Vicenzaoro Highlights, September 2024: Alpina Watches: On the Wrist of Athletes
Marcello Borsetti, Commercial Director at Citizen Watch Italy, discusses the success of Alpina Watches, which boasts 140 years of history
Alpina Watches, the main feature of a VO'Clock talk in Vicenzaoro...
The story of Alpina Watches is unique and deserves to be told because it indelibly marked the evolution of the Swiss watch industry between the 19th and 20th centuries. It was 1883 when the first company dedicated to exclusively producing models for alpine sports was founded in Winterthur. An idea that might seem obvious today, but not 140 years ago, when the technical features of a “sports” watch only measured the speed. Alpina, on the other hand, began to focus on shock-proofing, waterproofing and magnetic fields, terms that were virtually unknown at the time. Even the next chapters did not cease to amaze, attracting clients such as the German Navy, which acquired the Alpina chronometer in 1913, followed by the air force in 1921. After the First World War, there were already over 2,000 dealers in Europe...
Alpina and the Citizen world. What are the highlights to understand your multi-brand reality?
Citizen is a complex reality that controls the entire supply chain from production to distribution. Like any manufacture, technological research and continuous improvement drive growth and this has been the case for Citizen from 1924 to present day. This vision has guided the company and allowed it to open up to acquiring major brands on the watchmaking scene such as Bulova in 2008 and Frederique Constant in 2016, within which Alpina and Atelier de Monaco coexist. All brands that have contributed to growth and innovation in different segments of the local and international watchmarket.
New products for 2024?
For Alpina, we have brought the Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic to Vicenzaoro with a 39x40.50 mm steel case and a decidedly sporty look.Then there is the Alpina Heritage, which comes in 28 models of only 14 pieces each, animated by the original 1938 hand-wound CI.490 caliber, which has undergone major restyling and is proposed in a silver-colored case. Two objects that should be held and that we are thrilled to present to the public of enthusiasts and collectors at Vicenzaoro.