In 2021, Chopard took its smash-hit Alpine Eagle, replaced the movement with a high frequency caliber, and wrapped it up in a warm titanium blanket. With a tone-on-tone look, that release was limited to just 250 pieces, and it wasn’t clear if it was a flash in the pan or something more. Well, now we know it was something more. For Watches and Wonders 2023, Chopard has released the non-limited Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF.
Brand: Chopard
Model: Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF
Dimensions: 41mm x 9.75mm
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium
Strap/Bracelet: Grade 5 Titanium integrated bracelet with folding clasp
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire crystal
Movement: Chopard 01.12-C High Frequency Movement
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Operating Frequency: 57,600 vph (8hz)
Price & Availability: $20,300 USD, available immediately
The 41mm grade 5 titanium case is the exact same form as others in the collection, with its “ears,” screws on the fixed bezel, flat sapphire crystal, and the integrated bracelet. The watch features dual brushed and polished finishes, with a steel screw-down crown embossed with a compass rose. Seeing titanium executed this way—not flat and boring, but with real finishing—is always a treat and demonstrates a brand’s desire to not simply make a light watch, but to make a light watch that looks damn good. While the renders show a watch with the same brightness as steel, those familiar with titanium (or who read David’s hands-on of the original LE) know that it plays much warmer than it appears here. It doesn’t make it any less attractive, and at 9.75mm-thick, it’s sure to wear well on the wrist.
The Cadence 8HF’s dial is perhaps the most contemporary in the collection. It maintains the swirling texture of the rest of the collection (inspired by the retina of an eagle), including the textured and color-matched date wheel, but otherwise sees several changes. Most prominent, of course, is the use of bright orange on the chapter ring and seconds hand; the stylized sine wave at 6 o’clock is unique to the Cadence models. Another element only seen on this model is the use of baton indices everywhere but 12 o’clock (most Alpine Eagles have Roman numerals at 12-3-6-9).
The Chopard Cadence 8HF gets its name from the Chopard 01.12-C movement inside. Seen through a sapphire crystal, the movement has 210 components, and its novel design, including its silicon escapement, achieves 60 hours of power reserve at a staggering 57,600 vph, or 8hz. It’s also COSC-certified, which is rather uncommon for HF movements. The caliber builds off a series of previous high-frequency movements, originally introduced in the L.U.C. line in 2012 and offered in a handful of watches including the Chopard Superfast Power Control Porsche 919 HF Edition (which today would seem totally foreign in the brand’s lineup).
While the Alpine Eagle has always been undeniably modern and sporty—almost unavoidable with integrated bracelet—the Cadence 8HF offers a model that doesn’t leave any uncertainty on the matter. The titanium case and bracelet along with the black and orange dial fill an edgy gap in the Alpine Eagle collection. The Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is priced at $20,300. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.