After what’s felt like a decade or more of rose gold infatuation by watchmakers, the tide finally appears to be turning in favour of yellow gold, with the likes of Hublot releasing an entire collection in the precious metal earlier this year. Now, another storied watchmaker is joining the fun with the launch of the Chopard Alpine Eagle in yellow gold, which might just be the best looking Alpine Eagle to date.
The Alpine Eagle as we know it today was announced back in 2019 as Chopard’s play for the ever popular steel sports watch market, reviving a heritage design from the brand’s archives from the 1980s. The timepiece the Alpine Eagle was based on was the sporty chic St. Moritz, which first saw the light of day after being designed by 22-year-old Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, who is now the Co-President of Chopard with his sister, Caroline.
The St. Moritz was created for a new generation of wealthy jet-setting Europeans, who wanted to be able to wear a watch no matter what their schedule contained, a lifestyle hinted at by its name taken from the popular cosmopolitan ski resort town of St. Moritz. While it retains the original St. Moritz DNA, the modern Alpine Eagle is a thoroughly contemporary timepiece, from its ethically sourced materials to the quality of its COSC-certified movements.
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After spending the last few years rounding out the Alpine Eagle collection with various different references, including a chronograph, two-tone and rose gold expressions, an ultra-thin tourbillon, a high-beat, and even a few entirely gem-set watches, Chopard has picked now as the time to debut the collection’s first yellow gold reference. Executed in 41mm of ethically sourced yellow gold, the attention to detail in the manufacturing of the case is exceptional with an evenly brushed finish applied to many of the flat surfaces and immaculately polished chamfers found throughout the rest of the case and bracelet finishing.
Just like the case and bracelet, the dial is a vibrant shade of yellow gold (as is the date window) that has been finished in line with the rest of the collection, boasting a coarse and slightly spiralled pattern that seeks to emulate the iris of a Swiss bird of prey. Also consistent with the rest of the collection are the applied Roman numeral hour markers, which are filled with luminescent material to ensure telling the time is straightforward no matter the lighting conditions.
Beneath the dial is Chopard’s own 01.01-C caliber, which features COSC-certification and 60 hours of power reserve, while ticking away at 28,800vph. To cement its sports watch status, the new yellow gold Alpine Eagle arrives with a screw-down crown that guarantees 100m of water resistance.
This latest addition to the Chopard Alpine Eagle collection is a glittering reminder of the clientele the original St. Moritz was created for, as a thoughtful designed precious metal timepiece that could handle a robust and active lifestyle. It will only be available from Chopard boutiques and arrives with an RRP of $76,100.
