Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » Baselworld 2014 Preview: Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star – Legibility in Focus
Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star timekeeper is one of two announced newcomers from the Alpina’s Startimer collection of aviation timekeepers. The novelty features a round steel casing with black PVD treatment and a dark face with two chrono sub-counters. Its aviation inspiration is reflected in pronounced legibility and oversized and easily handleable crown and pushers. The watch runs on an in-house automatic mechanical chronograph caliber.

Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star Watch
The Geneva-based watchmaker, Alpina, has quite a long tradition of making pilot’s timekeepers that spans for over a half of century. Its latest aviator’s timepiece – Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star – will be first displayed at the upcoming Baselworld 2014 fair. The piece is a pretty straightforward watch whose design intends to allow good readability, one of the most defining traits of aviator’s timepieces. It has a bi-compax outlay of its dial which means that it features two chrono sub-counters which stand opposed to each other. We can see small seconds and 30-minute counters which stand on the left and the right side of the dial, respectively. This outlay provides good reading but also has a visual quality since it is symmetrical and therefore more appealing. The visibility is additionally improved with the addition of luminous leaf-shaped hands and large Arabic numerals with the same type of coating. By the way, the dial of the watch is gray and with a sunburst motif, even though it appears black on the first photos that the company has released. It likewise includes a central seconds hand with two triangles: the white one used as the tip, as well as the red counterweight.

Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star Watch Profile
The gray face of the watch can be observed through a domed sapphire crystal. Fortunately, there is another sapphire section on the back side which allows the view on its automatic caliber. Moreover, the new pilot’s watch by Alpina has a fixed bezel and a round case made of stainless steel which received PVD treatment that gave the housing a black shade. When it comes to the dimensions, the diameter is 44 mm, while the thickness is 14.6 mm. The construction which likewise involves knurled screwed crown and prominent pushers guarantees waterproofness to 100 meters.

Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph Black Star Watch Back
Inside the circular case and visible from the rear side is the watch’s beating heart – self-winding AL-860 caliber with 30 jewels. It beats at the frequency of 28,800 vph and has a power storage that lasts two hours shy of two full days. Alpina Startimer Automatic Chronograph Black Star timepiece is paired with a black attachment made of leather.