Alpina has done extensive work to recreate the aesthetics of retro pilot watches in its Startimer Heritage collection. The Heritage series watches are reliable, durable, and affordable tool watches with a convincing retro style. Last year, Alpina introduced a reduced 44 mm version of the massive 50 mm Startimer Pilot Heritage from 2015, complemented by a hunter-style case back. First introduced with a matte black dial, Alpina now presents a 288-piece edition with an attractive blue dial and equally appealing brand prices.
THE RISE OF ALPINA
At the turn of the 20th century, the Alpina logo, a circle inside a red triangle (inspired by the silhouette of Mount Zermatt), was used to signify the exceptional quality and precision of 12- and 19-line calibers produced by J. Straub & Co. By 1913, Alpina chronometers were being ordered by the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine), and in 1921, Alpina was producing watches for military pilots of the continental air forces. Characterized by large case sizes, anti-magnetic and shock-resistant cases, pilot watches featured oversized luminous numerals and hands. An interesting detail of Alpina's pilot watch production is that one of the models with a long strap was adapted to be worn on a pilot's leg.
In 2011, Alpina launched the Startimer Pilot collection, complemented by the Heritage subfamily of watches, which capture the spirit of historical pilot watches from different eras. Among them are models inspired by the 1970s, such as the Startimer Chronograph Monopusher or GMT, and other models with a more pronounced vintage flair, harking back to the Alpina pilot watches of the 1920s, embodied in the massive 50 mm manually-wound Startimer Pilot Heritage from 2015.
Five years later, Alpina introduced a reduced (sort of) 44 mm version of the Startimer Heritage, equipped with an automatic movement. Like the 50 mm model, the 44 mm watch replicates the appearance of Beobachtungs-Uhren (B-Uhren) or observation watches, which were issued to German Luftwaffe navigators. To accommodate manually-wound pocket watch movements and ensure legibility, B-Uhren watch cases were intentionally large. The matte black dial, large white luminous Arabic numerals and hands, and orientation triangle contributed to readability in low light, while the oversized onion-style crown allowed for adjustments even with gloves.
BLUE AUTOMATIC STARTIMER HERITAGE PILOT WATCHES
With the same technical specifications as the black model from 2020, the only difference is the new blue dial. Although the Startimer 2015 model is 6 mm smaller than the 2015 model, at 44 mm in diameter and 11.5 mm thick, these are still large watches, suited to their nature as pilot watches. The case is made of stainless steel with a matte and polished finish, and the crown features an onion style for better grip. Returning to the snap-on case backs of B-Uhren watches, the hunter-style case back opens with a small button on the strap, revealing the movement. The inside of the hunter-style case back, also known as the officer's case back, is decorated with pearling and, when opened, reveals the automatic AL-525 movement (Sellita SW 200-1) with a blackened rotor and a 38-hour power reserve.
Here, the B-type watch display is shown with an inner ring for indicating the hours and a peripheral track reserved for vital minutes/seconds. In the Startimer Heritage Automatic model, this configuration is somewhat modified: the inner ring with dots marks the hours from 13:00 to 24:00 of the 24-hour scale, and large silver Arabic numerals mark the hours from 1 to 12. For greater accuracy, the 12 o'clock mark is replaced by the Alpina triangle (orientation triangle) with a dot inside, and the "3 o'clock" numeral is omitted to accommodate the date window. In line with the fundamental factor of legibility, all dial elements, except for the central seconds hand with a red Alpina triangular counterweight, are treated with vintage-style beige lume. Even the more modern Alpina logo applied to other watches has been replaced with the original 1883 design.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICE
The Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic model is limited to 288 pieces and is already available, including on the brand's website. The watch comes with a blue calfskin leather strap and is priced at 1,195 euros. For more information, please refer to Alpina Watches.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – ALPINA STARTIMER HERITAGE PILOT AUTOMATIC
Case: diameter 44 mm x height 11.5 mm – three-part stainless steel, polished and matte – water resistance 30 m – convex sapphire crystal
Dial: matte blue – applied indices and numerals with beige lume – hand-polished hour and minute hands with beige lume – central seconds hand with red triangular counterweight – date window at "3 o'clock" – original 1883 Alpina font
Movement: Automatic caliber AL-525 (based on Sellita SW200-1) with black rotor – 28,800 vph – 38-hour power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: blue calfskin leather
Reference: AL-525NBG4SH6
Availability: limited to 288 pieces
Price: 1,195 EUROS