We are storytellers. When you buy a watch, you are seduced by a story.
The Alpina Heritage Pilot is the story about Alpina’s history as a specialized manufacturer and official supplier of military and pilot watches. Inspired by original Alpina Pilot watch designs from the 1920’s and 30’s, we are proud to introduce this reedition. Design details of the Alpina Heritage Pilot closely match the original timepiece from the Alpina archives, the handwound pocket watch caliber, the hinged case, as well as the Alpina applied brand logo and indexes on the dial.
At the same time, certain technical specifications have been upgraded to today’s watchmaking standards. For example, the accuracy of the caliber is improved and the case is manufactured in stainless steel for improved durability. The caliber can be seen once the hinged cover is opened on the backside of the watch. The movement is protected by an additional curved glass to also ensure water resistancy, even when the hinged back is opened.
The Alpina Heritage Pilot is offered in a limited edition of 1883 pieces, a number that was choosen as it matches the foundation year of Union Hologere, the company that registered the Alpina brandname in 1901. The story of Alpina starts at the end of the 19th Century when Gottlieb Hauser founded the Swiss Watchmakers Corporation with other independent watchmakers of the region. Initially it was to purchase watch components and making own calibres. Very soon Alpina was being sold internationally and at the height Alpina had nearly 2000 outlets all over the world, an exceptional figure for those days. It is no exaggeration to say that Alpina was one of Europe’s leading watchmakers.
Part of the reason for this success, other than the rigorous dedication to design and quality, (values that still hold true today), was the introduction in 1938 of the Alpina 4. The number ‘4’ stood for the 4 core principles that each watch in the series had to have: anti-magnetism, water-resistance, anti-shock and in a stainless steel case.
These principles gave a theme to the watches and can be said to have pointed the way to the development of what was to be the continued success of the company up until the 1970s. It was the so-called ‘Quartz Crisis’ that either sounded the death knell for many companies or meant the creation of major groups. The emergence of cheap, mass-produced and, above-all, impersonal, watches also nearly meant the end for Alpina. However, despite everything, Alpina hang tough and was revitalized in 2002 and the comeback was on. Working round the clock, a new collection was made ready for the BaselWorld show in 2003. In 2006, Alpina made one more move in its journey towards the future when we moved to a new, purpose built manufacturing site in Geneva, Switzerland, one of the spiritual homes of watch making.
Interview with Peter Stas – CEO of Alpina Watch International SA
Why is Alpina relaunching the Heritage Pilot watch?
Alpina has a very rich history since its foundation in 1883. We aim to revive Alpina back to its former glory by emphasizing Alpina’s historical pilot watches from the 1920’s. The relaunch of the Heritage Pilot is not just a watch, it is like telling a story.
It is the story how Alpina made these sturdy, accurate and very readable pilot watches that were used by military. We have found various models in the archive when we purchased Alpina in 2002. We also regularly find and acquire old Alpina Pilot watch via auction sites. The Heritage Pilot watch is based on these designs.
How does the Heritage Pilot compare with the rest of the Alpina Aviation Collection?
In 2011, Alpina introduced a comprehensive collection of modern Pilot watches in its Aviation Universe. These watches were developed and are being marketed in collaboration with Cessna Aircraft and Privatair. While we implemented design elements from prior Alpina Pilot watches, the today’s Startimer Pilot Collection incorporates latest manufacturing technologies. In addition, cases and straps have been optimized for to be ergonomically the best. Movements are latest 4Hz versions and Automatic. On the other hand, the Heritage Pilot follows the 1920’s desig much more closely. For example, we have kept the original indexes, the hinged case back cover and the large 55 mm case size. The Heritage Pilot also incorporates a handwound Unitas caliber, very similar to the pocket watch calibers that were used in the original Alpina Pilot watches.
What is your strategy for Alpina in the coming years?
Since we acquired Alpina in 2002, we have positioned Alpina as a sports and lifestyle brand. We have been able to grow production and sales to approximately 8000 watches per year. Most of these watches were in the Extreme Collection. We consider this as the first step in the revival of Alpina to a credible world watch brand. Our strategy for the coming years is to accelerate growth by creating more commercial designs and positioning those in the Accessible Luxury price range. Alpina watches are all produced in our manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates. Latest introductions in the Aviation Collection haven been received above expectation. In 2012, we will introduce a new Diver Collection and emphasize also more on our Sailing Collection.
For more information, please contact Mrs Yasmina Pedrini via pedrini@alpina-watches.com
Stephane Peterhansel – Driver of the X-raid Team and ALPINA WATCHES ambassador – attacks the start of the 2012 Dakar – The Ultimate Rally Race! Beginning in Argentina and ending 9000 kilometers away in Peru, the 2012 Dakar Rally will be the ultimate endurance test of man, machine and timepiece. Stephane Peterhansel is wearing an Alpina Racing Automatic.
After tens years on the scene, watch website, horlogerie-suisse.com gets into collaborative gane with watchmaker Alpina Genève. The result is this Aviator; clean in face and easily wearable by all. 50 total units of the limited edition Alpina Startimer Pilot Manufacture will be produced. Minor hits of color make it work. Those looking for a new timepiece should consider this Alpina. Available for order exclusively online.
Geneva – September 2011
Swiss Watch manufacturer Alpina Genève is excited to launch its new Startimer Classic Collection; an attractive range of contemporary timepieces, inspired by original Alpina Pilot watch designs from the 1920’s and 30’s. The functional design of the Alpina Startimer Pilot was successfully converted in to a more traditional, slightly less sporty and highly wearable collection, while maintaining the vintage feel that is distinctive for the entire Alpina Startimer range.
During the 1920’s and 30’s, Alpina Watch International was known as a specialized manufacturer and official supplier of military watches, utilized by pilots. These early aviation pioneers had strict requirements: instruments had to be extremely precise and provide ultimate shock resistance. Today, Alpina takes these historical designs as a basis for a new collection of functional and contemporary timepieces, all equipped with a finely decorated silvered dial.
The Startimer Classic Collection is available with two different calibers; a three-hand automatic version with date (cal AL-525) in a stainless steel case and available with either blackened steel indexes or rose-gold plated indexes. Second version is the Chrono-Automatic (cal AL-860) with two chrono-counters, in a stainless steel case and available with either blackened steel indexes or rose-gold plated indexes. In addition, the Chrono-Automatic comes in a special vintage variation with a telemeter indicator on the dial.
The Startimer Collection is reminiscent of Alpina’s fascinating history and dedication to reliability and reliance. Even a century later, Alpina continues to reshape innovation while retaining the brand’s core values: Bold and clean, seamless designs connecting past, present and future.
Please scroll down and click on each image to download the high-resolution photo file.
For more information, please feel free to contact Mrs Yasmina Pedrini: pedrini@alpina-watches.com
Every month the Alpina Racing community involvement is growing! Pilots are playing on their iPhone and iPad until the last seconds of the month to improve their scores 1/100th of seconds by 1/100th of seconds to finish on the first step of the podium and win their Alpina Racing automatic watch…
In July, jps099 has won the competition and will receive very soon in London his new very own Alpina Racing!
Here is what some of the players have said about the Alpina Racing application in july :
Erdem: “Wow! Great competition this month, I’m in!” “…,it is very smooth and controls are great! Tracks are well thought, balanced and different. One of the most challenging racing game on iOS”.
Benoit : “I was first all this month. I won’t let jps099 get far… in fact he is second now ”
We really enjoy to see the different players challenging each other and exchanging tips on our Facebook page
Moreover please find also some pictures that Marcus (Winner in June) have shared with us!
To download the app : go here! Let’s race together for the august Podium
A new competition has already started for August : may the best pilot win!
As part of a strong range of new introductions, Swiss Watch Manufacturer Alpina Genève is proud to launch the new Sailing Collection, inspired by the close collaboration with the Italian Extreme 40 Catamaran team Niceforyou.
Emphasizing on its strong commitment to the spectacular Extreme Sailing Series, Alpina Geneve developed the automatic Yacht Timer caliber AL-880 in-house, based on the Sellita SW500 chronograph movement. The caliber is encapsulated in a new, stainless steel 30 ATM water-resistant case, of which the shape resembles Alpina case designs from the past. This new model with sailing countdown function is available either with a white or a black dial. In addition to the new Yacht Timer version, Alpina introduces another attractively priced version the Alpina Sailing Automatic with 3 hands and a date window, with similar case and dial design. All Alpina Sailing timepieces are available on rubber strap, metal bracelet or metal mesh bracelet, for absolute comfort and security in the most extreme situations.
The Extreme 40 Catamaran inspired the development of the Alpina Sailing Collection. Alpina Sailing timepieces will be offered in limited editions and come in a special packaging alongside a miniature reproduction of the Extreme 40 Catamaran.
To promote this entirely new collection, Alpina Genève is proud to announce its exclusive partnership with Team Niceforyou, which is engaged in the Extreme Sailing Series. Niceforyou believes in the quality and high standards of the Extreme Sailing Series and has decided to take part in the circuit from 2011, alongside a team of extremely high profile sailors, led by an exceptional skipper: Alberto Barovier. Barovier was the winner of the 2010 America’s Cup on board the trimaran BMW Oracle Racing. The team gathers some of the best sailors from Italy, who together boast 12 participations in the America’s Cup, more than 15 world titles, a similar number of European and national titles and one Olympic Game. For more information, please visit www.nicesailingteam.com.
Nine fantastic venues will welcome the international Extreme Sailing Series this season, the fifth consecutive year the circuit has dazzled VIP’s and spectators across the globe, with more days racing than ever before. A mix of buzzing cosmopolitan cities and spectacular seaside resorts, each carefully chosen to provide not only the hottest racing but also the best vantage points for spectators to get up close to all the action.
For 2011 there will be 47 days of racing and up to 282 races, each lasting around 20 minutes. Each day is a mix of corporate sailing races, giving VIP guests and media a chance to get out on the water and experience the Extreme 40 and then the real action of the Extreme Sailing Series racing itself — although there will still be ‘fifth man’ guests on board, expect the sailors to take no prisoners in the fiercely competitive races. Things will step up yet another gear for the final race of each event, which counts for double points!
Alpina Genève will equip the Niceforyou Team with timepieces from its new Sailing Collection and wishes already “Well wind” towards the victory!
More about Alpina Genève:
At Alpina Genève, Swiss Watch Manufacturers since 1883 and a reference in high quality, we manufacture boldly designed sports and lifestyle watches. Our strategy is to produce these luxury sports and lifestyle watches at sensible prices to reach younger watch enthusiasts. Alpina Genève is all about passion. The brand is a fully integrated manufacture, involved in all stages of the production of its watches, from initial design to final assembly and exhaustive quality control. A team of highly qualified watchmakers assembles each watch by hand and Alpina has invested heavily in state-of-the-art digital machinery to ensure maximum quality and life expectancy. The collections have been developed around four core themes: Adventure, Aviation, Racing and Club. Every watch that leaves the Manufacture shares the following characteristics: accuracy, legibility, shock and water resistance, strength and reliability.
Each watch is also designed to be bold and sexy, tough and elegant, a pleasure to wear and behold.
Alpina Genève is constantly innovating to offer enhanced creativity in its watches and to guarantee exceptional value. The manufacturing plant in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva is home to all the trades necessary to build top quality timepieces, while offering the best working conditions for its highly skilled work force. www.alpina-watches.com
Close to victory at one point in LM P2 in the fourth round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011, Level 5 Motorsports had a second consecutive podium at Imola.
The Lola-Honda 33 Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and João Barbosa had risen from the sixth position to lead LM P2, with less than two hours of racing left. Less than 25 minutes from the finish, a mechanical problem put that on doubt; with a broken transmission Christophe Bouchut was forced to use only the fourth gear. The French driver has to slow down but managed to finish third
Scott Tucker: “The victory was ours up until the late race drama. But, still ending up on the podium with this level of competition is incredible.”
Christophe Bouchut: “It was a strange race. I was locked in fourth gear at the time, but later realized I was able to use second and third gears as well by using the clutch. It was hard to drive like that, but we managed to hold on to third place.”
Joao Barbosa: “It was the first time we drove the Lola-Honda Spyder and it definitely proved to be the right choice. We were much more competitive than in the previous races. There’s a few more races to go, so hopefully we can continue to improve this package and aim for a win at Silverstone.”
Fifth round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011 (and fourth Le Mans Series race), the 6 Hours of Silverstone will be held from 9th to 11th of September.
In celebration of the Fifth Anniversary its Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Swiss Watch Manufacturer Alpina Genève is proud to introduce a beautiful Pilot Manufacture watch in 18K Rose Gold.
The Alpina Startimer Pilot Collection is a highly attractive range of contemporary timepieces, inspired by original Alpina designs from the 1920s and 30s.
During two decades, Alpina Watch International was known as a specialized manufacturer and official supplier of military watches, utilized by pilots. These early aviation pioneers had strict requirements: their instruments had to be extremely precise and provide ultimate shock resistance. In addition, Alpina pilot’s watches were mostly equipped with an anti-magnetic case, a high-contrast dial with oversized luminous numerals and luminous hands for instant readability.
The clean design of this timepiece was clearly inspired by Alpina’s past: a generous 44 mm, anti-reflective satin-finished 18K Rose Gold case, mat black dial with oversized white luminous numerals, a glare-free sapphire crystal and a signature red Alpina-triangle on the second hand are the key features.
To further improve user-friendliness and comfort, an original solution was found to secure the leather strap: it closes on the front side of the wrist, not on the reverse or lower sides, hereby resembling the vintage leather straps of the past. A newly designed metal bracelet is available too, and fits on all versions.
The movement is designed and developed entirely in the manufacture’s workshops in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, and features an automatic winding mechanism incorporating Alpina’s trademark rotor – a salute to Straub & Co., the designers of Alpina’s first automatic calibre of 1945, cal. 582. After considerable investments in technical know-how and, most importantly, a highly motivated team of experts, Alpina’s ambition of manufacturing a new bespoke in-house calibre was accomplished. As with all Alpina mechanical timepieces, the finely decorated movement is visible through a transparent case back.
In support of the important new Startimer collection, Alpina Genève has proudly joined forces with Cessna Aircraft and PrivatAir. Alpina Geneve, Cessna Aircraft and PrivatAir work together closely to promote their equally high quality products and services, through cross-marketing activities in Europe and North America.
The Alpina Startimer Pilot will be presented in a dedicated, luxurious packaging, alongside a Cessna Citation Mustang scale model in PrivatAir livery.
More about Cessna Aviation
This renowned airplane manufacturing company headquartered in Wichita, Kansas is a subsidiary of the US conglomerate Textron, a $10.5 billion company operating in 25 countries. Since its creation in 1927 Cessna’s strong devotion to high quality workmanship, precision and creativity and its passion for the aircraft industry, have led it to be an industry leader. Cessna is now the leading manufacturer and inspired designer of innovative, light and midsize business jets, utility turboprops and single engine aircraft.
The Cessna Citation Mustang is an entirely new kind of business jet. One that’s designed – and priced – to bring the dream of jet ownership comfortably within reach of a whole new class of upwardly eager operators. Ample cabin-class seating, true jet speed and a good half-continent range. Extraordinarily high levels of performance and assurance are now available in a jet aircraft costing millions less.
More about PrivatAir
PrivatAir is a leading international aviation group with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and operating bases in Zurich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Bahrain.
Services include Private Charter for VIPs and executives, Aircraft Sales & Management,
Private Airline Services, Ground Services and Training.
The company’s wide range of clients includes celebrities from the arts, sports and entertainment industries, successful business people, royalty and public officials, as well as private aircraft owners. PrivatAir aims to take the best practices of the commercial airline industry and to add the flexibility of business aviation, as well as its exceptional standards of service.
Success doesn’t come easy for teams tackling their first 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Scott Tucker and Level 5 Motorsports celebrated their debut in the world’s most prestigious endurance race on the podium, in front of a near-record crowd of 250,000 spectators.
Team owner Scott Tucker and co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa drove their No. 33 Microsoft Office 2010-sponsored Lola-Honda Coupe to a third place finish in the highly competitive LMP2 category. More impressive was the fact that their trouble-free race was rewarded with a 10th place result in the overall classification.
“It was a monumental effort from the team this week,” Tucker said. “We’re very proud of the accomplishment and the result that we’ve got. It was the toughest race we’ve ever been in and some of the toughest competition and we’re really proud to have brought an American team over here and do that.”
Considering some setbacks earlier in the week, the podium finish certainly feels like a victory for the David Stone-led team, which was the only American prototype squad in the diverse 56-car field. After battling a fuel leak on Wednesday, which cost them over five hours of track time, Tucker, Bouchut and Barbosa gained limited laps during Thursday’s final two qualifying sessions in the run up to the 24-hour endurance classic.
Despite starting dead last on the LMP2 grid, solid opening stints by Bouchut, Tucker and Barbosa propelled the car into the top-five in class early on. And when the competition began running into trouble, Level 5’s Lola-Honda Coupe kept ticking. By the early morning, the No. 33 car was up to third and less than four laps behind the leader.
While the team faced two minor setbacks – a spin by Barbosa into the gravel trap during Hour 14 and a quick trip to the garage for a realignment and rear deck change with three hours to go – neither of the incidents dropped the car out of contention for the win.
After 24 hours of hard-fought racing, Bouchut took the checkered flag. The Microsoft Office 2010-sponsored entry completed an impressive 319 laps, or 2,702 miles, in its Le Mans debut.
“Everything went very well,” said Bouchut, who celebrated his fourth podium finish at Le Mans. “We had no problems at all. The car was very reliable and everybody on the team did great work. We were losing a bit of time on the track, but that was mainly due to the regulations and nothing against the car or engine. It was a great result for the whole team, especially in their first visit to Le Mans.”
Level 5 not only gave Lola its 25th podium at Le Mans, but was also the highest-placed Honda-powered prototype in LMP2. The result also marked a significant milestone in Tucker’s driving career, as he adds a Le Mans podium to his pair of class victories in the Twelve Hours of Sebring, a win at the Petit Le Mans and a third place overall finish in the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Tucker has now claimed podium finishes in all four of the major sports car endurance races in the world.
“This feels really good,” Tucker said. “It’s something we’ve worked very hard for. We’re just privileged and fortunate to have been able to earn those with this team. Standing on the podium was a great experience and I hope this is just the start of more good things to come this year.”
For Barbosa, who also celebrated his first podium at Le Mans, the result marked the Portuguese driver’s best finish with Level 5 after a fourth-place result at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the team’s unfortunate mechanical-related accident at the 1000km of Spa.
“It feels much better when we finish like this,” Barbosa said. “We had a really tough race but it’s just an unbelievable result for the first time the team has been here. I’m really proud of all the guys and all of the work they’ve done. They’ve come a long way for sure. Third place is something we should all be proud of.”
With Le Mans having awarded double points, Level 5 gained considerable ground in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup LMP2 Teams’ Championship, having climbed to second in the standings. Only 18 points now separate them from the leading Signatech Nissan entry.
“I can’t say enough about this Level 5 team,” said Level 5 Team Manager David Stone. “Everyone’s worked very hard to get here. It’s been a long and tiring week here, but a great one in the end. For us, the third place finish sure feels like a victory to everybody here. Many people try this for a lifetime and never make it to the podium. And we did it in our first try.
“The preparation of the cars were just flawless,” Stone continued. “We had no mechanical issues. The guys had great pit stops. There were no technical violations. Everything went well. We still have some work to do on the car to bring it to the performance level of some of our competition. Some of that has to do with the regulations. We’re working hard with our partners at Lola and Honda to try and bring things into our favor.”
With their Le Mans debut now in the books, the focus shifts to the next round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the Six Hours of Imola, scheduled for July 1-3. The classic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Italy plays host to the fourth race of the seven-round global sports car championship, as Level 5 chases the prestigious cup.
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