Bumper Movement: Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Manufacture
Alpina Releases a Pair of Limited Edition Startimer Pilot Heritage Manfactures Housing their Equally Charming AL-709 Bumper Movement - Worn & Wound
Alpina introduced their in-house AL-709 movement last year with the Startimer Pilot Heritage Manufacture Limited Edition; a time only reference that captured the minimal and formal design of mid-century dress watches in a compact case offered in steel and a gold plated version. With the release, Alpina brought back a style of movement that the […]
I have to comit, I didn't knew bumper movements. The rotor doesn't move fully 360°, but (in the original design) only 120°. at both ends a spring bumps the rotor in the oposite direction.
As Thomas Calara from Worn&Wound writes, the user can actually feel the “bump” of the rotor. I'm fascinated by this different kind of automatic movement. Beside of that, the watch looks just awesome.
I like the simple blue no-date-dial and this retro cushion case. Lug-to-Lug 40.75mm - Case diameter is 42mm... 😍
The only thing, that holds me back for this 3'000 bucks watch: the brand. I've no experiences with Alpina. (official announcement)
Did you know bumper-movements? Experiences with Alpina? Other thoughts?
Swiss watch enthusiast with a strong collecting-syndrome ⌚️⌚️⌚️. I'm fascinated by mechanical watches.
I have an Alpina Alpiner. I love their design language, but they are kind of all over the place in what they do. The build quality is good. You can usually get them at a heavy discount.
White dial on Amazon:
If you like this one, save a grand. The blue dial will likely be similarly priced in 6-9 months.
I have an Alpina Alpiner. I love their design language, but they are kind of all over the place in what they do. The build quality is good. You can usually get them at a heavy discount.
Thanks @cornfedksboy, I knew Alpina as a sub-1000$-watch-brand. So, I thought they just take standard-movements from eta/sellita and place them into a nice case. Like their pilot-chronographs:
But after reading the story/announcement of the Pilot-Heritage and that they build inhouse-movements, I see Alpina in a slightly different light. Even though: You said it, price will drop soon... as your 2nd comment from amazon shows.
There's a reason that bumpers were abandoned in favor of modern automatic rotors -- they're less efficient at translating motion into winding. It's possible that you could wear this thing and it still stops due to a lack of winding.
There's a reason that bumpers were abandoned in favor of modern automatic rotors -- they're less efficient at translating motion into winding. It's possible that you could wear this thing and it still stops due to a lack of winding.
Hi @JBird7986, I thought the same: if bumper-movements would be great, why are they gone? I think Alpina changed the bumper-travel from 120° to 330° just to improve efficiency of the winding.
Hot dang, did the maisons made a unanimous decision to go for that cushion case and dial design? Looks nice.
Hot dang, did the maisons made a unanimous decision to go for that cushion case and dial design? Looks nice.
a really nice cushion case and dial. I like that kind of retro-design. It's the same thing with the Longines Ultra-Chron: cushion-case with simple dial
There's a reason that bumpers were abandoned in favor of modern automatic rotors -- they're less efficient at translating motion into winding. It's possible that you could wear this thing and it still stops due to a lack of winding.
Meh, that's possible with a normal automatic too if I'm to believe Amazon reviews from what I assume to be very sedentary customers.
The safe assumption was that most winding is done with arm swings while walking. True, it won't be as efficient, but sufficient.
More importantly, it looks like they went out of their way to waste space in order to make this watch too big. Jerks.
I love the look of it.
I love the look of it.
Jep, the look is great 🤩
I'm really curious to see one of these. I had an Alpinist 4 GMT for a few years but came to dislike the size and weight. These look great. Interesting to see them bringing back the bumper movement.
Kinda makes me wonder if the electric movements will ever make a return.
I'd like to get my a hummer.
I remember reading somewhere that Rolex had a patent on the first automatic movement with a 360 degrees moving rotor, so other companies used the bumper to get around the patent. As soon as the patent ran out, everyone dumped the bumper for the full rotor because it just didn’t work as well.
This movement is historically interesting though redundant. Just like CWs super compressor, actually, just like all mechanical watches come to think of it?? 🤔
I completely agree with you: from an engineering-perspective, bumper-movements doesn't sounds like a good idea. But as @Crawford mention, there may have been patent-reasons for this. 🤷♀️
I really like that movement. However, I also really loathe that case design, and the slightly corny and confused dial, which kind of, sort of pretends to look like British general service milwatches of the 1960s. Oh, and the "HERITAGE MANUFACTURE" text on the dial.
That said, I do own an Alpina bumper, from the 1950s:
I love the look of that case! And I’m also fascinated by a bumper rotor, never heard of it! Thank you!