Alpina is above all the story of a watch brand like no other. Indeed, it was based on the combination of various watchmaking professions to truly emerge at the end of the 19th century. More precisely in 1883, when Gottlieb Hauser and his associates had not yet set up a manufacture – unlike his contemporaries like Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe – but assembled components supplied by independent craftsmen. Anxious to establish itself as a house in its own right, however, Alpina quickly began to develop its own calibers while setting up a solid distribution network.
Above all, the brand has distinguished itself by its uncompromising love of high peaks. This is also where it got its triangular logo which symbolizes the Swiss mountains, more precisely the famous Matterhorn, affixed in 1901. This, without forgetting that the founders were all fervent followers of mountaineering. Thus, from the 1930s, the first pieces signed Alpina were made of steel for foolproof watertightness when climbing snowy passes. The highlight of this precise specification? The Alpina 4 model, launched in 1938 and whose number echoed the four essential attributes of the watch. Namely, anti-magnetism, waterproofness, shock resistance and a steel case, the flagship material of modern watchmaking and acclaimed for its robustness.
Since last year, the watchmaker has decided to open a new era in its collections. An ice age by (re) honoring its historical heritage as well as bringing the brand’s heritage and DNA back to the heart of its concerns with references intended for mountain lovers. After unveiling the new Alpiner Extreme Automatic in 2022 at the foot of Mont-Blanc, in Chamonix, Alpina headed to Zermatt to launch two new limited-edition pieces to celebrate its 140th anniversary.
85 years ago, Alpina manufactured the Caliber 490, a rectangular-shaped movement benefiting from the first principles of protection against water and dust. This state-of-the-art mechanism, which currently only exists in rare period copies, is however undergoing a renaissance. Indeed, the house with the red triangle has exhumed from its archives two series of 14 pieces. Baptized Heritage Carré Mechanical 140 Years, the latter highlight above all the original geometry of the Caliber 490. For the occasion, this movement of yesteryear with manual winding, which offers a comfortable power reserve of 42 hours, has been completely restored to adapt to the new case made to measure by Alpina.
Initially fashioned in steel or gold during the 1930s, it now comes in mirror-polished silver. The 29.5 x 35.7 mm rectangular case is only 9.71 mm thick and is adorned with an open back that opens onto the mysteries of Caliber 490.
Two versions are available: one with a black dial on which we find beige hands, the other with a silver dial and enhanced with black details. Each bears the vintage Alpina logo at 12 o’clock as well as a small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, one circular and the other square. Finally, they are delivered on a light brown ostrich leather strap with white stitching.
