It’s rare a watch leaves my collection and makes its way back because of my seller’s resource. It’s happened with a very select batch of watches: The Seiko Turtle reissues, Hamilton Khaki Field, and that’s about it. Well, there’s a new addition to the list: the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage.
The Watch
The Startimer (shorter) have a bold and vintage feel to them that really appealed to me. The big, bulky case without a traditional lug design, paired with bold dial colors, orange second hands, and internal rotating bezel make this watch a sport a knockout design. As far as I know, these were a fresh design that hadn’t been done by many. This, to me, is a huge factor to consider, since most watches nowadays are rehashed and updated classic designs, not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that. Needless to say, the Startimer design was unique and a home-run.
Case: 42mm
Thickness: 12mm
Lugs: 23mm
Movement: Cal A:-555 (True GMT)
Lume: Hands and indices
Complications: Date, GMT
Strap: Mesh Bracelet or Leather
One of the major appeals, at least to me, of this watch is the “true GMT” component. In short, this refers to having the ability to adjust the hour hand independent of the GMT hand. I’ve owned a lot of GMT watches before, and most don’t have this feature. The lack of it makes it particularly tricky (and annoying) to set the two hands as desired. To find this feature in a sub $1k is pretty rare.
Another major appeal, that goes hand in hand with the design accolades this watch merits, is the color options available. This piece comes in a formal/serious dark grey/black, light blue, navy blue, and copper. Each color is unique and escapes the now-too-common “black, blue, orange” labels most companies use by providing electric colors that truly stand out. Each color way maintains the orange second hand, which I appreciate, as sometimes dial color variants bring forceful handset variations.
I appreciate the ability to screw down the internal bezel crown. My past experiences with internal rotating bezels have been that any nudge on the crown will cause the bezel to inadvertently rotate. This normally isn’t a deal breaker, but it does subtract reliability from the usefulness of the internal bezel. The Startimer allows me to screw the second crown down and “set and forget”.
The one gripe I have with this watch is the lug width. At 23mm, this makes it extremely difficult to find strap options. This endeavor has proven even more difficult than 19mm or 21mm straps, as most strap companies don’t make much beyond 22mm. This is a minor gripe, but one that limits my choices quite a bit.
