[89 points] Chopard / Alpine Eagle XL Chrono

The difference between the titanium and steel Alpine Eagle XL Chrono models isn't just the material. The attractive Rhône Blue dial is another difference. The new model maintains its exceptional accuracy.

Rhone Blue Iris

　Why wear a watch? There are many reasons: to know the time accurately, to impress others, to admire your watch, etc. Chopard's titanium Alpine Eagle XL Chrono meets all of these needs. It goes without saying that it is of high quality.

Attractive dial

　One of the reasons to wear a watch is, first and foremost, to admire it. Take, for example, Chopard's Alpine Eagle, released in 2019. This watch features an unparalleled, beautiful dial. The rough, wild lines flowing across the dial are a pattern never before seen. The lines, which vary in width and are subtly interrupted along the way, appear random at first glance. However, they actually have a regular pattern, producing unique reflections when light hits them.

　Chopard likens the texture of the dial to the iris of an eagle's eye, but the dial is far more striking than the actual eagle's eye.

　The icy blue dial of the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono titanium model is named Rhône Bleu. This color complements the Alpine Eagle's "iris" pattern. It is inspired by the clear, cold waters of the Rhône River, which originates in the Alps and flows into Lake Geneva in Geneva, where the brand is based.

A design that follows the original

　The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono's dial isn't the only thing that stands out. The sporty case with its distinctive bezel also makes a strong impression. Like the case, the bezel is made of grade 5 titanium and features a delicate vertical hairline pattern. Eight polished screws create a stark contrast. All of the flathead grooves on the screws are aligned in the same direction. This may seem familiar, but Chopard didn't look to other brands for inspiration.

　The Alpine Eagle's design originated with the St. Moritz, Chopard's first steel watch, released in 1980. Reflecting the trends of the time, the St. Moritz has a more elegant impression than the Alpine Eagle. It features a single-piece bracelet with a polished central link, and the eight screws on the bezel have a distinctive shape surrounded by humps. While this shape is no longer used in the Alpine Eagle, it remains slightly reminiscent of the original in the form of two bulges on the left side of the case. These bulges act as a visual counterweight to the crown guard on the right side.

　Chopard has created a modern interpretation of the essence of the St. Moritz, creating a luxury sports watch that is both timely and compelling. The imposing Alpine Eagle exudes confidence and, at 41mm in diameter, is a size that is likely to fit most wrists.

High-precision chronometer-certified movement

　Another reason to wear a watch is to know the exact time. The in-house movement, Caliber CHOPARD 03.05-C, fitted to our test watch not only guarantees this, but also boasts a power reserve of approximately 60 hours, meeting the demands of many watch users today for a manufacture movement. The movement can be seen through the caseback.

　The sapphire crystal caseback, emblazoned with the logo of the Alpine Eagle Foundation (a foundation co-founded by Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele to protect the environment and biodiversity of the Alps), sits directly above the rotor bridge, which is engraved with the jewel count and brand name. This makes it difficult to clearly read these words, which is the only downside to this watch.

　However, even through this case back, you can still fully appreciate the movement of the balance and anchor of the 7.6mm thick automatic movement, and with a magnifying glass, you can even enjoy watching the column wheel move one by one as you start and stop the chronograph.

Numerous patented technologies

　The chronograph is precisely reset by three hammers with elastic arms. The movement's distinctive features include a vertical clutch, a mechanism to prevent the hands from jumping when starting, and a reverser. According to Chopard, the reverser is designed to reduce energy loss and ensure quicker transfer of energy to the barrel. The power reserve has been extended to approximately 60 hours to meet the demands of today's watchmakers. The balance wheel is finely adjusted using the regulator screw.

　It's good to see Chopard resist the temptation to add extravagant decoration to the movement. The simple yet elegant finish is perfectly suited to the watch's sporty character. The movement is COSC-certified, ensuring high accuracy. The Witch rate-measuring device attests to this. The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono's average daily rate is extremely low, showing only a slight loss of -1 second per day even when the chronograph is running, which requires a lot of energy. Combined with a maximum positional deviation of just 2-3 seconds per day, this represents exceptional accuracy.

Comfortable fit and good visibility

　The Alpine Eagle is extremely comfortable to wear. The combination of the grade 5 titanium case and rubber strap makes the overall weight approximately 30% lighter than the same model with a stainless steel bracelet. Still, it's not so light you forget you're wearing it; it feels comfortably heavy, which is important for a heavy watch like the Alpine Eagle. Like many brands using titanium cases today, Chopard uses grade 5 titanium rather than pure grade 2 titanium. Grade 5 titanium is an alloy with added aluminum and vanadium, which enhances its corrosion resistance and resistance to saltwater.

　The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono also boasts excellent legibility. The faceted and polished hour and minute hands offer excellent contrast under a variety of lighting conditions. The hands and indices are filled with X1-grade Super-LumiNova, making them easy to read even in the dark. However, the black minute scale appears somewhat underwhelming compared to the bright dial. The three chronograph hands have red tips, making them easy to distinguish from the time display. The 30-minute counter and date display feature semi-instant jumps; the chronograph minute hand starts moving two seconds before the seconds hand reaches zero, then instantly jumps to the next position. The date disc begins rotating at approximately 11:40 p.m. On our test watch, the timing was a little too early, jumping to the next date two minutes before midnight.

Another hidden logo

　As a luxury sports watch, the Alpine Eagle also pairs well with a rubber strap. The central links of the stainless steel bracelet are raised higher than the sides, and this can also be seen on the lugs of the titanium Alpine Eagle XL Chrono. The rubber strap also features these protrusions, creating the illusion of a continuous line all the way to the buckle. The high-quality titanium buckle is easy to fasten and remove. A striking detail is the engraved Chopard logo in its traditional cursive style on the inside of the buckle. Cursive logos are now primarily used on women's watches. The masculine, all-caps logo, on the other hand, can be found everywhere: on the dial, movement, the back of the strap, and the front of the buckle.

The price is high but the quality is also high

　What should we make of the price tag of 3,696,000 yen? The model made of stainless steel, which Chopard calls Lucentsteel™, comes with a rubber strap and costs 2,970,000 yen, a difference of about 25%. Titanium is a difficult and expensive material to process, but it's still expensive. It goes without saying that Chopard watches are of extremely high quality. It's also undeniable that pricing plays a role in determining the value of a luxury watch.

　Chopard entered the luxury sports watch market in 2019 with the release of the first Alpine Eagle. It was introduced alongside established market leaders like Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak and Patek Philippe's Nautilus. While lesser-known, more expensive chronographs exist on the market, there's no doubt that the Alpine Eagle offers excellent value for money. Once purchased, you can enjoy it for years to come. Resale value, however, is a different category than the aforementioned brands. Furthermore, Chopard donates a portion of the proceeds from this watch to the Alpine Eagle Foundation. Therefore, enthusiasts who purchase the titanium Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, available exclusively at Chopard boutiques, are also contributing to environmental conservation.

Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Specifications

Plus points, minus points

+point
-Strong and compelling design
・Exciting dial design
・Excellent accuracy
・High processing quality
・Comfortable fit

-point
・It is somewhat difficult to read the minutes
- The lettering on the see-through caseback covers the lettering on the movement bridge

Technical specifications

*Prices are current at the time of publication. This article is a translation of the German version of Kronos.

Accuracy stability test

Evaluation