Alpina Celebrates 140th Anniversary with a Historical Movement (with Live Photos)
Commemorating its 140th anniversary this year, Alpina launched a special edition of time-only watches in two iterations, both limited to 14 pieces only. Aptly dubbed the Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years, the watches are powered by an original manual-wound caliber that dates back to 1938, and that was fully restored by the Swiss brand.
Registered under Swiss patent 158882, the caliber 490 oscillates at 18,000 vph and boasts a simple yet robust design. Additionally, the movement shows a high-quality finish, with beveled components and and a sunburst-ratchet decorated wheel.
The in-house caliber was designed, assembled and finished by one of the manufacturers of the historic Swiss Watchmakers Cooperative, Alpina’s first name, a distinction that was not commonplace in the 1930s, when sourcing generic movements from suppliers was the norm, and manufacture movements the exception. Caliber 490 was a benchmark movement at the time, with its patented crown that was protected against dust. Also noteworthy are the comparatively high power reserve for the time ? 42 hours ? and the special design of the pallet lever, which is elongated in order to fit into the rectangular shape.
After having been able to purchase around 50 pieces of this very caliber, Alpina designed a new custom-made case for 28 of them. It is made of highly polished silver and measures 29.5 x 35.7mm in diameter. With a thickness of just 9.71mm, it features anti-reflective sapphire crys...
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