A blog that covers my eccentic habit of being far too interested in watches, particularly those that arent the usual (and painfully obvious) examples from the usual subjects like Omega and Rolex.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
NSOW 34-19. VINTAGE WATCH REVIEW - 50'S ALPINA 4 PUBLISHED
NOTE. These are my notes used as the basis of a VLOG post NSOW 34-19.
These are often just bullet points and dont read like a piece of correct prose.
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ALPINA 4 VINTAGE WATCH REVIEW
BASICS
BRAND. ALPINA
CREATED IN 1883, A UNION OF A NUMBER OF MANUFACTURES DISTRIBUTED ACROSS GERMANY/SWITZERLAND/FRANCE. FOCUSSED ON QUALITY - ESPECIALLY ROBUSTNESS.
IN 1938 ALPINA INTRODUCED THE ‘ALPINA 4’. THE NUMBER ‘4’ ALLUDED TO THE FOUR ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A SPORTS WATCH: ANTIMAGNETIC, WATER-RESISTANT, ANTI-SHOCK AND STAINLESS STEEL (CASE). ALPINA CLAIM THIS EFFECTIVELY CREATED THE MODERN SPORTS WATCH AND THERE’S SOME SUBSTANCE TO THAT CLAIM
MODEL. 4
REFERENCE. NO IDEA
YEAR. PROBABLY early 50S
STYLE/SHAPE. MID CENTURY DRESS/SPORTS, FAIRLY GENERIC SHAPES BUT NICE A CLEAN APPLIED INDICIES AND ARABICS AT 12,3,9 - SMALL SECONDS AT THE 6. SIMPLE BUT REALLY SHARP SWORD HANDS
SIZES - WEARABILITY.
34mm X 42mm X 10.2mm
2 YRS AGO WOULD BE TOO SMALL - TODAY A MORE REALISTIC OPTION
MATERIALS
STAINLESS STEEL CASE AND PLEXIGLASS CRYSTAL
MOVEMENT
IN HOUSE ALPINA 592 MANUAL WIND - SOLID AND SERVICEABLE STILL
MANDATORY WATCH STUFF
USABILITY
FUNCTIONS - TIME
LEGIBILITY – NOT BAD ALL THINGS CONSIDERED - DOMING MAKES OFF AXIS READING HARDER BUT PAY OFF ELSEWHERE
CONTROLS - OUTSTANDING
FOR A 60+ YR WATCH AMAZING.
CROWN POSITIVE, CLEAN, NICE WIND
ROBUSTNESS (APPARENTLY)
SHOCK RESISTANCE - OK
ANTI MAGNETISM - OK
WATER RESISTANCE – IT SAYS WATER RESISTANT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? dates pre 70
MATERIAL STRENGTH – STEEL – ITS MADE IT THIS FAR.
PLUS LITTLE THINGS LIKE DUST COVER
BUT STILL BE CAREFUL!
ACCURACY - OK.
WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT – HOW COOL IS IT?
LOOKS.
VERY NICE BUT NOT GREAT, CASE DESIGN PRETTY GENERIC, FINISHING SIMPLE, LITTLE COMPLEXITY BUT ITS OLD – THAT’S EVERY WATCH OF THIS AGE.
ALSO REMEMBER THIS IS A TOOL WATCH - OF ITS DAY - PERHAPS ONE OF THE FIRST - THIS WATCH IS SATISFYING NOT FLASHY - AUTHENTIC
NOTE DRILLED LUGS
CASE A LITTLE MARKED BUT NO BIGGIE - DIAL PATINA VERY COOL
SIMPLE ARABICS , APPLIED INDICES, PRETTY HEAVY DOMING.
OK - IM GOING TO BE SUPER CONTROVERSIAL HERE - BUT BASICALLY THE ROLEX EXPLORER OF 53 COULD BE CONSIDERED A HOMAGE TO THIS WATCH
MESSAGES -
BEING ON THE SMALL SIDE A DISCRETE LITTLE BUGGER - MOST WON'T NOTICE :
EVEN UP CLOSE PRETTY ANONYMOUS TO PEOPLE NOT IN THE KNOW - WHICH IS ALMOST NOBODY
SO A REAL SLEEPER - IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT
BUT YOU’LL KNOW
THE PRICE OF ADMISSION
CHRONO24 – 300-600 ISH USD
INHOUSE, SWISS MVMT/GENUINE HOROLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE//UNCOMMON – FRANKLY I RECKON ITS AMAZEBALLS
MAINTENANCE - THE MOVEMENT IS OLD AND IN HOUSE BUT FAMOUSLY ROBUST AND INTERNET RESEARCH APPEARS TO INDICATE STILL QUITE SERVICEABLE.
FINDING ONE. SURPRISINGLY STRAIGHTFORWARD BUT WILL NEED YOU TO RELY ON EBAY, PRIVATE SALES AND/OR EASTERN EUROPEAN SUPPLY CHAIN – PERSONALLY NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.
SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT - SWIPE RIGHT (GOOD) OR LEFT (BAD)
HARD SWIPE RIGHT. BASICALLY A TYPICAL MID CENTURY DESIGN SO FUNDAMENTALLY ATTRACTIVE BUT SIMPLE AND UNDERSTATED. COULD EVEN BE CONSIDERED BORING BUT - BIG BUT - THIS IS A SERIOUS WATCH WITH SERIOUS HISTORY FOR EFFECTIVELY PEANUTS. ITS HISTORY, ITS BUILD, SET IT APART FROM THE CROWD AND ELEVATE IT.
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