Chopard’s Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF Soars Into High Gear With A High Frequency Movement

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle, the dressiest sports watch out there – or is it the sportiest dress watch? – just shifted into high gear. It now has a high frequency movement and a case made of lightweight, tough-as-nails titanium, which means both case and movement can take a few knocks.

Chopard was one of the pioneers in the revival of high frequency movements a few years ago, introducing its first caliber in 2012. The latest, the automatic caliber 01.12-C is one of the most advanced movements to come out of the company’s workshops yet. With a frequency of 57,600 vibrations per hour (or 8 Hz), the balance oscillates twice as fast as a standard automatic movement. High frequency improves chronometry, which means maximum precision. The faster it beats, the less effect impacts have on the average rate. The watch is chronometer certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), which guarantees a precision of -4 to +6 seconds per day. The only drawback of a high-frequency movement is extra wear and tear on the components, but recent advancements in materials have solved that problem. Components in the 01.12-C, for example, are made of  monocrystalline silicon (including the pallet lever, escape wheel and impulse pin), making them wear resistant and maintenance/lubrication free. It has a power reserve of 60 hours, which is a lot for a fast movement.

The dial of the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is stamped with an “eagle iris” pattern, a tribute to the piercing vision of the bird of prey that inspired the collection. The gray color was inspired by the village of Vals in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, known for its houses with quartzite-tiled roofs. It is hand-patinated, meaning each dial has a distinctive shade. The arrow-shaped logo on the dial is a signature of Chopard’s high-frequency watches.

The eight screws on the bezel and eagle’s feather-shaped sweep-seconds hand are signature features of the Alpine Eagle collection, a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first watch created by Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the late 1970s. This is a limited edition of 250 pieces, with 41mm x 9.75 mm titanium case, priced at $19,000.