Karl-Friedrich Scheufele doesn’t do things by halves. A good quarter of a century ago, when he was still Vice President of the family-run company Chopard, he made plans to build his own movements again. At that time, Chopard was still buying mechanical and battery-powered drives from the major supplier ETA, a Swatchgroup company. That in itself is not a flaw, but unsatisfactory for a technology-savvy and tradition-conscious entrepreneur like Scheufele. This is how he managed to convince the family council and thus the rest of the management of his idea. “It was my wish that Chopard would return to its roots as a manufacturer,” says the 64-year-old entrepreneur. Finally, the company founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860 in the Swiss municipality of Sonvilier made a name for itself with pocket chronometers that were made in its own workshop and were known for their excellent precision.
For Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, this is still a requirement and obligation today. Each Chopard Manufacture watch, provided it has a second hand, is certified as a chronometer by the independent testing institute COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). This also applies to the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF, which Chopard presented at the end of last year and which found its way to us shortly thereafter.
This titanium watch was launched for the 25th anniversary and occupies a special position in the collection, at least visually. In an environment characterized by fine leather strap watches, this powerful sports watch with a solid strap stands out, just like its historical model St. Moritz, which was in the range from 1980 to 2000.
Important details for wearing comfort
The three-part housing is held together by eight screws arranged in pairs. These are visible both in the bezel and in the base and thus also serve as a design feature. The case and strap of the latest Alpine Eagle are made of grade 5 titanium, which is also used in aircraft construction. The material is characterized by high corrosion resistance and strength. It is also significantly lighter than stainless steel, which makes it more comfortable to wear. In fact, the watch with its three-part link strap including folding clasp nestles comfortably on the wrist, which is also due to the moderate diameter of 41 millimeters. The solid strap is integrated into the case in a form-fitting manner – as are the strap lugs themselves, which remain invisible from the outside. Small slotted screws on the inside of the strap help to adjust the length.
The movement that powers the Chopard makes even connoisseurs click their tongues. The suffix Cadence 8HF reveals: The LUC caliber 01.12-C is a high-frequency movement that oscillates at 57,600 A/h or eight Hertz. And that is now twice as fast as the majority of current mechanical movements. This ensures more precise and stable rate behavior, even if the watch is shaken. On the other hand, it’s like a car: if you drive faster, you need more energy. To counteract this principle, Chopard builds the escapement and escapement wheel out of silicon, among other things. This material is non-magnetic, light and very smooth. The latter helps to reduce frictional resistance in the escapement. The automatic movement has a power reserve of 60 hours with just one barrel – without any additional energy supply. In practical life on the wrist, however, with almost every movement the central winding rotor turns, which keeps the mainspring under tension, so that the wearer is not plagued by range anxiety.
The workmanship and the appearance of the Alpine Eagle are first class. However, one should not expect anything else from a luxury watch in this category. After all, Chopard is asking 18,900 euros for the Alpine Eagle. A hefty sum, no doubt. On the other hand, the limitation should contribute to the value retention if you can still get hold of a copy at the list price.
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