INTRODUCING: Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono ‘Maritime Blue’

The well-received flyback chronograph debuts a new dial colour inspired by the Mediterranean Sea.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would know that luxury sports watches are big business these days. So, when Chopard tossed its hat in the ring with the Alpine Eagle in 2019, it wasted no time growing it into a full-fledged collection, enriched with various size options and several complications, presumably due to its popularity among watch lovers. Perhaps most prominent in the line-up is the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono due to its 44mm case – the largest of the lot – and its in-house flyback chronograph movement with three patents filed. Making the watch more attractive than ever is a new ‘Maritime Blue’ dial colour, which evokes the waters of the Mediterranean Sea bordering the southern slopes of the Alps.

The success of the Alpine Eagle is no accident, as it is the brainchild of three generations of men in the Scheufele family. Its origins date back to the late 1970s when Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele convinced his father, Karl, to launch the Maison’s first steel sports watch. Named the St. Moritz, it was Karl-Friedrich’s first horological creation and one of its best sellers in the 1980s. Fast forward nearly 40 years later, history repeats itself as his son, Karl-Fritz, pressed Karl-Friedrich for a reinterpretation of the icon that has been discontinued. Unfazed by the initial objection, the third-generation scion roped in his grandfather to work on a prototype that finally won his father over.

While the St. Moritz recalls the legendary resort town’s sporty glamour, the Alpine Eagle takes its design cues from another icon of the Alps – the eagle. The sunburst patterned dial, for instance, resembles the majestic bird’s iris, and the counterweight of the seconds hand is shaped like a feather. Its case is forged in Chopard’s proprietary ultra-resistant Lucent Steel with a recycling rate of at least 80 per cent and an unmatched brilliance, which is reminiscent of the glinting glaciers. These winsome features are amplified by the flyback chronograph’s extra-large format, and the ‘Maritime Blue’ version highlights the splendid texture of the dial with its gorgeous azure sheen.

Like its predecessors, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono ‘Maritime Blue’ is driven by the Chopard 03.05-C movement with a substantial 60-hour power reserve. A testament to the Maison’s watchmaking prowess, the column-wheel-equipped marvel is enhanced by several technical innovations. Featuring a unidirectional gear drive system for energy efficiency and swift automatic winding, a vertical clutch for precise time measurement, and a flyback function for seamless successive timing, it also boasts a stop-seconds function for precise adjustments. Certified as a chronometer by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), the movement can be admired via a sapphire crystal caseback.

Although the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is available with an integrated metal bracelet and a leather strap, we opine that the rubber option introduced to the model in 2022 is most in line with its robust, sporty look. The new ‘Maritime blue’ reference is happily paired with the latter that echoes the shape of the signature metal-link bracelet – subtly tapered with a raised central cap – ensuring the DNA of the collection is intact.

The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono in Lucent Steel with Maritime Blue dial is exclusively available at Chopard boutiques. 

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