ALPNACH Limited Edition 2012- A watch built for extremes

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 12, 2012 - This autumn, Victorinox Swiss Army is proposing a new limited edition of its celebrated Alpnach chronograph. Choosing this name was no accident: Alpnach denotes the main helicopter base of the Swiss armed forces, situated in the heart of the country at 445 metres’ altitude. 445 is also the number of watches released in this limited edition, whose style recalls the characteristics of the AS 532 Cougar helicopter: blades, cockpit, turbines and control levers. The dial now features a new complication, the Power Gauge (power-reserve indicator). An all-black, enduring watch imbued with a powerful design and resolutely masculine character.

A strong personality

Alpnach is a chronograph full of character. Built for extremes, it displays its essential qualities – toughness and reliability – at first glance. Its very name confirms that it is a technical high-performance precision instrument. Alpnach is the Swiss army’s main helicopter base: the place where experienced pilots confront the challenging conditions of flying in the mountains.

Very graphic and angular, the design of the case, bezel, crown and push-pieces is further emphasized by their uniform color: black. Even the dial is no exception to the rule. Technical reasons lie behind this aesthetic choice. It unquestionably enhances the legibility of the watch and of its indispensable functions in particular, all of which are coated with luminescent material: the hours and minutes hands, the chronograph counters, the tachometer scale and the countdown figures printed on the unidirectional rotating bezel.

A new complication: the power-reserve indicator

This new limited edition reunites all the most successful elements of its predecessors. Notice the small-seconds indicator at 9 o’clock, directly inspired by the four-bladed rotor of the AS 532 Cougar military helicopter, and the chronograph’s zero-reset push-piece at 4 o’clock, which is reminiscent of the collective lever of the same aircraft (the one operated by the pilot’s left hand to make the helicopter climb or descend). On the highly pared-down dial, one detail makes all the difference: the Power Gauge power-reserve indicator at 3 o'clock in the form of a fuel gauge. The date now occupies a new position, incorporated at 6 o’clock on the 12-hour counter.

An exemplary movement

The generously proportioned 44-millimetre case, in 316 L steel with a black PVD treatment, houses the ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic mechanical movement: a true reference among chronographs. The calibre is partly visible through the open worked case back, which also reveals the oscillating weight, featuring a black PVD treatment and engravings in the Victorinox colors.

A luxury presentation case

This version of the Alpnach Mechanical Chronograph is available in a limited edition of 445 timepieces in reference to the altitude of the eponymous air base. It will be sold in a luxury presentation case, also clad entirely in black and ornamented with a plate engraved with the serial number of the watch and the coats of arms of Victorinox and the Swiss Air Force.

This is an exclusive creation reserved for collectors, brand devotees and all those who know that Victorinox products are “companions for life”.

Characteristics

Case

Ø  44 mm, stainless steel (316 L), black PVD treatment

Ø  Scratch-resistant triple-coated anti-reflection sapphire crystal

Ø  Water-resistant to 100 meters(10 ATM/330 feet)

Ø  Screw-down open worked case back, black PVD treatment with circular satin-brushing

Ø  Rotating bezel with tachometer scale and countdown function, figures coated with luminescent material

Ø  Crown, push-pieces and oscillating weight with black PVD treatment

Dial

Ø  Matt black

Ø  Luminescent hands, numerals and hour-markers

Ø  12-hour counter (at 6 o’clock), 30-minute counter (at 12 o’clock), small-seconds hand shaped like helicopter blades (at 9 o’clock), date (at 6 o’clock), Power Gauge power-reserve indicator (at 9 o’clock)

Movement

Ø  ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic mechanical movement, chronograph function

Strap

Ø  Black ballistic-nylon strap with folding clasp

References

Ø  241574

Ø  Special series of 445 numbered timepieces

Ø  Original presentation case emblazoned with Victorinox and the Swiss Air Force, and featuring a serial number

Available

Ø  Winter 2012

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12020969/1