Alpina Manufacture Regulator: Fast Forward!

In 2008, Alpina is renewing its watch making tradition, which has been the cornerstone of the brand revival’s success amongst watch enthusiasts and trade professionals alike, and launches a brand-new manufacture calibre, the AL-950, in a new collection: the Alpina Manufacture Regulator.

Inspired by the past, yet built with today’s design and technical know-how. A stunning and well-balanced timepiece, arguably more "sober" than its big brother, the best-selling Alpina Avalanche Extreme Regulator, which is behind the brand's successful comeback to the forefront of the watch making scene. The "Extreme" has been resized - from a stately 48mm to a more respectable 46mm. But brand aficionados, rest assured: the iconic design elements of the “Extreme” remain – along with an even bolder and more elaborate dial design.

The movement is designed and developed entirely in the manufacture's workshops in Plan-les-Ouates, Genève, and features an automatic winding mechanism incorporating Alpina’s trademark rotor – a salute to the designers (Straub & Co.) of Alpina's first automatic calibre of 1945, the 582. As with all Alpina's mechanical timepieces, the finely decorated movement is visible through a transparent case back.


Teamwork…

After two years of Research and Development, the expert watchmakers at Alpina were ready to present a brand new Alpina Manufacture Movement with automatic winding and date. The dedication and hard work of the entire Alpina team is thus rewarded, and an ambitious dream has come true. A team of specialists (designers, engineers and watchmakers) worked on this project passionately for over two years. With the help of high-precision avant-garde machines, some of which have even been improved to suit the needs of the company, each and every team member worked hand in hand to revive Alpina as a Manufacture.

Yet the idea of a new manufacture calibre for Alpina is not new:
when the two co-founders of Frédérique Constant, Aletta and Peter Stas, took over the famous Swiss watch brand Alpina in 2002, their goal was to manufacture tough yet elegant, top-quality sports watches. The success of the Avalanche Extreme Regulator confirms their feeling that a watch must be beautiful, comfortable – and of impeccable quality. After considerable investments in technical know-how and, most importantly, a highly motivated and expert team of professionals, their ambition of manufacturing a bespoke in-house calibre has been accomplished.

 
Technical Specifications AL-950LBB4AE6

Reference:
AL-950LBB4AE6

Movement:
Automatic, new Regulator Manufacture Calibre AL-950, 13 ¼ lines (31 mm) diameter, Incabloc shock-absorber, 28,800 Bph, 25 jewels, Glucydur balance, Nivarox No.1 balance-spring, power reserve 48 hours. Bridges decorated with Perlage and Côtes de Genève, finished anglage, black rotor decorated with Côtes de Genève.

Functions:
Hours (Regulator at 10 o’clock), Minutes, Date at 6 o’clock.

Case:
Surgical Stainless Steel; 46 mm diameter ; 3-part case secured by six triangular-shaped stainless steel screws; sapphire crystal, see-through crystal case back; 20 ATM Water-resistant, individually numbered; ABS-coated screw-down crown with red enamelled Alpina triangle.

Dial:
Black and anthracite (slate grey) dial.
Applied indexes, white painted luminous hands.

Strap:
Rubber strap with deployment buckle.