Alpina Watches

Alpina is a traditional Swiss watch brand with an impressive history of more than 135 years. It is one of the pioneers of the original Swiss made sports timepieces.

Initially established by Gottlieb Hauser in 1883 as an association of independent manufacturers and retailers of watches, the brand Alpina became a phenomenal success during the 1920s. The traditional watchmaking, however, declined during the quartz crisis. Revived by Swiss entrepreneurs Aletta and Peter Stas in 2002, the reputable company restarted the manufacturing of sturdy yet graceful, top-quality sports watches. Since 2016, Alpina has been a subsidiary of the Japanese watchmaking conglomerate, Citizen.

Since its establishment, the iconic brand has developed several innovations and in-house calibers. An impressive number of Alpina watches are equipped with manufacture movements. Alpina belongs to an exclusive group of Swiss brands that develops, produces and assembles its movements entirely in-house. The notable manufacture self-winding calibers from the company are the AL-760 Flyback Chronograph, the AL-980 Tourbillon Regulator, the AL-718 World Timer, the AL-950 Regulator and the AL-710 Small Date.

Presently the brand maintains four outstanding collections of analogue watches – Alpiner, Startimer, Seastrong and Comtesse. Among these, the first three are men's collections the Comtesse line has been devoted to women. Additionally, Alpina offers an impressive selection of smart-watches, like Horological Smartwatch, AlpinerX and StartimerX.

The historical origins of the iconic brand can be traced back to 1883 when Gottlieb Hauser founded the Alpina Swiss Watchmakers Corporation. Initially, it was envisaged as a union of several independent watchmakers, who became known as the “Alpinists.” 

In 1901, Hauser registered the brand name ‘ALPINA’ for labeling the in-house mechanical movements and watches made by him. In the 1920s, Alpina became a major Swiss watch manufacture.

In 1938, the iconic “Alpina 4” collection was introduced. The digit 4 indicated four essential features of a true sports watch: Antimagnetic, Anti-shock, Water resistance and Stainless steel. Created by following this philosophy, the “Alpina 4” became a popular timepiece among sportsmen, engineers, adventurers and the military personnel. This collection added momentum to the success of Alpina as a globally acclaimed sports watch brand. However, the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s negatively impacted the business of Swiss mechanical watches.

In 1972, to revive the brand, a new company named Alpina Watch International SA was incorporated in Germany by some investors. In 2002, the two co-founders of Frédérique Constant — Aletta and Peter Stas — took over the company. Since then, the brand has been creating Swiss made modern sports watches that respect the historical achievements of the great company.

In 2006, the Alpina watch company moved its production facilities into the new and well-equipped manufacture located in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. In 2014, Alpina launched the Alpiner collection of professional sports wristwatches. In 2015, Alpina introduced the Swiss Horological Smart Watch that marked the brand’s entry into the promising smartwatch market. A new in-house caliber, the AL-760 Automatic Flyback Chronograph, was also unveiled in the same year.

In 2016, Citizen Group acquired Alpina and Frédérique Constant.

Alpiner

The Alpiner collection offers robust and reliable sports watches that can efficiently handle the extreme conditions of any terrains. They boast exceptional antimagnetic and shock-proof properties. This remarkable collection is comprised of various types of stainless steel timepieces with 100 meters water resistance, and equipped with highly reliable automatic or quartz movements. The notable models from this line are: the Alpiner Regulator Automatic, the Alpiner 4 Automatic, the Alpiner 4 automatic chronograph, the Alpiner Quartz and the Alpiner Quartz GMT. All of these timepieces are equipped with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, screw-in crown and engraved stainless steel case back. Some timepieces have bi-directional turning bezels. Depending upon the model, the Alpina Alpiner watch is available with stainless steel bracelet or leather strap.

Startimer

This line is typically comprised of exceptional pilot watches inspired by the iconic aviation timepieces manufactured by Alpina since the 1920s. The collection offers both automatic and quartz models. The prominent self-winding watches from this outstanding collection are: the Startimer Pilot Automatic three-hands with the date, the Startimer Pilot Automatic chronograph with the date, the Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic and the Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic Chronograph. The collection additionally includes quartz versions featuring the date or chronograph. Water resistant to 100 meters, the Alpina Startimer watches feature stainless steel case, sapphire crystal glass, solid case back and screw-in crown. Special highlights of these watches are: Bold cases, over-sized crowns and easily readable dials.

Seastrong

 As the name suggests, this collection has been dedicated to divers and nautical sports enthusiasts. Equipped with internal or external unidirectional diving bezels, these watches boast 300 meters water resistance. The most important timepieces from this collection are: the Seastrong Diver 300, the Seastrong Diver GMT, the Seastrong Diver Heritage and the Seastrong Diver Gyre.

The Seastrong Diver GMT is a quartz watch that incorporates additional time zone function and date display. Both the Seastrong Diver 300 and the Seastrong Diver Heritage models are equipped with the AL-525 automatic caliber, which drives centre three hands and date. The Heritage model features a twin crown super compressor case design. The Seastrong Diver Gyre Automatic range is a collection of diving watches created in cooperation with start-up brand Gyre and the Surfrider Foundation Europe. Each Alpina Seastrong timepiece typically incorporates premium Swiss luminescent coatings on the hands and indexes.

Comtesse

Inspired by the fascinating history of the brand, the Comtesse line offers sporty-elegant wristwatches for modern women. Leading models from this collection are: the Comtesse quartz, the Alpiner Comtesse Sport Quartz and the Seastrong Diver Comtesse. The Comtesse quartz is a three-hand with date watch featuring captivating mother-of-pearl dial and stainless steel case. Water resistant to 100 meters, this timepiece 34mm diameter case in silvered or bi-color finish, and typically paired with matching stainless steel bracelets. 

The Alpiner Comtesse Sport Quartz watch features silvered or black PVD coated stainless steel case with matching metal bracelets, scratch-resistant convex sapphire crystal, and engraved caseback. Endowed with 60 meters water resistance, this timepiece displays hour, minute, centre seconds and date.

Rated for water resistance of 300 meters, the Seastrong Diver Comtesse has been dedicated to adventurous-loving women who have a passion for diving and nautical sports. Featuring a three-hand with date layout, this quartz dive watch has a 34mm diameter stainless steel case with a unidirectional rotating bezel. The other features of this timepiece include sapphire crystal glass, screw-in crown and engraved case-back. This ladies' dive watch is available with a stainless steel bracelet or a matching rubber strap.

Alpina has been renowned for its extremely reliable professional sports watches, which can handle most harsh conditions, ranging from the top of the mountains to ocean depths. These Swiss made timepieces are equally known for their remarkable precision and excellent dial visibility. The brand makes use of hi-tech labs, modern machineries, advanced production techniques and strict quality controls to manufacture its superb-quality timepieces. Presently, Alpina is a leading manufacturer of Swiss sports watches in the mid-luxury segment.

Identified by the distinct Red Triangle logo, the brand offers three exceptional men’s sports watch collections: Alpiner for the Land, Startimer for the Air and Seastrong for the Sea. Each line carries its own distinctiveness and special features. For active women, Alpina maintains a dedicated collection of sports watches, the Comtesse. 

All these wristwatches are exceptionally water resistant, shock-proof and antimagnetic. In addition to the top-quality analogue timepieces, Alpina offers a comprehensive selection of smart-watches that combine wearable technology with the brand’s longstanding expertise in sports watches.