{"id":26013,"date":"2020-04-16T07:38:18","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T07:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/alpina-startimer-pilot-heritage-mk-iii-because-hand-winding-matters\/"},"modified":"2021-11-26T15:20:57","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T15:20:57","slug":"alpina-startimer-pilot-heritage-mk-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/en\/alpina-startimer-pilot-heritage-mk-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III – Because Hand-Winding matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alpina produces aviators\u2019 watches since the 1920s<\/h2>\n

Do you own a diver\u2019s watch, a three-counter, a timepiece with retrograde indications, a Reverso<\/strong>\u00a0and a Sixy-Nine<\/strong> but you are still not the proud owner of real aviator\u2019s watch? No problem; the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong> that you can see in these pictures is probably the right answer to your shortage.\u00a0<\/span>Alpina<\/strong><\/span><\/a> has been creating aviator\u2019s watches since the 20s\/30s, the golden era of aviation when many pilots who risked their life or even lost it in the attempt to tame the first big flying machines were wearing this type of timepiece. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Pilot_Vintage\"It was a time when people were still experimenting with flying and when designers and engineers started to migrate the big manual winding caliber that were usually contained inside pocket watches into a wristwatch\u2019s case. It was also the time when a timepiece represented much more that an accessory, since it was used to calculate the speed of aircraft and even the flight trajectory.<\/p>\n

The modern Alpina\u2019s legacy in producing aviators\u2019 watches<\/h2>\n

Two years ago, Alpina<\/strong> created two limited editions of that original timepiece; the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK II<\/strong> and the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong>. Both watches were produced in 1883 pieces<\/strong>\u00a0to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the\u00a0founding year of the Union<\/em> Horlogere<\/em> \u2013 today known as\u00a0Alpina<\/strong> and part of a single group, together with Frederique-Constant<\/strong>.\u00a0Those two models are among the most interesting and authoritative aviator\u2019s watches available on the market; they are big in size (the case measures 50mm<\/strong>) and they sport a manual winding caliber. This particular option is slowly coming back in fashion and more than one manufacturer has today decided to invest in it.<\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII_cinque\"Between the two models, I opted for the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong>, despite the fact that the MKII<\/strong> is probably the most faithful reproduction of the original model but I was lucky enough to come across a fantastic offer on Chrono 24<\/strong> and I thought that I couldn\u2019t miss that incredible opportunity. It was one of those rare occasions when the demand perfectly meets the request! <\/span><\/p>\n

A big pilot\u2019s watch, powered by an hand-wound movement<\/h2>\n

Among one of the reasons for my purchase is the presence of the big Alpina AL-435<\/strong> manual winding caliber, an Alpina<\/strong> re-elaboration of the Unitas 6498<\/strong> caliber that had been originally created for the big pocket watches and that was later re-adapted to fit in the cases of the first wrist watches. The caliber features continuous seconds at 6 o\u2019clock and the movement runs at 2.5<\/strong>Hz. ETA<\/strong>, who is the owner of that specific kind of caliber, customized it for Alpina<\/strong>. Many other brands use it too (Panerai<\/strong>, for instance, equipped their Luminor<\/strong> watch with the 6497\/2<\/strong> version of the caliber before their new in-house-built calibers entered the market).<\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII\"You can view the AL-435<\/strong> caliber through the covered \u201chunter case<\/em>\u201d-style back-case of this timepiece. The caliber is one of the best decorated ones currently available on the market, it features Cotes-de-Geneve<\/em> decoration, browned wheels that have been customized through the \u201cAlpina<\/em> \u2013 Geneve<\/em>\u201d writing and blued screws<\/strong> too. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII_otto\"The big case has been entirely brushed, except for a thin ring (that you can\u2019t really consider as a bezel), it also sports a perfectly flat sapphire and an extremely large dial.<\/p>\n

The Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III on the wrist<\/h2>\n

When worn, the timepiece seems a bit over-powering but it is actually quite thin (it fits perfectly well under my shirt\u2019s cuffs).\u00a0The winding crown (yes, it does wind here) is not excessively big and it gives the user a rewarding feeling of sturdiness<\/strong> and consistency<\/strong> when used to rewind the timepiece. The caliber doesn\u2019t feature any power reserve indication so you need to get used to the ritual of the instinctive rewinding movement that you should perform during the day to avoid the watch from suddenly stopping working.<\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII_sette\"The dial is one of the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong>\u2018s elements enhancing this timepiece\u2019s \u201ccool factor\u201d<\/em>. It\u00a0is matte\u00a0black and it sports big and thick applied indexes, Alpina<\/strong> decorated them with a nickel-made edge and filled them with\u00a0SuperLuminova<\/strong> cream colour, a choice that has been also adopted on the two central hands. The nickel edge\u00a0has the natural ability to reflect every single light ray so, if you take a picture of the dial from above, you will see it emanate matted hues, but when you take a look at it from a different angle, you will notice a mixture of bright<\/strong> hues<\/strong> instead. This is a special effect that definitely matters, the MK III<\/strong> might look less vintage than the MKII<\/strong> but it also gives the user a \u201cpremium feel\u201d that lets you think to have bought something that costs much more than it actually does.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII_due\"The only flaw of the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong> is its wristband; I imagine that the manufacturer wanted to reproduce the double wristbands of the original aviator\u2019s watches, but their choice actually backfired; it\u00a0is way too hard and it doesn\u2019t really fit the big case so, unless you tighten the wristband to the max, it looks as if you were wearing a big eccentric mass around your waist rather than a timepiece. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alpina_Startimer_Pilot_Heritage_MKIII_quattro\"One of the first things that I will do is to look for an alternative soft wristband, as black as the dial, featuring a buckle and made of rolled and aged leather,\u00a0the best option for this type of timepiece and something that I suggest Alpina<\/strong> to think about.<\/p>\n

Pricing and thoughts<\/h2>\n

A new Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage MK III<\/strong> retails at about 1,600<\/strong> euro \u2013 1,700<\/strong> euro and it is one of the best options available on the market if you are a fan of modern aviator\u2019s watches that resemble the original army models. This timepiece is designed for those users with a big wrist, it features a manual winding crown like the original models and you can customize it with a different wristband. I am glad that this timepiece is not a marketing move but it is actually a re-edition of an authentic idea but I also reckon that Alpina<\/strong> should give it a bit more room in their collections and they should not only focus on the promotion of their new lines featuring in-house-built calibers (that are, however, top notch). After all, this timepiece has written the history of the previous century and it deserves to be appreciated.<\/p>\n