Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt Edition

Alongside well-known platforms such as Only Watch, another charity auction has established itself in Haute Horlogerie with a focus on the visual arts: TimeForArt. Initiated by the non-profit Swiss Institute, founded in New York in 1986, and curated in collaboration with the auction house Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, the biennial event pursues a clear purpose: 100% of the proceeds – including the auction house’s buyer’s premium – go directly towards supporting exhibitions, artist residencies, and free educational and community programmes.

For Chopard, this format serves as a stage to showcase the artistic Crafts (Métiers d’Art) of its manufacture beyond standard series production. After participating in the previous 2024 edition with a striking straw marquetry piece, the unique creation crafted for the third edition of TimeForArt – the Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt Edition (Ref. 298635-3002) – is dedicated to one of the most traditional metalworking techniques: sculptural relief engraving on precious metal.

Generation Change and Alpine Heritage

To understand the design significance of this piece, it is worth taking a closer look at the history of the line. The Alpine Eagle model family is rooted in the St. Moritz, introduced in 1980 as Chopard’s first steel sports watch. Back then, a young Karl-Friedrich Scheufele pushed through this design against the initial reservations of his father, Karl. Nearly four decades later, history repeated itself within the founding family: Karl-Fritz Scheufele convinced his father Karl-Friedrich – discreetly supported by his grandfather – to reinterpret the 1980s sports icon. The result was the Alpine Eagle, launched in 2019.

The design of the collection is dedicated to the Alpine eagle, from which the line derives its name. Alongside the watch collection, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele co-founded the Alpine Eagle Foundation with conservation experts. The foundation funds concrete protection and habitat restoration projects across the Alpine region, including the reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle around Lake Geneva and programmes to preserve the golden eagle in the Swiss Alps. Chopard directly supports these initiatives through sales proceeds from selected models in the collection. It is far more than just a striking name for a collection and a strong design; it is a passion project for the Scheufele family.

The dial of the Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt: 80 Hours of Handcrafting

The hallmark of the regular collection is a stamped or galvanised brass dial with a sunburst motif reminiscent of an eagle’s iris. The TimeForArt piece takes a different approach: serving as the canvas is an 18-carat ethical white gold disc, upon which the movement of an eagle’s wing in full flight is sculpted in bas-relief.

The artistic and manufacturing challenge of this miniature masterpiece lies in the extremely small surface area. To allow the dial to fit into the ultra-thin case of the XP series (Extra Plat), the total thickness of the disc cannot exceed one millimetre. Consequently, the artisan must carve out every dimension, gradient, and quill from the solid white gold within fractions of a millimetre. Around 80 hours of meticulous, entirely hand-crafted work using gravers and polishing tools are invested into this motif.

To give the motif three-dimensional depth, the manufacture avoids traditional enamelling or full galvanic baths. Instead, a selectively hand-applied dark patina highlights the depths of the plumage. The raised edges of the feathers catch and reflect incoming light, while the darkened hollows create visual depth. To keep the engraving uncluttered, there is no date window or running seconds hand. Only faceted white gold hands and subtle indexes applied to the inner bezel (flange) – enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova – display the time.

Lucent Steel in an 8 mm Profile

The sculptural engraving is housed within a Lucent Steel case. Chopard introduced this steel in 2019 alongside the Alpine Eagle and, since 2023, produces all the brand’s steel timepieces using this alloy, which is made with an 80% recycling rate. The material boasts a hardness roughly 50% greater than conventional 316L stainless steel, possesses hypoallergenic properties, and reflects light with noticeably superior brightness due to its purity.

The new Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt features a diameter of 41 millimetres, a total case thickness of 8.00 millimetres, and water resistance to 100 metres. True to the collection, the bezel displays eight functional, indexed screws arranged in pairs. The case middle is vertical satin-brushed with polished bevels, and the crown features an engraved compass rose.

The integrated Lucent Steel bracelet was recently subtly reimagined. Across the first five links, the bracelet now features a more pronounced taper towards the folding clasp, noticeably enhancing wearing comfort. Chopard also integrated a tool-free comfort-extension system into the triple-folding clasp: via a concealed push-pull mechanism, the bracelet can be extended by up to five millimetres to instantly adapt to daily temperature-related changes in wrist size.

L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L

The slender 8.00 mm silhouette is made possible by the choice of an ultra-thin movement. Beating inside is the L.U.C 96.17-L, an evolution of the original 96.01-L calibre co-developed in 1996 by Michel Parmigiani, with which Chopard founded its manufacture in Fleurier. The calibre measures just 3.30 millimetres in height and comprises 172 components.

Bidirectional automatic winding is powered by a micro-rotor made of 22-carat yellow gold. Its high mass density compensates for the reduced lever arm, ensuring high winding efficiency. Despite its ultra-thin architecture, the calibre features Chopard Twin technology with two stacked barrels, delivering an impressive power reserve of approximately 65 hours. The parallel operation of both barrels supplies consistent energy across most of the power reserve, benefiting the isochronism of the balance wheel oscillating at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour).

A view through the anti-reflective sapphire crystal case-back reveals the finishing of the Fleurier workshop: the bridges are adorned with Geneva stripes (Côtes de Genève), edges are bevelled, and screw heads feature a flat polish. A subtle engraving on the exhibition case-back designates the movement as a one-of-a-kind piece created for TimeForArt.

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