The Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph ‘Black Star’ is a wonderfully laid out aviation themed timepiece. Alpina employs excellent usage of modern watchmaking techniques to create this stunning timepiece. The watch is a welcome addition to Alpina’s already successful Startimer Pilot collection. This new model will be unveiled at Baselworld 2014.
This Swiss watchmaker has made professional aviation watches for the better part of the 20th century, which has been used in Continental air forces. These early models met the strict criteria of the pilots with their shock resistant case construction, anti-magnetic resistance, legendary precision, and exceptional legibility. Alpina continues this tradition today in their Startimer collection.
The ‘Black Star’ gets its name from the black PVD stainless steel used in the production of the watch. The middle case is finely brushed allowing contrast from the polished bezel. The diameter of the case is a solid 44mm. The main crown is prominent in the style of Alpina with two chrono pushers on either side. In the style of aviation watches, the black leather strap features white contrast stitching.
The case back is made transparent using sapphire crystal. The exhibition case back reveals the automatic caliber AL-860, which was already used in the Startimer ‘Sunray’ also set to be launched at Baselworld. The movement beats at a constant 28,800 VpH, and carries 48 hours of power reserve.
The dial uses the clean “Bi-Compax” layout, which entails two subdials. The counter at 9 indicates the true seconds, while the totalizer at 3 displays the elapsed chronograph minutes. The brushed black dial also carries oversized hour markers and the iconic triangle at 12. The hands are leaf shaped and offer lume to facilitate the telling of the time under any lighting conditions. The chrono seconds hand is central and is counterbalanced by the Alpina logo in red.
