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Alpina Regulator Manufacture... Fantastic piece  Rate Topic 
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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 01:46 pm
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Hammerfjord
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It finally arrived friday morning after 10 days of LONG waiting...As anything coming from the US takes a bit of time to arrive up to north Norway.
Why buy it from the US? Well, I just had a deep problem about refusing this special price for a brand-new-in-box model.
Shortly about Alpina: The Swiss brand started in 1883 and deposed the brand's name in 1901...
Here's the automatic Regulator entirely builded in the manufacture of Alpina.

After 2 years of hard work, in 2008, Alpina present the caliber AL-950 to celebrate them 125th anniversary: A 100% inhouse, 25 jewels, 28800 vb/h, antichoc and 48h power-reserve well decorated regulator movement.
Hour hand, minute hand and date hand...

The Regulator Manufacture is inspired by the Avalanche model using modified ETA movements and has few milimeters less in the size. Still, we come to 46mm for the diameter without the crown and 13mm thickness: Way enough to give a good presence on the wrist.

The bracelet is made of soft and comfortable ruber/silicon? with Alpina signatures all the way inside and Alpina/Geneve on the tops. I've never been much of a ruber guy but I must say that it fits very well this sporty watch and snuggs perfectly around the wrist.
The closing clasp is superbe with screws taking back the triangle sign of the brand and can be open by pressing on each sides.

The clasp's folder is no less than 2mm thick and very well executed: Lot of attention to the detail and comfort there...

The PVD bezel and case-back ring are screwed in the brushed case, as a flange system, using the special traingle screw heads again and the crown is covered with a special texture(seems like hard ruber tips) who gives a perfect grip.
Note that the red triangle logo comes in perfect position when the crown is fully screwed in: That's a great detail...
The lugs have a screwed-in system for holding the straps: So this piece isn't ready to leave your arm, even in some water-sports stunts.
This watch will also keep tight until 200 meters deep.

Seriously, everywhere I look, I just see a superbe time-piece who is a real pleasure to look at and the dial's relief puts the cherry on the cake...

Then we come to the lume: I can't complain there either...After few seconds under a torch-light, this is what you got!

A last look in the heart of the beast: The very special rotor have a tail who's diving inside a circular groove made in the movement and gives a very unique look...
Blue screws, gold tones, cĂ´tes de Geneve, perlage: Full package on the decoration's side...
The way this movement is builded, shows something sturdy and ready for adventureThumbsUp02.gif

I hope you enjoyed this review as much as I enjoy my new baby...
thankyou.gif

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 03:26 pm
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Skipdawg
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One sweet watch. Congrats and enjoy.

ThumbsUp02.gif

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 04:46 pm
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watchdaddy1
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my love.gifI LOVE IT WILL. CONGRATS ON A WELL PUT TOGETHER TIMEPIECEthumbsup.gifI THINK THEY MAKE THE BEST LOOKING CASEBACK W/ THE BAD AZZ ROTOR, I ALSO LOVE THE KNURLING ON THE CROWN.

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 05:53 pm
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Tony Duronio
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Love the newer dial on that one. Much easier to read. Congrats!

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 10:06 pm
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stew77
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Congrats on this great looking new arrival William!!!party.gif

Love the very cool in-house regulator movement (very cool to look at too!)...great dial detail and sweet/unique overall design.thumbsup.gif

Enjoy this one!!!

 

 

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 10:22 pm
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tenbosch
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That's a beautiful regulator you got there. Congrats!Thumbsup3.gif

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 Posted: Sat Oct 30th, 2010 11:39 pm
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Gregger
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Thumbsup3.gif I love that watch...congrats and enjoy!!

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 Posted: Sun Oct 31st, 2010 12:54 am
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Devin
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Will that is one sweet watch! I love the big numbers on the sub-dials!

very cool! thumbsup.gif

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 Posted: Sun Oct 31st, 2010 01:23 am
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bigrustypig
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That's a great review of a well-made and well-designed watch, WilliamThumbsUp02.gif. I like the watch a lot because of the Regulateur feature and all the ETA mods. That red triangle aligning with the back-lock hits it right on the nail, too. Small details that make a lot of difference.

Enjoy it in good health, amigo.

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 Posted: Sun Oct 31st, 2010 09:08 am
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Hammerfjord
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Thanks to all!
Jeff: Alpina was and are still using 2893,6498,7750 ETA movements that they modifie and decorate for most of them models.
But like many brands they realised that they should innovate to do not fall inside the future ETA supply problem :As Panerai, Breitling and others who came up with them first in-house movements few years ago.
This regulator version is inspired by them previous models but shows up like an upper-grade with the new AL-950 in-house movement.
The year after launching the AL-950 they presented them Tourbillon variant at the 2009 Bazel-world exposition.
I think that it come as a natural developpement of the brand who's in the right direction to consolidate it's bases
ThumbsUp02.gif

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 Posted: Sun Oct 31st, 2010 09:41 am
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Paxman
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Fantastic manufacture regulator, William. I can attest the Alpina watches are top notch with no detail left to chance. What a fantastic evolution of their regulator!

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 Posted: Sun Oct 31st, 2010 10:11 am
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bigrustypig
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Hammerfjord wrote: Thanks to all!
Jeff: Alpina was and are still using 2893,6498,7750 ETA movements that they modifie and decorate for most of them models.
But like many brands they realised that they should innovate to do not fall inside the future ETA supply problem :As Panerai, Breitling and others who came up with them first in-house movements few years ago.
This regulator version is inspired by them previous models but shows up like an upper-grade with the new AL-950 in-house movement.
The year after launching the AL-950 they presented them Tourbillon variant at the 2009 Bazel-world exposition.
I think that it come as a natural developpement of the brand who's in the right direction to consolidate it's bases
ThumbsUp02.gif


Thanks, William. I think what Alpina and many other companies are doing (making their own movements or modding ETA ebauches) is a prudent move. What I like about yours is that Alpina went further and developed a regulator. This is good.

I haven't been following Alpina very much but I guess now is a good time for methumbsup.gif

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