Today, we’re going to take a look at a watch from Alpina that has them looking back into their own heritage to create a new watch – the Alpina Startimer. The watch itself references Alpina’s designs from the 1920’s and 1930’s, and has an appropriately vintage feel to it. I feel there’s a lot to like about this watch.
First off, while it’s arguable a pilot watch (again, another nod to their heritage of providing timepieces to the aviation industry), it feels nothing like a flieger. I find this refreshing, as when someone says “pilot’s watch”, I (and perhaps you as well) immediately think of that basic flieger layout.
Alpina also gives you a couple of different flavors to choose from, for whatever fits your needs. On the aesthetics front, you can go with the cream dial and brown strap, black dial and strap, or either dial with a bracelet. Depending on the specific model you choose, you’ll get one of the following movements:
- A three-hand automatic (cal. AL-525)
- Hours / minutes + off-center seconds display (AL-710)
- Chronograph (AL-860)
Once you’ve made those choices, the watches become a lot more similar:
- 28,800 bph automatic movements with 46 hour power reserve
- 44mm stainless steel case
- Sapphire crystal
- Screw down crown with 10 ATM water resistance
- 22/18mm strap (or bracelet) width
And finally, they do differ on the pricing. The classic auto starts at $995, and the range tops out at $2,450 for the chrono. No matter which one you’d end up strapping to your wrist, you’d have a great heritage watch from a company with a long history – definitely worth checking out.
