Summit Level Precision At A Down To Earth Price: The Alpina Alpiner Quartz

Baselworld is known as a place where watches in the four-figures and above range are revealed and gushed over. But beyond the aspirational eye candy, there are notable pieces for the broader market that fly under the radar.
 

Released at Baselworld 2019, the Alpina Quartz offers Swiss history, style, and durability at an accessible price point. These timepieces continue the legacy of Alpine sports watches and are ready for the toughest environments from the Alps to the ocean.

Inspired by an automatic Alpina model from the 1950s, the contemporary incarnations deliver the brand’s signature reliability and design details in a stainless steel case with three dial options.
 

Essential to the development of Alpina’s sports watches is the concept of “4.” Following the success of the “Block Uhr” in 1933, a rigid steel timepiece with a patented crown, Alpina began identifying the essential elements of a go-anywhere-do-anything type of watch. This led to the development of the first Swiss sports watch - one that embodied each of the four defining characteristics: anti-magnetic, anti-shock, stainless, and water-resistant.
 

At a price point under $800 (a cool $600 less than the automatic version), the Alpiner Quartz fills the need for a sporty, entry-level timepiece within the Alpiner collection. Now budding watch collectors, particularly in the millennial market, can access a timeless Swiss sports watch that is sure to last - a wise alternative to the fashion quartz watches so often bought and replaced.
 

(Photography by Liam O'Donnell)