The Chopard Alpine Eagle Shrinks To A More Feminine 33mm Diameter (Live Pics & Price)

Fast on the heels of the Alpine Eagle Pine Green model, Chopard is also releasing six references in a new 33mm case size. When the Alpine Eagle luxury sports watch collection was introduced in 2019, the first time-and-date models were offered in 41mm and 36mm case sizes, moving up to 44mm cases for the chronograph models The new, smaller case size is evidently targeting women and comes in ethical rose gold or Lucent Steel – and combinations of both materials- with or without diamonds on the bezel. Like all members of the Alpine Eagle family, the watch and the chronometer-certified movement are developed and manufactured in-house. And perhaps the best news of all, the date window featured on larger 41mm non-jewellery models has been suppressed.

Downsizing a watch while retaining its personality might seem to be an easy task, but it requires a comprehensive study of proportions and balance to ensure the genetic traits of the collection don’t get lost. Although there have always been 36mm models in the Alpine Eagle family, a 33mm case is the smallest to date. Brands like Audemars Piguet have their iconic Royal Oak luxury sports watch in dainty 33mm cases, but these are equipped with quartz movements. As we explained in the previous article, the Alpine Eagle collection materialised in 2019 but took design elements from Chopard’s 1980s model known as the St. Moritz, like the bezel with eight functional screws, the tonneau-shaped case and the brightly polished middle link of the integrated bracelet.

Materials

The Alpine Eagle 33mm is offered in three case materials: Chopard’s proprietary Lucent Steel A223, a luminous anti-allergenic material twice as hard as steel and produced using 70% recycled material; ethical 18k rose gold; and a mix of both metals for a two-tone effect.

Like larger models, the tonneau-shaped case hosts a raised round bezel with eight functional screws, and the screw-down crown with a compass rose engraving is flanked by crown guards that are echoed on the left side of the case for balance. However, unlike the 100m water-resistant of the larger models, the 33mm Alpine Eagle is only water-resistant to 50m.

Again, the finishings are hallmark Alpine Eagle with vertical satin-brushed surfaces and vivid polished accents on the bevels and crown. The integrated and gently tapered bracelet flows seamlessly from the case and features the slightly raised and brightly polished ingot-shaped central link originally featured on the St Moritz. The bracelet is attached to the wrist with a triple-folding clasp.

Alpine Colours

The six variants can be catalogued as follows: Lucent Steel A223 with Aletsch Blue dial, with and without diamonds on the bezel; Lucent Steel A223 and ethical 18k rose gold with Bernina Grey dial, with or without diamonds on the bezel; ethical 18k rose gold with Vals Grey dial with a diamond-set bezel, and a luxurious rose gold model with a Pink Dawn with diamond indices, a diamond-set bezel and diamonds set in the central link of the bracelet (not pictured).

Selected to capture the colours of Switzerland’s mountains, the Aletsch Blue dial of the steel model evokes the bluish shimmer of the largest glacier in the Swiss Alps. In contrast, the Bernina Grey dial of the two-tone steel and rose gold models evokes the colour of rocks. One of the more luxurious versions in rose gold features a Vals Grey dial that recalls the silvery reflections of quartzite found in the canton of Grisons. The top luxury model has a Pink Dawn dial that captures the sunrise over the mountains. All the dials are textured with an irregular sunburst pattern that recalls the iris of an eagle’s eye, and for many a very good piece of news, they do not have a date window.

Like the larger Alpine Eagles, the dial features a mix of applied Roman numerals and hour markers, rhodium-plated or gilded, depending on the case material. The baton hour and minute hands and the hour markers are all treated with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova, and the central seconds hand displays the eagle feather counterweight.

In-house calibre

The new 33mm Alpine Eagles are powered by Chopard’s in-house calibre 09.01-C, an in-house automatic movement used inside the 36mm versions of the Alpine Eagle (the larger 41mm versions runs on the larger in-house calibre 01.01.-C). Despite being smaller (20.4mm x 3.65mm) and operating at a lower frequency of 3.5Hz, it is still classified as a COSC-certified chronometer. It delivers a lower power reserve of 42 hours compared to the 60 hours of the calibre 01.01.-C. Also fitted with a stop-seconds function, the rotor on this calibre is solid and decorated with Geneva stripes like the mainplate.

Price

The six references of the new Alpine Eagle 33 models are priced as follows:

• Ref. 298617-3001 Lucent Steel with Aletsch blue dial, EUR 9,960
• Ref. 298617-3002 Lucent Steel with Aletsch blue dial and diamond-set bezel, EUR 13,500
• Ref. 298617-6001 Two-tone Lucent steel and 18k ethical rose gold with Bernina grey dial, EUR 14,200
• Ref. 298617-6002 Two-tone Lucent steel and 18k ethical rose gold with Bernina grey dial and diamond-set bezel EUR 17,500
• Ref. 298684-5001 Ethical 18k rose gold with Vals Grey dial, diamond hour markers and diamond-set bezel, EUR 37,500
• Ref. 298684-5002 Ethical 18k rose gold with Pink Dawn dial, diamond indices, bezel and bracelet EUR 46,200

For more information, please visit Chopard.com.