ANNIVERSARY CREATIONS
Inaugurated in December 2000 on the famous Promenade, the Chopard Boutique in Gstaad reflects the Scheufele family’s attachment to the prestige of the Bernese Alps. Its majestic landscapes and generous nature have provided Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, as well as his father and son, with an essential source of renewal and inspiration in the design of the Alpine Eagle sporty chic watch. It was in fact on the heights of the Swiss village of Lauenen that Chopard’s Co-President first unveiled the collection in 2019. To celebrate the Boutique’s 20th anniversary, the Alpine Eagle collection is being enhanced with four special series issued in an overall edition of only 20.
AESTHETICS AND LEGIBILITY
Chosen to evoke the silvery reflections of the quartzite slabs covering the roofs and walls of old Alpine houses, a new dial colour, “Vals Grey”, has been added to the collection. On the textured dial, with its sunburst pattern evoking an eagle’s eye, the hours, minutes and seconds strike an elegant contrast with gilded hands and hour-markers, which reveal their Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 coating at night. The “Gstaad” inscription at 6 o’clock echoes the official resort logo transferred on the case-back, highlighting the tribute paid by these timepieces to the prestigious village in the Bernese Alps.
The two-tone dial can be found on all four variants of the Alpine Eagle Gstaad Edition, available as a 41-mm diameter Large model in Lucent Steel A223, and as three Small models with a 36-mm diameter case. Of these, one version is entirely crafted in Lucent Steel A223, while two others are also adorned in ethical 18-carat rose gold on the crown, the polished or diamond-set bezel, and the central cap of the bracelet.
INNOVATIVE MATERIALS
Thanks to its anti-allergenic composition, Lucent Steel A223 boasts properties comparable to surgical steel, making it highly dermo-compatible. With a strength of 223 Vickers, this alloy is 50% more resistant to abrasion than conventional steels and has a unique hardness. Finally, the purity conferred by its superior homogeneous crystal structure enables it to reflect light in a unique way.
In keeping with the ethical approach to which the Manufacture is committed, this Chopard-exclusive steel is made from 70% recycled material. Likewise, the ethical gold used for the two bi-material versions reflects the same concern for respecting natural resources.
MECHANICAL PRECISION
True to Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s commitment to certified precision, the mechanical movements with automatic winding beating at the heart of the Alpine Eagle Gstaad Edition watches – and visible through a transparent sapphire crystal case-back – are developed in Chopard’s watchmaking workshops and certified as chronometers by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
The Large case Alpine Eagle Gstaad Edition timepiece thus welcomes the Chopard 01.01-C movement with a 60-hour power reserve, while the Small models host the Chopard 09.01-C with a 42-hour power reserve – the latter 8-ligne movement being one of the smallest to receive COSC certification.
THE ALPINE EAGLE COLLECTION
The Alpine Eagle collection, created by three generations of the Scheufele family, is a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first watch designed by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the late 1970s. With its pure and assertive design, Alpine Eagle enriches this heritage with powerful inspiration drawn from Nature. A round case with raised stylised flanks, a crown engraved with a compass rose, a bezel with eight functional indexed screws, a textured dial with deep hues and luminescent indications, and an integrated metal bracelet: Alpine Eagle is a resolutely contemporary and elegantly refined watch.
Thanks to its independence, along with the integration of its skills, Chopard is involved in all the stages required for producing and assembling the collection within its own watchmaking workshops: from movement to bracelet, as well as the components and case.
