vals. Finally, the rose gold timepiece with diamonds set into the dial, bezel and bracelet has a Pink Dawn dial, reminiscent of the sun’s early light as it rises over the mountains in the morning.
Form follows function
The new Alpine Eagle follows the same design codes laid down by existing collection models. Its sporty-chic profile – defined by its angular yet fluid form and by its broad bezel with four pairs of visible and functional screws – remains in place, as do the eagle feather central seconds hand and the Roman-numeral dial, adorned as before with a sunburst motif evoking the eye of an eagle.
The gently tapered three-row integrated bracelet plays a significant role in giving the Alpine Eagle its character and in explaining its inspiration. The central link is ingot-shaped and topped by a raised central cap, a bold execution that subtly recalls an eagle’s mountain habitat.
Completing the Alpine Eagle’s distinctive silhouette is a screw-down crown with a compass rose engraving, crown guards, as well as two extrusions on the watch’s left flank that echo the crown and preserve the watch’s symmetry.
In-house mechanical excellence
Inside each of these new models is the in-house self-winding Chopard 09.01-C movement, beating at a precise 25,200 vibrations an hour (3.5 Hz). Endowed with a 42-hour power reserve, this calibre is equipped with a sophisticated stop-seconds function for accurate time-setting. It is chronometer-certified for accuracy, underlining the stringent demands placed on the mechanical movements chosen to power the Maison’s watches. In addition, most importantly, this 8-ligne movement is one of the smallest to receive COSC certification.
History in the making
The Alpine Eagle 33 continues a compelling narrative that began in 1980 with the St. Moritz watch, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s first watchmaking creation. Almost four decades later, the story picked up when, at the insistence of his son Karl-Fritz, secretly supported by his grandfather Karl, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele looked into the updating of the St. Moritz. At first reluctant, he was won over by his son’s strength of conviction. The result was the Alpine Eagle in 2019, a refined, assertive wristwatch inspired by the natural majesty of the Alps and the imperious beauty of the eagle.
The introduction of the Alpine Eagle 33 means that the collection now spans four sizes, namely 44 mm, 41 mm, 36 mm and 33 mm. It follows recent additions to the Alpine Eagle family including a tourbillon, a high-frequency calibre housed in a titanium case, as well as a patented flyback chronograph. Throughout, the collection embodies Chopard’s spirit of adventure as well as its continuing commitment to mechanical excellence and sustainable luxury.
The Alpine Eagle Foundation announces the release of the first eaglets as part of the project in support of the reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle in the Lake Geneva region
The Alps are Europe’s most important high-altitude biotope, a crucible of life and traditions, and they must be preserved. The protection of these uniquely rich areas is part of the actions of the Alpine Eagle Foundation. Its main project is currently in support of the Aigles du Léman wildlife park, which reintroduced the white-tailed eagle to the Lake Geneva region.
The Alps are the continent’s largest continuous ecosystem. Located in several developed and interconnected nations, this living mineral massif is subject to countless pressures. The Alpine Eagle Foundation’s motto is “Preserving the Alps”, an explicit, broad and philanthropic goal. It was founded in 2019 by Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele along with a number of experts and devotees of the Alps such as falconer Jacques-Olivier Travers (creator of the Aigles du Léman park) and Ronald Menzel (Managing Director of the Freedom Conservation NGO campaigning to protect birds of prey). In addition to the original project, which focused on reintroducing the white-tailed eagle to the plains of Lake Geneva, broader objectives will be pursued, aimed at raising awareness, mobilising support and taking action on behalf of the entire Alpine massif and the life it supports.
The Alps, a natural heritage to be protected
Twelve hundred kilometres long, 280 kilometres wide, with a combined 190,000 km² area spread across six countries, this priceless breeding ground for plant and animal species is an authentic treasure. The Alpine Eagle Foundation has set itself the goal of preserving this mountain range in all its aspects: as a natural environment, a place of life and traditions, a natural home for wild and domesticated species, a home to vital glaciers and countless lakes, and the source of great rivers such as the Rhône, the Rhine and the Po.
Like the eagle, all exist in a tense, often unstable equilibrium, due to global warming, urbanisation that is nibbling away at them, the decline of traditional agricultural practices, over-visitation by tourists and communication routes criss-crossing this natural barrier within Europe.
The white-tailed eagle, a reintroduction project recently launched
The eagle has been chosen by the Foundation to symbolise influential action on behalf of the entire ecosystem. Majestic yet threatened, it is the emblem of an approach that targets the entire surrounding Alpine environment. With its outstretched wings, it appears to embrace the landscape over which it soars, and that the Foundation bearing its name intends to protect. In calling for its conservation, the Foundation aims to raise collective awareness.
The Foundation’s most important current project focuses on the reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle around Lake Geneva. The most densely populated region in Switzerland, the plains of the Lake Geneva basin, have long been the natural habitat of this species, nicknamed the “fish eagle” because it feeds mainly on fish. Agile, fast and powerful, this bird of prey with its majestic wingspan had nonetheless vanished from the region for 130 years. Thanks to funding from the Alpine Eagle Foundation, the Aigles du Léman wildlife park, created in Sciez (Haute-Savoie, France) by Jacques-Olivier Travers, is working to reintroduce new specimens to the area. On June 18th, the first eaglet of a litter of four was successfully released after spending 81 days in its parents’ nest.
The first signs of adaptation in the wild have been positive, thanks to a GPS beacon fitted to the animal and enabling daily tracking of such precise data as its location, heart rate and diet. Following this first action, more than 80 white-tailed eagles will be released on the shores of Lake Geneva over the next eight years.
Alpine Eagle in Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold Technical Specifications
Ref. 298600-3014 – in Lucent Steel A223 with Pine Green dial.
Ref. 295363-5007 – in ethical 18-carat rose gold with Pine Green dial.
Case:
- Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold
- Total diameter 41.00 mm
- Thickness 9.7 mm
- Water resistance 100 metres
- Crown in steel or ethical 18-carat rose gold
- with compass rose 7 mm
- Vertical satin-brushed caseband with polished chamfers
- Vertical satin-brushed bezel with eight indexed screws
- Glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Exhibition case-back with glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Movement:
- Mechanical movement with automatic winding Chopard 01.01-C
- Number of components 207
- Diameter 28.80 mm
- Thickness 4.95 mm
- Number of jewels 31
- Frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve 60 hours
- Chronometer-certified
Dial and hands:
- Brass stamped with a sunburst pattern inspired by the iris of the eagle, in a Pine Green achieved by PVD treatment
- Rhodium-plated or gilded applied hour-markers and numerals, enhanced by Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
- Rhodium-plated or gilded baton-type hours and minutes hands enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
- Rhodium-plated or gilded arrow-type seconds hand with eagle feather counterweight
Functions:
- Hours, minutes, central sweep-seconds hand
- Aperture-type date display between 4 and 5 o’clock
- Stop-seconds function
Bracelet and clasp:
- Tapering bracelet in Lucent Steel A223 and/or in ethical 18-carat rose gold, wide links with satin-brushed sides and polished central cap, triple folding clasp
Alpine Eagle 33 in Lucent Steel A223 and/or ethical 18-carat rose gold Technical Specifications
Ref. 298617-3001 – in Lucent Steel A223 with Aletsch Blue dial
Ref. 298617-3002 – in Lucent Steel A223 with Aletsch Blue dial and diamond-set bezel
Ref. 298617-6001 – in Lucent Steel A223 and ethical 18-carat rose gold with Bernina Grey dial
Ref. 298617-6002 – in Lucent Steel A223 and ethical 18-carat rose gold with Bernina Grey dial and diamond-set bezel
Ref. 298684-5001 – in ethical 18-carat rose gold with Vals Grey dial bearing diamond-set hour-markers, diamond-set bezel
Ref. 298684-5002 – in ethical 18-carat rose gold with diamond-set Pink Dawn dial, bezel and bracelet
Case:
- Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold
- Total diameter 33 mm
- Thickness 7.95 mm
- Water resistance 50 metres
- Crown in Lucent Steel A223 or ethical 18-carat rose gold with compass rose 5.60 mm
- Vertical satin-brushed caseband with polished chamfers
- Vertical satin-brushed or diamond-set bezel with eight indexed screws
- Glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Exhibition case-back with glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Movement:
- Mechanical movement with automatic winding Chopard 09.01-C
- Number of components 159
- Diameter 20.40 mm
- Thickness 3.65 mm
- Number of jewels 27
- Frequency 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve 42 hours
- Chronometer-certified (COSC)
Dial and hands:
- Brass stamped with a sunburst pattern in Aletsch Blue, Bernina Grey, Vals Grey or Pink Dawn, achieved by galvanic treatment and inspired by the iris of the eagle
- Rhodium-plated or gilded applied hour-markers and numerals or diamond-set hour-markers
- Rhodium-plated or gilded baton-type hours and minutes hands enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
- Rhodium-plated or gilded arrow-type seconds hand with eagle feather counterweight
Functions:
- Hours, minutes, seconds
- Stop-seconds function
Bracelet and clasp:
- Tapering bracelet in Lucent Steel A223 and/or in ethical 18-carat rose gold, wide links with satin-brushed sides and polished central cap, triple folding clasp
