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by Kyle on February 01, 2010
Here is the Baselworld pre-release from Alpina. It is a sporty looking GMT chronograph that is a take on Alpina’s continued sponsorship of the 12 Hours of Sebring which is a very popular international car race held every year in Florida, USA. More info after the jump!
While it is primarily on the lower/entry level of the luxury watch segment ($1,500 to $2,500 range), Alpina is an interesting brand in that is owned since 2002 by Aletta and Peter Stas, the owners/founders of watch brand Frederique Constant. FC is a brand that has done relatively well over the past few years by delivering good, quality, not-too-flashy luxury watches at reasonable prices, and a similar disciplined growth strategy is surely in place at Alpina, though I don’t see it doing anything but trying to ramp volume while maintaining the same price segment. This said, I would expect the watch you see here watch to be priced north of $3,000 because it is a limited edition of 158 pieces…which, by the way – shouldn’t it be only 58 pieces as it is the 58th anniversay of the 12 Hours of Sebring Race- not the 158th? 
While I think this watch is maybe a bit too generously sized at 47mm, it has a nice color scheme and I like the carbon fiber strap with red lining and stitching as well as the textured look of the center of the dial which keeps good with the sporty/racing nature of the watch. The case is stainless steel and water resistant to 100 meters, and the movement is probably a reliable Swiss automatic (ETA or Valjoux-based Selitta-based) . As for functionality, you will get GMT (24 hours) as well as 30 minute and 12-hour chonograph counters and the chronograph pushers are nicely shaped along the contours of the case, too.
One last interesting side note is that I recently discovered that the brand’s roots actually go back to Glashütte, Germany but it ended up a Swiss brand in the end (you can read the full history here).
Look for more to come from Alpina at Baselworld in March on Perpetuelle.com’s Baselworld 2010 Forum.
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I think their case designs and large size appeal to a modern/younger fan of watches. The traditionalist has gripes with some of the Selitta movements though. I think their dials/designs are great, their history intriguing and strong, so I am hoping for this brand to gain in prestige over the coming years. I am a fan from what I have seen, especially over the past year or two.
Fair points you make. And thanks for the clarification on the movements (ie Selitta). I don’t see them moving up-market, but that’s not to say they can’t produce a higher end time piece or two every now and then!
This was my favouite watch of the show, but that could be because it was so close to the front of the show guide ! I liked the latest incarnation of the Tudor Monte Carlo on a Nato strap too.