Well for anyone who has been keeping track, time has clearly come and gone for the review of the Alpina Heritage Pilot!
One important development, this is only ONE of the Heritage Pilot offerings. There are two other Heritage Pilot models that are chronographs. This is the Hand Winding - AL-435B4SH6
So some facts:
When I first saw this watch at JCK SWISS Watch last year I was very impressed. Impressed because of the attention to detail devoted to creating as accurate a replica as possible. The Heritage Pilot is well named as it is based on a piece from Alpina's archives dating back to 1926.
For me, the use of a hand-winding movement seems obvious - and thankfully Alpina agrees. Too many "vintage" style pilot watches all have the same ETA 2824 self-winding movement. And in a never-ending concession to economy, the majority of them have cheesy display backs, "displaying" some pretty uninspired finishing work. But not Alpina!
At first blush, you would say solid back with some nice etchings. You would be half-right. If you examine the right side of this picture you'll see a hinge. If you look to the left side, under the crown you will see a small button. Click the button and...
A display back is REVEALED. A few flourishes in the finish, but nothing too elaborate. And frankly that is how it should be. Remember, Alpina, like it's partner brand Frederique Constant are focused on offering affordable luxury. Alpina refers to this as the CALIBER AL-435
The setting and winding of the watch were quite smooth, and in terms of timekeeping it did quite well. The average deviation was 11 seconds, and the power reserve was as advertised as the two days "at rest" yielded the 46 hours.
The dial is clear and legible. And once again, it is the attention to the little things that make this such a nice watch, regardless of the price point. The dial and hands have a slightly "aged" effect. Alpina refers to this as "OLD RADIUM" SUPER-LUMINOVA® COATED HANDS AND NUMERALS.
And the lume is very, very well done - shining even in daylight -
Another pleasant change from the typical "homage" pilot's watch is Alpina's decision NOT to use a "pilot" style crown. It was definitely the right choice.
The size of the case, and therefore the watch itself, is substantial. 50 mm is big. I do not care what everyone keeps droning on about trends, etc. - 50 mm is big. And this is where being true to the original and daily wear will diverge slightly.
I have a pretty good sized wrist, and the Heritage Pilot amply covers it and a little change. Now, it is still very wearable, but for those with smaller wrists it might be a bit overwhelming. But again, it is true to the original. And I think ultimately that was the idea.
So to sum up, a true pilot's watch staying true to its roots - made with care and attention to detail. And most importantly of all - VERY reasonably priced. If you are thinking about a pilot's watch, you don't have to go into major credit card debt to get something of genuine quality.
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| Courtesy of Alpina |
One important development, this is only ONE of the Heritage Pilot offerings. There are two other Heritage Pilot models that are chronographs. This is the Hand Winding - AL-435B4SH6
So some facts:
ALPINA HANDWINDING MECHANICAL CALIBER AL-435
REPLICA OF 1926 ALPINA PILOT WATCH
50MM DIAMETER
"OLD RADIUM" SUPER-LUMINOVA® COATED HANDS AND NUMERALS
HINGED AND TRANSPARENT CASE-BACk
When I first saw this watch at JCK SWISS Watch last year I was very impressed. Impressed because of the attention to detail devoted to creating as accurate a replica as possible. The Heritage Pilot is well named as it is based on a piece from Alpina's archives dating back to 1926.
For me, the use of a hand-winding movement seems obvious - and thankfully Alpina agrees. Too many "vintage" style pilot watches all have the same ETA 2824 self-winding movement. And in a never-ending concession to economy, the majority of them have cheesy display backs, "displaying" some pretty uninspired finishing work. But not Alpina!
The setting and winding of the watch were quite smooth, and in terms of timekeeping it did quite well. The average deviation was 11 seconds, and the power reserve was as advertised as the two days "at rest" yielded the 46 hours.
And the lume is very, very well done - shining even in daylight -
The size of the case, and therefore the watch itself, is substantial. 50 mm is big. I do not care what everyone keeps droning on about trends, etc. - 50 mm is big. And this is where being true to the original and daily wear will diverge slightly.
So to sum up, a true pilot's watch staying true to its roots - made with care and attention to detail. And most importantly of all - VERY reasonably priced. If you are thinking about a pilot's watch, you don't have to go into major credit card debt to get something of genuine quality.
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