Like an eagle trading mountain winds for gilded thermals, Chopard's latest Alpine Eagle soars into jewelry territory with its first-ever Lucent Steel and ethical 18-carat yellow gold composition. Unveiled at Watches and Wonders, this 33mm iteration feels more like a brooch with horological ambitions than its tool-watch siblings—a deliberate pivot that'll divide purists but delight those who prefer champagne powder to powder snow.
The "Vals Grey" dial mimics the way morning light fractures across alpine stone slabs—if said slabs were dusted with diamond hour markers and Roman numerals. That signature eagle iris texture remains, though now it winks beneath gem-set indices like a bird preening in sunlight. The seconds hand still sports that poetic feather counterweight, though it now sweeps across a stage set for black-tie apres-ski rather than summit attempts.
Don't let the dainty proportions fool you—the COSC-certified Calibre 09.01-C inside is a horological hummingbird. At just 20.4mm, this micro-engine packs 159 components into a space typically reserved for quartz movements, humming along at 25,200 vph. The exhibition caseback reveals a miniature metropolis of gears, though one wishes Chopard had gilded the rotor to match the bezel's ethical gold flourish.
This isn't your grandfather's Alpine Eagle—nor even your father's. The missing date window at 4:30 and jewelry-forward touches suggest Chopard is courting a new audience:
As someone who's always admired the Alpine Eagle's rugged charisma, I'll admit this iteration feels like watching a mountain goat trade its hooves for ballet slippers. Beautiful? Undoubtedly. But part of me misses the bite of granite against steel—even if this gilded version catches the light like alpine sunrise.
