Alpina is expanding the recently redesigned Startimer Pilot collection, and I think the coolest development here is happening underneath the dial. The new Startimer Pilot Solarmetre introduces the brand’s AL-140 solar quartz caliber to its pilot watch family, while shrinking the case to a nice 38mm.
Solar quartz itself isn’t unusual. What stands out to me is Alpina’s decision to build the release around a movement developed with Swiss manufacturer La Joux-Perret, which sits alongside Alpina under Citizen Group ownership. The AL-140 uses natural or artificial light to charge its battery, with Alpina claiming up to 10 months of operation in complete darkness after a full charge.
We’ve already seen the technology in Alpina’s Alpiner Solarmetre collection. Personally, I think moving it into the Startimer makes even more sense. Accuracy, low maintenance, long autonomy, and a slimmer case all fit comfortably within the practical premise of a pilot-style watch. My take is that Alpina also deserves some credit for treating quartz as a technology worth developing rather than relegating it to the cheaper end of the catalog.
The resulting dimensions might be nearly as important as the movement. Each Startimer Pilot Solarmetre measures 38mm across and 9.32mm thick, compared with the 40mm case used by the latest automatic Startimer Pilot models. You also get 100 meters of water resistance, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and a screw-down caseback. To me, 38mm and less than 10mm thick sounds like a great direction for this design, though we’ll need actual wrist time before saying much more about the proportions.
There are three versions. The black grained dial comes in a stainless-steel case on black leather, while the navy dial gets steel and a matching Cordura fabric strap. A third model uses champagne-colored PVD-treated steel, a brown dial, and sand-beige NATO-style strap. Serious IWC Mojave vibes from that one.
Of the three, I think the black version is easily my pick. It’s the simplest interpretation, and I like that the basic Startimer design gets to do most of the talking.
The dials themselves are where I still have questions. They’re translucent so light can reach the solar cells underneath, while Alpina has attempted to preserve the appearance of a conventional grained dial. In my opinion, that’s going to be one of the biggest factors in whether this whole concept works visually. Solar dials can behave differently under changing light, and press photography only tells us so much.
Alpina has also replaced its familiar red triangle with azure blue accents on the Solarmetre models. I think it’s a nice detail. It gives the solar watches their own visual identifier without overwhelming an otherwise straightforward dial.
The two steel versions come in at $1,372, while the champagne PVD model reaches $1,498. My initial reaction is that those numbers are a little high, though I’m not ready to dismiss them outright. Alpina is clearly asking buyers to assign some value to the La Joux-Perret connection and the AL-140 itself.
And I think that’s ultimately what makes this release interesting. Alpina is asking enthusiasts to look at solar quartz as a legitimate movement choice with its own technical identity. The smaller case gives that choice a practical benefit as well. For me, the bigger unknown is simpler: I want to see that translucent dial outside carefully controlled product photography. If Alpina has managed to integrate the solar hardware without compromising the dial visually, I think the Startimer Pilot is a pretty logical home for the AL-140.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.