History repeated itself to bring Chopard’s Alpine Eagle watch to life this year, the company’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele told a press conference at Dubai Watch Week today.
Mr Scheufele described how Chopard’s sporty St. Moritz watch was developed almost 30 years ago when he persuaded his reluctant father, Karl Scheufele, that the company could make luxury timepieces from stainless steel.
The St. Moritz went on to be a bestseller, shifting over 50,000 units over 25 years.
It was Karl-Fritz Scheufele, son of Karl-Friedrich and grandson of Karl, who first suggested Chopard bring back a watch with the same DNA as the St. Moritz and, again, the elder family members were not initially keen.
However, the three generations eventually came together and the process of developing the Alpine Eagle began.
“Collaboration between three generations is unique in the watch industry,” Mr Karl-Friedrich Scheufele says.
Alpine Eagle once again comes in steel, this time a special Lucent steel that took four years in research and development to create with a Austrian company that uses 70% recycled metal.
This sustainability, which is a core value of Chopard, extends to the precious metal versions of the Alpine Eagle, which are made from 100% ethically sourced gold.
Some of the proceeds from the sale of Alpine Eagle watches will go towards a foundation, which Chopard is setting up next year, that will focus on raising awareness and conservation of the Alpine environment.
