New from Basel 2003 – Alpina

Hi Folks

Alpina is an old and well respected name that had pretty much died out.

Last year the Swiss company Frederique Constant purchased it from the German investors who had completely lost the plot with the brand. It was originally a Swiss company but fell under German control in the 1970s.

FC intend to use it as their sports brand and so have issued a series of chronographs, many of which are pretty derivative. However one of their lines is called “Heritage” and, as you can guess from the name is based on models they have made sometime in their history.

This one is the model AL-850-WW3H16, just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

I particularly like the cream dial, the leaf shaped blued steel hands, the cambered cushion shaped case and the sloping inner tachymeter track.

Swiss retail is 4,125 CHF (around $2,950US or €2,750EU) of course your local price may differ depending on the distributor.

Good Luck

James

“‘Tis with our judgments as our watches: none

Go just alike, yet each believes his own.”

Alexander Pope.

4/13/03