HANDS-ON: The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm we are all pining for
Zach BlassThere’s definitely not a shortage of stainless-steel sports watches in the marketplace. It’s a truly saturated category due to the high demand, so if you’re going to draw attention away from the usual suspects then the design you bring to market has to be distinct and fresh. Fortunately, that is exactly what the Chopard Alpine Eagle is, and the model we are looking at today is the large 41 millimetre model with a pine-green dial.
The case
The large nomenclature might scare off some, but despite its 41mm case diameter this watch is definitely not too large – especially in a world where people are now buying watches even 42mm and upwards. Crucially, it has a compact lug-to-lug span of nearly 47mm across the wrist and is also super slender for a sports watch at 9.7mm thick. So, it definitely has a really nice profile to it. For those who are quite the stickler with measurements, the effective lug-to-lug span across the wrist, due to the cambering flare of the bracelet, is 53mm. Therefore, if you, like myself, have what some would call a tiny wrist you should definitely try this one on “in the metal” before you decide to pull the trigger.
Its Lucent steel case has a really nice lustre to it. So, the fact that Chopard points out this difference in material is not just marketing or a gimmick. Its lustre makes it look almost like white gold, and it is a bit tougher than your standard stainless steel – so it is a little bit less prone to scratches as well. In line with other luxury sports watches, the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm is handsomely finished on its case and bracelet with a predominantly brushed finish that’s further bolstered by accents of fine mirror polishing.
The dial
Beneath the sapphire crystal of this screw-down crown secured 100 metre water-resistant watch, your eye will immediately be drawn towards its pine-green dial. The pine-green colour is obtained through a PVD treatment, and, like previous Alpine Eagle models, utilises Chopard’s signature eagle iris-textured dial. The nature of the swirled lines of its texture results in intriguing light play, the reflection of the sunburst gradient following the lines of the motif. You have applied Roman numerals and indices that are each filled with SuperLuminova, and as you move inwards you’ll find the central handset with an hours, minutes, and running seconds hand (of which the hours and minutes hands are filled with SuperLuminova as well). Now, some might moan at the fact that the date complication is placed at the controversial 4:30 position, but as you look at the dial I think we can all agree that, thanks to its white on green disc, it blends really well into the dial.
The bracelet
Within this saturated segment of steel sports watches, at times the designs of bracelets can really blend into each other. But, the Chopard Alpine Eagle bracelet is very distinct in aesthetic. And this is a good thing. It really helps make the watch stand out that much more. The squared centre link is mirror polished, but, unlike other bracelets, it is actually raised and then sandwiched by ever so slightly wider links. These flanking links are richly brushed, with a thin mirrored-bevelling on their outer shoulders. For a watch that is quite thin within its category, it is great that the bracelet also carries a thin profile as well. One last interesting quirk to the bracelet is how the links are affixed to each other. Each removable link has an underside screw that once removed allows you to pull the link apart from the other it is connected to. This means should you desire to do DIY sizing, if you were to scratch the bracelet it would be in a position nobody would ever see.
The movement
Inside the watch beneath an exhibition caseback is Chopard’s in-house caliber 0101-C, a COSC-certified automatic caliber with 60 hours of power reserve. As you would expect from the Chopard Maison, the movement is handsomely decorated. But, it is not done so in the most traditional manner. When you look at the bridges you will notice a sort of swirled-line graining that is meant to mimic the texture we see on the eagle iris dial. The rather muted nature of this finish to the top of the bridges allows the chamfers applied at their edges to pop that much more.
The Alpine Eagle Foundation
It is also important to quickly highlight the Alpine Eagle Foundation, as well as Chopard’s pursuit to create “ethical luxury”. The Lucent Steel A223 utilised in the Alpine Eagle collection, since its inception in 2019, is comprised of 70% recycled materials, and yet, with its resistance of 223 Vickers, it is 50% more resistant against wear. The precious metals used in the collection are also “100% ethical”, in-line with Chopard’s promise to use only ethically-sourced materials. Now, tied to the success of the Alpine Eagle is the Alpine Eagle Foundation. The mission of this non-profit orginisation, co-founded by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Jacques-Olivier Travers and Ronald Menzel, is to pursue “innovative and multidisciplinary environmental projects designed to raise awareness and mobilise the public regarding the importance, beauty and fragility of the Alpine biotope.” Since the launch of the foundation, the programmes have already succeeded in re-introducing the white-tailed eagle in the Lake Geneva region. Their programmes, such as the aforementioned and others committed to the preservation of the Alpine environment and biodiversity, are in part funded by proceeds yielded by the sales of Alpine Eagle collection models. So, it is nice to know that your purchase will do a bit more than simply bringing a handsome luxury watch to your wrist.
The verdict
As I said earlier, the stainless-steel sports watch category is crowded. With buyers having so many options to sift through, the Alpine Eagle really distinguishes itself with its less common design cues. Ultimately, there is a lot to like about the Alpine Eagle – the lustrous Lucent steel, the screw-down crown secured 100 metre depth rating, COSC-certified chronometer caliber, and its intriguing aesthetic (particularly found in its dial texture and color). When you consider the watches the Alpine Eagle is typically stacked against by watch collectors – considered to really hold its own against the Royal Oak and Nautilus – its worth noting that it is amazingly half, or less than half, the price of its peers at US$14,800.
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm Pine Green pricing and availability:
The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm Pine Green is available now for purchase. Price: US$14,800
| Brand | Chopard |
| Model | Alpine Eagle 41mm Pine Green |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 9.7mm (T) x 47mm (L2L) x 53mm (Effective L2L) |
| Case Material | Lucent Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 100m (screw-down crown) |
| Dial | Pine Green Eagle Iris Dial |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal and caseback |
| Strap | Lucent Stainless Steel bracelet with hidden butterfly clasp |
| Movement | COSC-certified 0101-C automatic |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | AUD $23,000, US$14,800 |