
While mechanical watches remain at the top of the hierarchy for most horological aficionados, it’s not too easy to ignore the developments occurring in the smartwatch arena. It was recently reported that Apple watches have toppled the sales of most watchmaking companies, and that’s completely understandable given their relative accessibility and convenience—almost everything is synced through the cloud. But there are other companies to take notice of, especially among Swiss watchmakers that have long dominated the horological scene. Among them is Alpina, which has began playing the field since 2015.
Compare Alpina Horological Smartwatch Watch Prices Online
Amazon
US$335.69
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Jomashop
US$369.00
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Ebay
US$383.94
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Retail Price: US$1,050.00
The Alpina Horological Smartwatch AL-285BS5AQ6 is just one among the few smartwatches already introduced by the Frederique Constant sister company. While it incorporates features that made smartwatches leaders in the market, it does not completely turn its back to its company history. The design can be seen as a marriage of tradition and technology. If you’re itching to try smartwatches on, this Alpina creation is a good place to start, and the price is pretty enticing, too.
Specifications:
- Caliber: MMT-285
- Case material: stainless steel
- Case diameter: 44mm
- Dial: black sunray dial, lumed indexes
- Glass: scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
- Strap: water-resistant leather
- Battery life: More than 2 years
- Functions: time and date, sleep monitoring, activity tracking, cloud backup and restore, sleep cycle alarms, smart coaching
Pros
To the untrained eye, the Alpina Horological Smartwatch AL-285BS5AQ6 would not immediately strike one as a smartwatch; the dial retains traditional elements anyway. The design seems to keep it to the basics, and the text on it is pretty minimal, giving an impression of a balanced dial. The sunray dial is lovely and legible, and the lumed indexes won’t leave you in the dark when you need to read the time in dimmer environments. Its glass is also made of sapphire crystal to keep you from scratching it even if it is exposed to harsher elements. Despite its size, the watch feels light and the strap sits comfortably on the wrist. The Alpina Horological Smartwatch AL-285BS5AQ6 is at par with other better known options in the market for its features that can be fully maximized with the Alpina app; besides dependable time telling, there are also options for monitoring your sleep, tracking your activities, and backing up your data, among many others.
Cons
There’s no getting around this, but the Alpina Horological Smartwatch AL-285BS5AQ6 is not a small watch. If you’re the type who likes to downplay the accessories you have on your wrist but decide to grab this smartwatch anyway, here’s a warning: it’s more likely to generate attention. The size among watches of this nature, however, are normally large. Also, it is better off worn in more casual settings rather than the office or more formal events, and due to its size, it’s a watch that is not designed to be hidden.
Compare With
- Longines Master Collection L2.773.4.78.3
- Rolex Milgauss Z-Blue Edition 116400GV
- Chanel Code Coco
- Breitling Navitimer 1 Automatic 38
Image credits: Alpina Watches (featured image and article images) OLX (article images)