The Royal Oak alternative that isn't trying to be one
By Priya Nair, Singapore ยท
The Alpine Eagle exists because Karl-Fritz Scheufele, the youngest generation of the family, talked his father and grandfather into reviving the St. Moritz, Chopard's integrated steel watch from 1980. Good call, young man.
The 36 mm is 9.7 mm thick, silver dial with that textured pattern inspired by an eagle's iris, date, 100 m, integrated bracelet in Chopard's Lucent Steel, which has a whiter, brighter look than ordinary steel. Movement is the 09.01-C automatic with 42 hours.
Against a Royal Oak 34 at more than double the price, the value argument is easy. 12,500 to 13,500 dollars buys you a well-finished integrated watch that you can actually walk in and buy. The catch is that 9.7 mm is a touch chunky for a 36 mm case, the bezel screws look busy next to the AP's tidy octagon, and resale is noticeably weaker. Buy it because you like it, not as a cheap way to own a Royal Oak, because it won't behave like one when you sell.