The Ultimate Sleeper Sports Watch Inches Closer to Perfection

For a few years now, the Chopard Alpine Eagle has existed in a sort of “no man’s land” in the highly competitive world of integrated luxury sports watches.

It sits a clear tier below the category’s big three of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus and Vacheron Constantin Overseas, and yet it rarely gets mentioned in the second tier among its closest competitors like the Rolex Land-Dweller, Girard-Perregaux Laureato and IWC Ingenieur.

Watches and Wonders Geneva: Rolex, Grand Seiko and dozens of other heavy hitters gather in Switzerland every year to release their biggest watches. Catch up on all the new novelties.

That’s a shame, as I think the Alpine Eagle is fantastic and is the best option at its price point. I also believe the watch is very close to achieving much broader success in the market if it would only combine the disparate features found across its catalog into one killer watch.

This year at Watches and Wonders, Chopard introduced several new upgrades to the Alpine Eagle that make it more compelling than ever before, but they’re spread across three models. As these features (hopefully) start to roll out across the line, I think the watch’s sleeper status will fade as it becomes a bona fide hit.

Chopard

Anti-magnetism

First up is the new Alpine Eagle 41 AM. The “AM” here stands for “anti-magnetic,” as it’s the first Alpine Eagle to feature an anti-magnetic hairspring. Such hairsprings have become commonplace across the luxury sports watch industry, as they protect the movement from the magnetic fields produced by common everyday electronics. Such fields can interfere with the accuracy of mechanical timepieces, making this feature almost a necessity in today’s tech-laden world.

Chopard hasn’t said what material the new hairspring is made out of, except that it is some kind of metal and is not silicon. Brand co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele also revealed to Monochrome that Chopard will soon roll this hairspring out to other Alpine Eagles, and eventually even incorporate it in its high-end L.U.C. line.

Chopard

The Alpine Eagle 41 AM is a 41mm version of the watch in Lucent Steel, Chopard’s superb proprietary steel alloy that shines like white gold while also providing greater scratch resistance than 316L steel. It features a moss green dial in the cleaner style that debuted on last year’s Alpine Eagle XP CS Platinum, though the pesky 4:30 date remains on the AM.

I vastly prefer this dial style, which features just one Roman numeral at 12:00 instead of finding them at each of the cardinal indices, as it allows much more room for the Alpine Eagle’s beautiful iris-inspired dial texture. It also just looks more modern, which suits the watch. The AM marks the first time this dial layout has appeared on a steel Alpine Eagle, and I hope it’s a sign of things to come.

Microadjustment

Next, we have the next evolution of the Alpine Eagle XPS, arguably the most popular iteration of the model, thanks largely to its ultrathin, micro-rotor-wound, Geneva Seal-bearing L.U.C 96.40-L movement. While the original XPS featured a salmon dial, the new version has a fetching “Mountain White” dial that’s quite fitting for a watch called the Alpine Eagle.

Chopard

While the dial is gorgeous, if a bit busy with the small seconds indicator and trio of Roman numeral markers, the more interesting update is the bracelet.

The new XPS borrows the more tapered bracelet from last year’s platinum model, but adds a brand new microadjustable clasp that allows for tool-free adjustments up to 5mm. This is a huge development and something that should be standard on every bracelet watch. I look forward to this feature making its way onto other Alpine Eagles, which I’m sure is coming.

Chopard

Clean and streamlined

Lastly, we have the new Alpine Eagle XP CS Gold, a rose gold version of last year’s platinum model featuring a drop-dead gorgeous gradient brown “Shades of Wood” dial. Like the platinum model, this one has the dial I covet: just one Roman numeral index at 12:00, no date window and center seconds.

It keeps the platinum watch’s tapering bracelet, but like the new XPS, it boasts the new microadjustment system. It also maintains the platinum model’s L.U.C 96.42‑L calibre movement, which has a gold micro-rotor, Geneva Seal, COSC certification, hacking seconds and two mainspring barrels providing 65 hours of power. It’s arguably the best movement you can get in an Alpine Eagle, and differs from the XPS’s equally thin L.U.C 96.40‑L by having center seconds rather than small seconds.

Chopard

The perfect Alpine Eagle

If I could build my perfect Alpine Eagle, here’s what it would look like.

A 41mm case in Lucent Steel paired with the updated tapered bracelet and microadjustable clasp. It would have the cleaner dial style with just one Roman numeral marker at 12:00, no date and center seconds. And inside would beat the L.U.C 96.42‑L calibre movement equipped with the new antimagnetic hairspring.

Throw in the existing 100m water resistance and gorgeous stamped dial pattern already present across the Alpine Eagle line, and you’ve got a sports watch that can go toe-to-toe with any in the industry and come out on top.

Chopard, let’s make this happen.

Availability and pricing

All three of these new Alpine Eagle references are available now from Chopard. The Alpine Eagle 41 AM is the most affordable and is priced at $17,100. Next is the XPS “Mountain Glow,” which goes for $31,000. Finally, there’s the new rose gold model, which at an eye-popping $90,300 sits as the line’s new flagship alongside the existing platinum model.

Chopard

Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 AM

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Chopard Cal. 01.01‑C automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $17,100 at Chopard

Chopard

Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XPS Mountain Glow

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Chopard Cal. L.U.C. 96.40-L automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $31,000 at Chopard

Chopard

Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Gold

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Chopard Cal. L.U.C. 96.42‑L
Water Resistance	100m

• $90,300 at Chopard

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