Chopard adds a new model to its sports watch collection: the Alpine Eagle XP CS Platinum. This is the first and only Alpine Eagle watch currently to be rendered in platinum.
Press release details to follow with commentary in italics
Chopard Alpine Eagle XP CS Platinum
The Chopard Alpine Eagle XP CS Platinum Ref. 295396-9001 in 950 platinum with ‘Shades of Ice’ blue dial is exclusively available from Chopard boutiques. At the time of publishing, no retail price has been disclosed.
Commentary
The Chopard Alpine Eagle is one of fine watchmaking’s most underrated sports watches. The collection has always offered superb quality and design, at a competitive price. Its signature dial, dubbed the ‘eagle’s iris’ is quite the spectacle and unforgettable. Beyond the dial, Alpine Eagle watches have come in various sizes and, importantly, materials, the most iconic of which is the proprietary Lucent Steel. Other materials that have been used include white gold, rose gold, yellow gold, two-tone, and titanium. The one material that’s never been used until now is noble platinum, the ultimate precious metal. With the introduction of the new Alpine Eagle XP CS Platinum, Chopard fills an important gap in its offerings. A full platinum Alpine Eagle will cater to those looking for an ultimate ‘stealth-wealth’ piece in the form of Chopard’s flagship sports watch. And of course, a platinum model deserves a special dial, and this one comes with a mesmerising dial in a gradient blue called ‘Shades of Ice’. This is also the first time we’ve seen a proper gradient dial on the Alpine Eagle. All in all, this is a piece that feels substantial thanks to the density of platinum but is, at the same time, refined because of its slender case and beautiful finishing.
Release Details
Platinum sets the stage for excellence
Platinum is a metal that is both incomparably desirable and fascinatingly rare – 30 times more so than gold. Its peerless purity is equally alluring, expressed through the legal fineness hallmarks 850, 900 and 950, indicating the parts out of 1000 and hence the percentage of platinum in each alloy. This makes it the purest metal used in watchmaking and jewellery. Between 40% and 60% denser than gold, it is highly resistant to corrosion and abrasion, giving it exceptional durability that can be passed down through generations. Its extraordinary qualities nonetheless require special skills and the use of specific tools to machine it, while its ductility makes it ideal for producing small objects with complex technical shapes – hence its use in medicine and advanced engineering. Finally, the fact that it is totally hypoallergenic metal and renowned for its unalterable lustre means it is entirely suited to everyday wear.
Chopard uses only its purest version at 950/1000. Making its first appearance in the Alpine Eagle collection with this model, this noble material has been featured in other watchmaking iterations within the Maison’s collections. Since 1997, the L.U.C 1860 timepiece has been interpreted in this precious metal on several occasions, followed by other models in the L.U.C collection. As is often the case for handcrafted creations, such an exceptional material requires its own maker’s mark and Chopard will henceforth use the bee symbol – hand-engraved between the lugs – to identify its platinum timepieces. Since the time of Louis-Ulysse Chopard in the 19th century, this insect has been one of the symbols of the Manufacture. Industrious, honest and modest, the lynchpin of a cohesive whole held together by collaborative endeavours, it perfectly embodies the values with which the workshops have never ceased to identify.
The Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum timepiece will be the first to bear this hallmark. It is based on the structure of the Alpine Eagle 41 XP case – introduced in 2022 to house a flying tourbillon movement – rendered in platinum. The material becomes a veritable canvas for revealing the excellence of the work carried out by Chopard artisans. The curves, volumes and angles of the case as well as of the integrated bracelet appear to burst forth from the metal. Their complexity is revealed in the specific gleam of this material, accentuating the polished chamfers, the links of varying heights, as well as the contrast between the specular-polished and satin-brushed or straight-grained matt finishes. Shapes and materials never cease to inspire the Alpine Eagle collection, naturally leading Chopard to introduce with this timepiece a new integrated bracelet featuring subtly reshaped lines: the first five links around the case form a steeper slope than on previous models, while those around the clasp are slimmer. This distinctively elegant bracelet profile combines a concern for ergonomics with wearer comfort.
A dial honouring the majesty of the Alps
Colourful dials with names evoking the grandeur of the Alps are one of the signatures of the Alpine Eagle collection, as evidenced by the ‘Aletsch Blue’, ‘Rhône Blue’ and ‘Vals Grey’. Inspired by the majestic beauty of Nature, Chopard is introducing a new colour: a gradient blue named ‘Shades of Ice”. This distinctive hue that is paler in the centre and deeper around the rim recounts the shimmering beauty of glaciers and Alpine lakes whose reflections transition from transparent to dark in step with changes in light and the passing of time. The dial centre suggests the purity of mountain waters and shifts to an intense blue conjuring up steep, compact glaciers. This enigmatic transition is also a story of density: that of the crystal acquiring an increasingly intense tint as its density increases, perfectly echoing the extreme density of the platinum framing the watch face
The unique dial texture stemming from the stamped ‘eagle’s iris’ radiating pattern adorning its brass surface creates a play on light that brings the timepiece to life. A life in the Alps, between light and shadows, sun and ice. From dawn to dusk, an ever-changing shimmer captures the eye like sunbeams playing across a snowy landscape. The hours and minutes hands in ethical gold further enhance the delicate beauty of this spectacular dial.
As Chopard’s Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is keen to emphasise: “The Alpine Eagle collection is renewed in a subtle combination of refined textures, materials and changing colours that embody the timeless elegance of Chopard craftsmanship, the technical excellence of our watchmakers and the ethereal beauty of Alpine Nature. This new Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum model is more than a timepiece, paying vibrant tribute to the majesty and richness of this Nature.”
An exceptional movement
The 8-millimetre thinness of the Alpine Eagle 41 XP case enabled Chopard to equip it with its new high-end in-house L.U.C Calibre 96.42-L. This sophisticated, ultra-thin (3.30 mm) self-winding movement with central seconds display is equipped with a micro-rotor in platinum, whose density makes it the ideal material for this type of winding. The calibre is fitted with Chopard Twin technology’s two barrels representing the Maison’s technical excellence and ensuring a 65-hour power reserve. Adorned with a Côtes de Genève pattern, its refinement is acknowledged by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. The timepiece is water-resistant to 100 metres for everyday versatility and is also chronometer-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
Technical Specifications
Case:
- 950 platinum
- Total diameter: 41 mm
- Thickness: 8 mm
- Water resistance: 100 metres
- Crown in 950 platinum with compass rose: 6.65 mm
- Vertical satin-brushed caseband with polished chamfers
- Bee hand-engraved between the lugs
- Bezel in 950 platinum with eight indexed screws
- Glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Exhibition case-back fitted with glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Movement:
- Mechanical self-winding movement: Calibre 96.42-L
- Winding via a micro-rotor in 950 platinum
- Number of components: 181
- Diameter: 27.40 mm
- Thickness: 3.30 mm
- Number of jewels: 29
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve: 65 hours
- Two stacked barrels – Chopard Twin technology
- Bridges adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif
- Annular balance
- Swan’s-neck index-assembly
- Balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve
- Chronometer-certified by the COSC
- Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark
Dial and hands:
- ‘Shades of Ice’ blue dial, in brass stamped with a radiating pattern inspired by the eagle’s iris
- Applied brass hour-markers enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
- Baton-type hours and minutes hands in ethical white gold, enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
- Arrow-tipped brass seconds hand with counterweight shaped like an eagle’s feather
- Black transfers
Functions:
- Central display of the hours, minutes and seconds
- Stop-seconds function
Bracelet and clasp:
- Tapering bracelet in 950 platinum, satin-brushed large link and flanks, polished central cap
- Triple folding clasp with safety pushers in 950 platinum and blades in ethical 18-carat white gold
Ref. 295396-9001 – in 950 platinum with ‘Shades of Ice’ blue dial
Exclusively available from Chopard boutiques.
