Rise of the Alpine Eagle: A Story of Steel from Fleurier

In 1963 Paul-André Chopard, having no children, sold his family-owned watchmaking business to Karl Scheufele III, a German goldsmith and watchmaker. Not long after, in the late 1970s, Karl III’s son, Karl-Friedrich, approached his father with an idea for an integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch in the mode of the popular models of the day. Introduced at the Basel Watch Fair in 1980, the St. Moritz — named for the Swiss alpine resort town — was a hit. Spanning numerous executions, it was produced for over two decades in some 50,000 examples before it was eventually retired in favor of the racing-inspired Mille Miglia and haute horlogerie L.U.C. collections. 

In the 2010s, history repeated itself when Karl-Fritz Scheufele, teenage son of Karl-Friedrich, asked his father about a stainless steel luxury sports watch that was lying around the office — the old St. Mortiz. Karl-Fritz was convinced that this was precisely the type of watch that the company should be making today, though his father didn’t necessarily agree. In the end, Karl-Fritz worked with his grandfather to create a prototype, presenting it to Karl-Friedrich after four years of development. Finally the stars — and the Karls — were aligned, and the new collection, dubbed Alpine Eagle, was born.  

Inspired by the magnificent birds that occupy the Alps in Chopard’s native Switzerland, the Alpine Eagle took to the horological skies in 2019 at an opportune moment. After years of record luxury sports watch sales, the shelves were largely empty of stock from competing brands, and securing an allocation of a famed design from Gérald Genta, Emmanuel Gueit, or Jörg Hysek was becoming increasingly difficult. Suddenly, Chopard’s new creation — available at launch in two sizes and 10 executions — injected a bit of fresh blood into the equation, offering an exceptionally well made, handsome new line of pieces with thin, automatic movements, beautifully finished bracelets, mesmerizing dials, and useful complications.  

What is perhaps most impressive about the Alpine Eagle is the amount of in-house savoir-faire that contributes to the realization of each watch: The chronometer-certified calibers used are developed and produced in-house, their architecture ensuring thin case depths that wear well and provide a luxurious feeling on-wrist. Meanwhile, the non-precious metal variants are produced from Lucent Steel, a special, extra-bright alloy developed by the maison that makes use of recycled stainless steel and features a hardness rating of 223 Vickers, giving it increased abrasion resistance and hypoallergenic properties. Furthermore, all case and bracelet components — whether made of Lucent Steel, titanium, ethical gold, or platinum — are produced in-house by Chopard. Artisanal and small-scale extraction ensure that the precious metals used by the brand are mined in a responsible manner befitting the maison’s values, while an in-house foundry is able to recycle scrap gold for later reuse.  

While the Alpine Eagle’s design is informed by that of the earlier St. Moritz, the collection features a modern sensibility that lends itself well to the contemporary luxury sports watch landscape. The case, with integrated lugs and a screw-down crown embossed with a compass rose motif, is somewhat reminiscent of similar models from the likes of Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, but with a special twist all its own taken from the St. Moritz. The bezel is set with eight screws — four pairs of two at each of the cardinal points — with their slotted heads aligned to form a neat circle around the dial. Meanwhile, the dial of the time-only references is executed in an etched, swirling pattern reminiscent of an eagle’s iris, while the central seconds hand’s counterweight is shaped like a feather. Set with applied, luminous indices and an outer minute track located along the rehaut, this design is both highly refined and also exceptionally legible.  

The Alpine Eagle’s bracelet is similarly luxurious: Consisting of a set of tapering, vertically brushed links with central, square-shaped polished caps, it integrates seamlessly into the case and forms a differentiating factor from other luxury sports watches. Hand finished and set with a sleek folding clasp, it is found in different sizes and metals throughout the collection, including in gem-set or two-tone versions. On certain Alpine Eagle references, the bracelet is replaced with a sporty rubber strap with a conventional pin buckle — the perfect accessory for summery, beachtime wear.  

Launched in 2019 with 36mm and 41mm sizes, the Alpine Eagle collection has since grown into a large and impressive line consisting of both three-hander and complicated models in different sizes, metals, and configurations. From time-only references measuring just 33mm, to 44mm pieces powered by in-house chronograph movements; from colorful gem-set watches to high-end, tourbillon-equipped and skeletonized timepieces, the Alpine Eagle line truly offers something for everybody. In fact, even those in search of the avant-garde are well served: In April of 2025, Chopard released the Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF, the lightest Alpine Eagle made to date. Produced from ceramized titanium, it joins a small collection of Cadence 8HF references that promise a combination of high-tech materials and excellent mechanics. 

Unlike other titanium alloys, ceramized titanium undergoes a special process whereby the material is fired in a kiln at high temperature, during which an outer layer of ceramic forms. This sandblasted, anthracite grey material is used to form the 41mm case, crown, and bezel of the Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF, resulting in a watch that boasts a hardness rating of 1,000 Vickers but does away with the typical brittleness of traditional ceramic. Meanwhile, its automatic, chronometer-certified Calibre 01.41C features a mainplate and bridges made from the same material. Beating at 8 Hz yet still boasting a power reserve of 60 hours, this impressive, lightweight movement powers a dark dial in the collection’s eagle iris motif with bright orange accents throughout the outer minute track and central seconds hand. Limited to 250 pieces, its striking, thoroughly modern design proves that the Alpine Eagle is much more than a one-trick pony — rather, it forms a test bed for some of the maison’s most radical contemporary watchmaking ideas. 

What began in the late 1970s as an elegant, everyday watch has thus transformed into a model occupying the cutting edge of horological design. Inspired by nature and formed by three successive generations of an enterprising family, it has injected fresh lifeblood not only into Chopard, but into the greater watchmaking industry itself.