The Great Versatility Of The Chopard Alpine Eagle As Demonstrated By Its Two Latest Models

Chopard had another great showing at Watches and Wonders this year. The brand garnered much praise with the new L.U.C Quattro Mark IV series. It’s another brilliant addition to Chopard’s lineup that will draw in excited buyers for the two new models as well as spark many enthusiasts to explore the past L.U.C Quattro collections. This year’s edition of Watches and Wonders was all about the Alpine Eagle for me. The brand’s modern sports watch has come into its own with three releases that show its incredible versatility and growth. It has quickly gone from one of the many options in the category to a favorite of mine. Let me elaborate on how two releases perfectly embody that.

When Chopard first unveiled the Alpine Eagle in 2019, it wasn’t necessarily met with overwhelming praise by fans and enthusiasts. That was more the result of an explosive increase in integrated-bracelet sports watches rather than an immediate disqualification of the Alpine Eagle per se. The Alpine Eagle is not the first watch one would think of in such a crowded category. My love for the Royal Oak and Nautilus runs deep, so any addition to the genre needs to bring something special to impress. But did the Alpine Eagle do that immediately?

The Alpine Eagle’s success story is a slow burner

At the time of introduction, I was intrigued more than immediately impressed. I did see the potential in the Alpine Eagle’s design, but I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the execution. The large Roman numerals and the 4:30 date window raised an eyebrow or two, and I didn’t quite know what to make of the dial. So I had questions, but in all fairness, I did like the case shape, the round bezel with its characteristically placed eight screws, and the bracelet. Six years later, Chopard has convinced me that the Alpine Eagle has carved out its spot in an overcrowded category. For me, the story of its success is in persistence and the creativity to switch things up rather drastically.

As a result, I now follow the Chopard Alpine Eagle collection with great interest. I am always curious to learn more about every new release, and during Watches and Wonders 2025, I realized that the Alpine Eagle has truly come into its own. This dawned on me after seeing the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF in ceramized titanium and the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum. They represent both the persistence and the creativity to conjure up new ideas and executions that make the Alpine Eagle a great series to follow.

The titanium Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF limited edition from 2021

Where it all began…

But let’s first go back in time and look at some of the Alpine Eagle models that kept me intrigued over the past six years. The funny thing is that, for a long time, I saw them as one-offs or flukes in a larger stream of Alpine Eagles I didn’t like so much. Once you see more and more models that immediately catch your eye, though, it becomes hard to deny the impact of a series. After the initial 2019 release, we saw an XL Chrono version that wasn’t my favorite. A year later, though, we saw the brilliant Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF in titanium. This 250-piece limited edition showed the first glimpses of brilliance that I love about the series.

First, Chopard updated the dial design and eschewed the large Roman numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, much to my liking. The large “XII” remained, but I think it needs that to bring character and show it’s an Alpine Eagle. Secondly, I loved the use of lightweight titanium and the monochromatic look of the watch. It looked much cooler than the regular stainless steel options. Lastly, the text under the Chopard signature and the little logo on the lower half of the dial referred to the incredible in-house automatic caliber 01.12-C with its 8Hz beat frequency. It made for an impressive release in design and watchmaking brilliance, something we love Chopard for.

The Alpine Eagle is slowly moving in the right direction

After that brilliant limited edition, 2022 brought us a tourbillon version, a 33mm ladies’ model, and a version in full yellow gold. They were all decent releases, but they didn’t captivate me. The pine-green-dial variant of the regular models was the highlight for me, but that watch certainly wasn’t enough to change my mind about the series. Sure, while I had slowly grown to appreciate the Alpine Eagle, only the Cadence 8HF had sparked real love.

That was until 2023 rolled around and Chopard hit us with three great Alpine Eagle releases. The first was the magnificent Alpine Eagle 41 XPS. This extra-thin edition featured an updated 41mm Lucent Steel case with a mere 8mm profile and a salmon-colored dial that the brand dubbed “Monte Rosa Pink.” It’s a beautiful name for a great dial that also features a small seconds display instead of the Roman numerals at 6 o’clock and the date window.

This was another clever and welcome design update that made the watch an instant favorite for me and several other Fratello writers. Plus, with the thinner case and a different time display also came a new movement. The automatic COSC-certified L.U.C 96.40-L is a joy to see and brings the traditional Chopard watchmaking excellence that makes it even more impressive.

The brilliance continued in 2023…

Along with my new favorite Alpine Eagle, we also got another version of the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF. After seeing multiple limited-edition watches powered by the brand’s 8Hz movements, the 2023 Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF in titanium was the first unlimited high-beat model. Technically, it was similar to the first titanium version I highlighted earlier. However, it introduced a black dial contrasted by a red High Frequency (HF) logo, an orange and white minute track, and an orange central seconds hand. Immediately, the Alpine Eagle’s stylish looks gained a sportier presence that attracted many fans. While the looks are necessarily not my cup of tea, pushing the 8HF model in a sportier direction made complete sense.

Last but not least, we also saw the introduction of the Shikkoku Edition, which was limited to 100 pieces. The watch paid homage to Japan, as Brandon wrote, in a surprising way. The completely blacked-out dial and hands showed that the designers at Chopard were not afraid to create something unexpected that also lost some of its practicality due to the color and absence of a date window. However, as a concept of bringing shikkoku — traditionally known as the darkest shade of black in Japan — to life, it showed courage and led to a brilliant dial variation.

Fast-forward to the Alpine Eagle at Watches and Wonders 2025

By now, I had seen quite a few Alpine Eagle variants I loved and an interesting direction for the lineup’s 8HF models. While 2023 and 2024 saw more logical releases added to the collection, none hit as hard as the first trio of models from 2023. Fast-forward to Watches and Wonders this year, and we saw another two releases that stood out immediately. The first was the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum. Upon seeing it, I knew this was the Alpine Eagle for me…or, rather, the perfect dial design for me.

Surely, the platinum material is impressive, but I want this in steel or titanium because that dial design is perfect. Gone are the Roman numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, and in return, we get a stunning blue gradient dial that works wonderfully well with the signature pattern reminiscent of an eagle’s iris. Combining that with the 8mm-thin case makes this watch an absolute joy to see and wear.

The ultra-thin L.U.C caliber 96.42-L with a platinum micro-rotor rounds off the brilliance for this special platinum edition. When I saw this Alpine Eagle, I felt immense excitement. That’s when I realized I had developed a great love for Chopard’s modern sports watch. I could no longer classify it as a series of great flukes because this runs a lot deeper.

Another great chapter in the Chopard Alpine Eagle story

This brings me to the second release, which cemented that thought. The new Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF in ceramized titanium extends the sportier path for the series of 8HF models. The way that the designers carved out the path is smart and shows that they properly considered how to keep the collection cohesive. The watch introduced a gray ceramized titanium case housing a blacked-out PVD dial. This dial is similar to that of the special Shikkoku Edition from 2023. Combining it with bright orange elements brings a modern, sporty presence to the Alpine Eagle. It’s a look that suits the Alpine Eagle so well.

In the next step, the high-frequency, COSC-certified caliber 01.14-C features the mainplate and bridges in ceramized titanium to match the case. This rounds out the overall concept brilliantly.

The rubber strap further enhances the modern, sporty look and ensures the lightweight watch is a joy to wear. While the aesthetic sparked a discussion within the Fratello team and among the greater watch community, it’s more about appreciating the principle here. The team at Chopard cleverly looks to bring great versatility to the Alpine Eagle lineup.

In doing so, the brand reserves the 8Hz movement for the Alpine Eagle’s sportier executions, which makes perfect sense. The way the designers explore how far they can push the colors and materials creates a split in the Alpine Eagle collection. It reminds me of Vacheron Constantin’s approach with the Everest Limited Editions. Those, however, were a one-time release, whereas Chopard continues to explore permanent sportier solutions for its lineup to bring variety.

Final thoughts on the Chopard Alpine Eagle in 2025

This brings me to the conclusion of my love letter to the Chopard Alpine Eagle. First off, I never expected the watch’s development to unfold as it has. If you had said in 2019 that I would write an extensive song of praise for the Alpine Eagle, I would have probably laughed. Over time, however, the design has grown on me. The watch has a modern-day relevance that I greatly enjoy. On top of that, the designers have done a fantastic job of exploring different design options, removing and changing some of the elements I do not like about the regular model. Doing so has turned my initial intrigue into genuine excitement.

Additionally, I greatly respect how Chopard pushes the boundaries of what the Alpine Eagle can be. This inspires enthusiasm among watch fans and creates a collection that appeals to a greater audience for all the right reasons. A good example is our very own Fratello team.

Robert-Jan and I loved seeing the new platinum version with the simplified dial. It hits just the right notes and finally brings what we have always wanted to see from the Alpine Eagle — the stylish and classy side. On the other end of the spectrum, Nacho included the ceramized titanium version, representing the more active, sportier side, in his list of favorites from Watches and Wonders 2025. It comes down to different strokes for different folks. But you don’t often see those different strokes executed so well within one specific line of watches as in Chopard’s Alpine Eagle lineup. This has turned the Alpine Eagle collection into one that I love.

How do you feel about the Alpine Eagle’s evolution so far? As always, we encourage you to share your opinions in the comments below.