Commemorating its 140th anniversary this year, Alpina launched a special edition of time-only watches in two iterations, both limited to 14 pieces only. Aptly dubbed the Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years, the watches are powered by an original manual-wound caliber that dates back to 1938, and that was fully restored by the Swiss brand.
Registered under Swiss patent 158882, the caliber 490 oscillates at 18,000 vph and boasts a simple yet robust design. Additionally, the movement shows a high-quality finish, with beveled components and and a sunburst-ratchet decorated wheel.
The in-house caliber was designed, assembled and finished by one of the manufacturers of the historic Swiss Watchmakers Cooperative, Alpina’s first name, a distinction that was not commonplace in the 1930s, when sourcing generic movements from suppliers was the norm, and manufacture movements the exception. Caliber 490 was a benchmark movement at the time, with its patented crown that was protected against dust. Also noteworthy are the comparatively high power reserve for the time – 42 hours – and the special design of the pallet lever, which is elongated in order to fit into the rectangular shape.
![](https://www.watchtime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Alpina-Kaliber_1938_3-2217x3000.jpg)
After having been able to purchase around 50 pieces of this very caliber, Alpina designed a new custom-made case for 28 of them. It is made of highly polished silver and measures 29.5 x 35.7mm in diameter. With a thickness of just 9.71mm, it features anti-reflective sapphire crystals on both the front and back and is attached to a light brown ostrich leather strap with white vintage stitching and a pin buckle.
The two commemorative editions share the Alpina logo from this era, two thin central hands and a small seconds at 6 o’clock, which is typical of the 1930s. The chemin de fer minuterie surrounding the dial also dates from this period.
On the first version (Ref. AL-490BA3C10), the dial is black and displays full Arabic numerals and a circular small seconds. The hands are beige. The second version (Ref. AL-490SA3C10) comes with a silver dial, black hands, and Arabic numerals in a more upright font, typical of the “Années Folles”, while the subdial for the small seconds is square.
Pricing for the Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years is marked at $5,400 when converted to USD (CHF 4,995).
To learn more, visit Alpina, here.
Help me with the money to my house and