The Alpina Heritage Carrée Automatic 140 Years, Now Part of The Permanent Collection

Alpina recently introduced a pair of vintage-inspired, Art Deco pieces with restored Alpina AL-490 hand-wound movements from 1938, the Alpina Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years. These were limited to 28 watches in total (14 for each dial colour) to celebrate the brand’s 140th anniversary. Fast forward a couple of months and we now have standard production counterparts with Alpina’s modern AL-530 automatic movement. The vintage rectangular aesthetic remains from a 1938 reference with just a few tweaks and this latest collection is suitable for a wide range of enthusiasts with both size and price.

There are again two models with different dial colours, but a polished stainless steel case replaces silver and is a bit more contemporary at 32.5mm x 39 mm and 9.71 mm in height. The limited-edition models were 29.5mm x 35.7mm with the same 9.71mm height. The new pair still falls within a vintage size and maintains that timeless look, which works well for both men and women. An AR domed sapphire crystal protects the dial and there’s a modern exhibition case back, although the limited-edition models had this as well. Both watches are fitted with a light brown Ostrich leather strap with off-white stitching and a steel pin buckle. Water resistance is rated at 30 metres.

The two matte dials are nigh identical to the prior models with black and silver variants. The black dial has beige Arabic numerals, hour and minute hands and a railroad minute track, along with a round small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. The silver dial is two-tone (sector vibe) with black Arabic numerals, hands and minute track, but also a beige rectangle surrounding the numerals and solid rectangular small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. Both have Alpina’s classic font for the logo, which fits the watches perfectly.

Powering Alpina’s Heritage Carrée Automatic 140 Years is the modern AL-530 automatic, based on Sellita’s SW261 calibre. It has 31 jewels, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) and comes with a 38-hour power reserve. Functions are simple with central hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock.

The new models retail for EUR 1,450 each, which is much more attainable than the limited-edition pair with restored vintage movements, which was priced at EUR 4,995. The latter price, however, wasn’t bad at all for what was offered. These are again part of Alpina’s standard production and are suitable for just about any wrist.

For more information, please visit Alpina’s website.