Acclaimed French writer and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint Éxupéry once said: “Perfection is attained, not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” Following this philosophy, fine watchmaking manufacturer Alpina created a simplified and solid ‘flyback’ mechanism to power its latest precision instrument, the Alpiner 4 Black Flyback Manufacture Chronograph ($TBA).
For those of you who don’t know, Alpina is one of the very few independent, family-owned watchmakers based in Geneva, Switzerland, which develops, produces and assembles its movements entirely in-house. With a history of 132 years of crafting reliable pilot`s timepieces (the concept of the Swiss sport watch was invented by Alpina in 1938), the company established itself as a specialist in the industry, shaping a number of patents & innovative calibers, including the all-new automatic mechanical AL-760 Flyback Chronograph (composed of just 96 parts), which operates the stylish watch you see here. One of the ingenuities of this movement is the ability to allow users to reset the timer by only pressing the pusher above the crown once (instead of the usual 3-step operation: stop/reset/new start).
A refreshed version of last year’s model, the new Alpiner 4 Black Flyback Manufacture Chronograph features a 44mm-diameter stainless steel case, entirely coated in black PVD, as well as a black sunburst dial housing three indented sub-dials (30-minute counter, date and small seconds), large indexes & hands covered in beige luminous coating, as well as a black genuine leather strap with beige stitching. The result is a versatile timepiece, boasting a masculine, powerful design and a legible layout. Other details include ergonomically shaped chronograph push-pieces, a screw-down winding & setting crown, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, power reserve of 38 hours, and water resistance down to 100 meters.
Exhibiting the contemporary essence of the brand’s very first watch, the Alpiner 4 Black Flyback Manufacture Chronograph is also antimagnetic and antishock, making it a suitable choice for the military, special forces, and other active men in need of a sturdy, yet elegant timepiece. If you are any of those, you’ll be able to take a closer look at this masterpiece, at the world’s watch and jewelry show in Baselworld, Switzerland (March 17 – 24, 2016), where it will be officially introduced. [Presented by Alpina]
Disclaimer: I partnered with the brand to write this article but every word is mine.
