Chopard’s Alpine Eagle Summit Capsule Is a Gem-Embellished Quartet

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Since the dawn of the millennium, Dubai has been considered a universal vantage point for luxury and absolute excess. From hyper-cars as routine police patrollers to manta ray-gazing underwater hotels, and near-kilometre tall skyscrapers to lions as family pets, Dubai truly is an oasis of Arabian extraordinaire. As the Emirate recently hosted its sixth annual horlogerie fiesta – Dubai Watch Week 2023, it was only fitting that watchmakers match the luxe quotient of their offerings with that of the host city. 

Amidst a sea of timekeeping marvels, La Maison Chopard was no slouch for showing off a quartet of gem-set iterations of their iconic luxury sports watch, the Alpine Eagles. Young, yet bold, the Alpine Eagle collection was introduced in 2019, echoing the design of an ‘80s Chopard icon, St. Moritz – it quickly earned itself a reputation of being one of the most desired timepieces in its league. With a tonneau-shaped case, bulgy dial and bold cuts, the Alpine Eagle line perfectly intersects luxe craftsmanship and match-day elegance, with Chopard’s industry-revered sustainability badge.

As DWW23 specials, the quartet of Alpine Eagle Summit novelties boast gem-set bezels with dials inspired by the Alpine landscape and the iris of the eponymous aerial predator. The “Golden Peak” dial variant pays homage to the Swiss Mont Blanc massif, showing off a golden shimmer. “Pink Dawn”, – reminiscing the tones of the majestic Alpine dawn. White Gold editions of “Zinal Blue”, echo the kaleidoscopic blue and violet tones of the Zinal glacier, residing in the heart of the Swiss Alps and the “Vals Grey” edition, embodies the elegance of the quartzite stone found in the canton of Graubünden. Along with the hour and minute hands, indexes of twelve, three, six, and nine o’clock are Super-LumiNova-coated while the rest and enriched with applied baguette-cut diamonds. Upon close inspection you’ll realize that the seconds hand features a feather on one end, acting as a counterweight. What’s also interesting is that the signature date window is also missing in this special edition capsule – intended to provide an unobstructed view of the dial’s mastery.

In terms of timekeeping, inside resides the nifty, COSC-chronometer-certified Chopard 01.15-C calibre which is automatically wound and guarantees an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day. The manufacture offers a modest 60-hour power reserve at a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hertz).

While “Zinal Blue” and “Vals Grey” editions are crafted out of polished and brushed, 18-carat Ethical White Gold, “Golden Peak” and “Pink Dawn” editions boast a Yellow Gold and Rose Gold make, respectively, of the same purity and sustainability efforts. Cases measure 41mm across the quartet and offer a water resistance of 10 bar (~100 m). The main attractions, however, are the bezels – each putting on a sparkly show. Adorned with eight screws in traditional Alpine Eagle style, each bezel is enriched with a unique assortment of 36 gradient gemstones – comprising of combinations of tsavorites, spessartites, and white and pink sapphires. As we flip the timepieces over, a sapphire caseback allows you to embrace the mechanical poetry powering this timepiece. All Alpine Eagle Summit variants have integrated bracelets, brushed and polished, crafted out of their respective case materials and bear a triple-folding clasp.

To help you identify your favourite novelty from the bunch:

Ref. 295363-0002 – “Golden Peak”, Ethical 18-carat Yellow Gold with pink and white sapphires.

Ref. 295363-1007 – “Zinal Blue”, Ethical 18-carat White Gold with trapeze-cut blue and purple sapphires.

Ref. 295363-1008 – “Vals Grey”, Ethical 18-carat White Gold with tsavorites and white sapphires.

Ref. 295363-5013 – “Pink Dawn”, Ethical 18-carat White Gold with spessartites and white sapphires.