A nearly forgotten vintage model has been revived after almost 40 years.
01 BLAST FROM THE PAST
If Karl-Friedrich Scheufele had his way, he would never have reintroduced the first and only watch he designed for his company, Chopard, when he was 22 years old. But the co-president of the watch and jewellery house has a tenacious son, so we have Karl-Fritz to thank for the reintroduction of the St. Moritz.
First released in 1980, the St. Moritz was not only Chopard’s first sports watch, it was also its first watch in steel. The collection featured steel bracelets and eight exposed screws on the bezel, with the bezel shape following the contours of the screws to give the watch a distinctive look. The remake, named the Alpine Eagle, shows off a more contemporary round bezel and is now crafted in Chopard’s proprietary Lucent Steel A223, a hypoallergenic alloy that is 50 percent more resistant to abrasion than conventional steel, and harder, with a brilliance comparable to gold.
The movements, of course, have also been updated: the 01.01-C calibre with 60-hour power reserve for the 41mm model, and the COSCcertified 09.01-C calibre with a 42-hour power reserve for the 36mm models. Of the three references, two are in steel, and one is in steel and ethically mined rose gold.
The introduction of the Alpine Eagle also marks the launch of Chopard’s Eagle Wings Foundation, an environmental project designed to raise awareness of the beauty and fragility of Alpine biotopes. The organisation’s first initiative kicked off last month with the Alpine Eagle Race, where participants could observe images taken by a camera strapped to an eagle launched from five Alpine peaks.
02 MOTOR MANIA
SPACE RANGERS
Citizen has partnered with Tokyo-based lunar exploration company ispace to provide the latter with its trademarked Super Titanium — a type of titanium that is six times harder than stainless steel — for its two upcoming trips to the moon in 2021 and 2023.
03 LEFT IS RIGHT
If IWC’s claim that over 40 percent of pilots are left-handed is to be believed, it’s a little surprising that the brand has only just released its first ever left-handed Big Pilot. But this at least means IWC had plenty of time to get the design and proportions of the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition “RightHander” just right. The 46.2mm stainless steel watch features a slate grey dial, thick and legible hour markers and hands, and black subdials and date window. The defining crown is now placed on the left side of the case. It is limited to 250 pieces, and will be exclusive to Australia and France until the end of the month. For right-handed fans, the closest substitute will be the Big Pilot Patrouille Suisse Limited Edition.
04 CRAZY LADIES
Franck Muller’s eccentric Crazy Hours watches have the most impact when dressed in bright, bold colours, but its new Cintree Curvex Crazy Hours Pastels Asia Exclusive series proves that a gentler touch can be just as memorable. Exclusive to Asia Pacific, these women’s models come in purple, beige, pale blue and orange, in either rose gold or steel. Either way, the case is set with 66 brilliant-cut diamonds, and the hand-painted numerals sit on a sunburst guilloche dial that has been coated with 20 layers of lacquer for added shine. It is powered by the automatic Crazy Hours Calibre FM2001, which comes with a 42-hour power reserve.
