Alpina offers a cushion-shaped collection called the Pilot Heritage and today they’ve announced a few new models.
Distinguished by a 40.75 mm x 13.75 mm (42 mm lug-to-lug) cushion-shaped case, the same as other models in the collection such as this chrono and this GMT, the new 2022 Startimer Pilot Heritage Manufacture watch is available in two limited editions, one with a brushed stainless steel case and a metallic navy blue dial with a vertical brushed finish and the other in a yellow-gold plated stainless steel case with a gray champagne dial that also has a vertical brushed finish.
Inside each of the watches is Alpina’s interesting retro aesthetic, bumper style in-house caliber AL-709. It looks like a bumper movement yet operates like a modern automatic. With a beat rate of 4Hz, a jewel count of 26, and a 38-hour power reserve, nothing stands out spec-wise. However, the rose gold electroplating, paired with the circular brushing and perlage decoration, along with the bumper style oscillating weight, offer some less derivative than the specifications would suggest.
This is a time-only watch, with a clean dial featuring applied numerals, luminous rectangular-shaped hour and minute hands, a needled-shaped center seconds hand, and a railroad-style minutes/second track on the periphery.
A curved sapphire crystal protects the dial side and an exhibition caseback is secured by 4 screws and offers a view of the attractive manufacture movement. The watch is depth rated to 100 meters.
Old-school bumper automatic movements use rotors that travel approximately 120 degrees compared to a modern automatic movement that travels 360 degrees before oscillating in the opposite direction. The new design by Alpina travels 330 degrees and has the look of a bumper automatic but is actually a modern caliber.
The 2022 Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Manufacture with the navy blue dial (Ref. AL-709AN4SH6) retails for $3,195 while the gold-plated model with a champagne gray dial (Ref. AL-709ACH4SH5) retails for $100 more at $3,295.
Each version is limited to 188 pieces.
Photos by Alpina.
