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History
There are many watchmakers that are quite proficient with making Pilot’s watches but Alpina is one of the few brands that first started making watches tailored for the aviators. In the 1920s, Alpina launched the first set of timepieces for the Pilots. These watches were particularly made for the military aviators but soon phased into the civilian arena. In 2011, the Alpina Startimer collection was launched whilst celebrating its long-drawn heritage of crafting aviator watches.
Features
One feature that runs throughout the collection is the triangular index marker at 12 o’clock. This triangular index marker increases the legibility of the dial and makes for a robust Pilot’s watch. Whereas, the date window hovers between 3 and 6 o’clock markers in the entire collection but remains absent in a few of the timepieces. Whereas with the Startimer Chronograph, the chronographs are fitted at 3, 9, and 6 o’clock markers with a few exceptions where the chronographs are just fitted at 3 and 9 o’clock markers. The chronographs were a time reading device for early aviators that helped them to record elapsed time and know their positions accurately. The large crown, large index markers or numerals coupled with luminescent hands are what define the Alpina Startimer collection as a robust Pilot’s watch.
Design
Borrowing its design philosophy from the early iterations of aviator watches, the Alpina Startimer collection is a true specimen of a perfectly legible collection of timepieces. The sturdy case coupled with robust aesthetics is specifically designed for sporty purposes.