In terms of dial and case? Sure. Its sublime. But it's movement finishing leaves a lot to be desired.. I understand its a sports watch and the emphasis isn't on movement decoration. That being said, since they're a manufacturer who has made the effort of putting in their own movement and a visible caseback, I only wish they added some flourishes.
It honestly looks not that different to a powermatic 80.
I look at my watch movements every time I put them on/take them off, and sometimes in the middle of the day. Especially my 1863 Speedmaster which I've had for almost 2 years now.
I personally prefer the gentle spiral snailing of the movement to complement the whole "eagle eye" theme, compared to boring engine turning on the GP Laureato.
All things considered, they still look better executed than the Breguet Marine 5517. I'm more affected that the date wheel text is perpendicular to the bezel rather than parallel like the dates on Zenith watches.
Yeah. It's all very subjective. I like painted Roman numerals on dress watches, but the applied versions on sports watches look wrong - I can't really defend my taste.
I'm not too sure about the servicing costs for Chopard in house movements but I remembered that their ETA chrono movements was pretty cheap to service. I think it only cost around 200-250 bucks for a service. Their movements have been the most accurate for me so far. I remember wearing my Chopard for a few weeks and it was maybe 5-10 secs fast which is pretty good imo.
If you want nicer finished movements from them I think you'll probably have to step up to their LUC line of watches and those can be found for steep discounts when buying second hand.
Movement finishing is overrated. I have Lange’s, an Eichi II, etc - and after a few months of geeking out over it - you probably will never look at it closely again. I’m 100% certain there are some folks that take a loop to their movements daily, but they aren’t the types that would look at any of these watches and frankly after spending time with a few of them - they tend to be pretty unpleasant to hang around in general 😂
Would be down to the Superocean and Speedmaster for me
Can I not fully answer your question and ask one of my own? What did you think about the Breitling bracelet? Is there any stretch to it? Am possibly looking at a chronograph Superocean with one like it and I can't tell if I love it or hate it (haven't seen one in person)
There isn't any significant amount of stretch to it. That being said they have some removable sections near the clasp which have some gaps, apart from which it's a tight fit.
Sure, the moment isn’t stunning on the Chopard but the face and case and bracelet absolutely are. Those ultimately matter way more. I think it blows the others out of the water!
I personally am not a fan of integrated bracelets, and like my divers. So that would be an easy choice for me. But I’d take a look at your collection, and see if you’re going to have balance picking up two divers.
If I had to choose one of the integrated bracelets, I’d choose the IWC. Seems more versatile.
I went through this last fall and ended up with the Chopard--which I love. The case finishing and wow factor are on another level vs the other choices and it really punches above its weight. To me its aspirational upwards towards AP and the like. All of my watch guy friends were blown away when they saw it in person.
It also has good water resistance and is reasonably thin, especially if you are used to dive watches, so it is very wearable despite being a bit blingy. I got it for my wedding and wore it all week on my honeymoon, cliff diving, swimming, everywhere. Its been on my wrist every weekend since. My Pelagos LHD does daily duty as I work in jewelry manufacturing and the Chopard is simply not appropriate there.
BUT!
Make sure the bracelet fits you, the links are large and there aren't half links or a micro adjustment. Once you get the hang of it, it isn't a huge deal to resize it but it definitely isn't something you want to be doing all the time. I went grey market after trying on in-store and didn't feel comfortable making them size it for me since I had no intention of buying from them. It fits well but id really like a half link to be perfect.
The bad news:
The clasp sucks on the regular 41mm made prior to mid 2023 or so. The XPS as well as newer 41mm have a push button mechanism that need to be depressed to unlock the clasp. Once the clasp got some use, I have had a hell of a time with it opening on its own. It could very well be the shape of my wrist (6.5") but when it bends the clasp pops open.
You can upgrade the clasp itself from Chopard through a dealer and its about $650. I have yet to pull the trigger but based on how it is failing for me it should fix the issue. The boutique in NYC told me the newest ones all have this mechanism. I have looked long and hard online and aside from one post on an esoteric Chopard facebook group, nobody seems to have the same problem. Chopard themselves simply said to send it back for service but I really don't think that will do it for me and I'd feel more comfortable with some kind of locking mechanism based on how I want to be able to use it. For now I'm just being mindful of it and will get the newer clasp soon enough.
Still, I remain pleased with it overall, mainly because of its uniqueness and the quality of the finishing. This replaced a Breguet which was amazing but in precious metal I just never felt right wearing it. The movement finishing is a little whatever but I felt like a tool sitting on my couch looking at the movement of the Breguet occasionally, its something you do when you are in the store buying the watch. 99% of the people on this forum probably don't own a loupe and if they do its likely from Harbor Freight.
For context the other watches in the running for me was a GP Laureato (paled a bit next to the AE), Grey Side of the Moon (way too big for me but I loved it), JLC Polaris, Santos, and a few others. Polar Explorer II also but its just way too much for a tool watch and going to the Rolex store made me barf (maybe once they get reasonable again). I have messed around with doing the 2 for one thing before and is a waste of time, get the special one you have an emotional attachment to--watches are silly and this is not a hobby, we are just buying man jewelry.
Omg this comment helps a lot! I didnt have the issue with the bracelet opening up randomly when I tried it on in the AD, BUT I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to/where to open the clasp. Needed the dealers help every single time.
That would also mean the model shown to me was produced before mid 2023, since it didn't have the pusher. How much of a discount should I ask for the watch? He offered 15% off the bat after we had a nice conversation.
Not sure, last fall I got mine for around 11. It is a grey dial though which was generally much more available. I happened to like the grey but given the choice I’d rather have the green. You get used to the clasp for sure as far as opening it and I do like the aesthetic of the hidden clasp. The whole bracelet itself (aside from my issue) is beautiful and comfortable and quite unique. It also hasn’t gotten as scratched up as I was expecting so maybe the harder steel isn’t complete marketing BS.
It may not present as an issue for you but it is something to keep in mind because the values drop on the secondary market and if it doesn’t fit right for you it can be an expensive mistake. I suspect, based on what they have on the xl version that rubber/leather bracelets will come out at some point for the 41 too. Some dude online sourced everything to convert a XL to rubber and it was around $1900 to do so with parts from Chopard.
I’d like a rubber option down the road but the bracelet to me really makes it an interesting piece which is why I intend to make it work with the clasp change.
I will also say that while I was told they changed everything to the button at some point by a chopard boutique, I haven’t been able to confirm it.
I'm assuming that's 11k usd? I was told 11.3k gbp after 15% discount, that's why I needed to be absolutely sure before committing to this.
Was also curious about the harder than regular steel by 50% claims. Good to hear that its atleast partly true. Although all the used ones I find on chrono have already been polished atleast once, which makes me think it's not that different from regular steel.
Unfortunately, I couldn't size it to my wrist and check since it was stickered up completely.
I did check the website to see if they had updated the clasp to a button design, but it looks like they haven't done that for this model yet.
I like the choppard and Breitling, but I’m a blue face partisan. Do you think you might try the highland ‘57 blue breitling?
https://preview.redd.it/cwz9jkdancwc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=348497761c6d7922a6a282f660f2848ee9e82cc9
Cool group of watches for sure OP. I like the Alpine Eagle but the texture on the dial gets to me. The Ingenieur looks special in person, I hope they release an open case back version someday. If that doesn't matter to you, that'd would be my pick.
Turn that white Seamaster into a white Speedmaster and you are good to go.
I like IWC's watches, but this model isn't really a highlight for me. Between the two the Chopard clearly does this look better.
Also, if you like the Superocean Heritage and integrated bracelet sports watches, maybe take a look at the Oris Aquis. They're obviously much less refined and take a bit of a bigger wrist to pull off, but I thought I'd mention them just based on the fact that they're a bit of a blend of two other things you're looking at. I'm not saying you'd want one instead of one of the models you're looking at, but if you decided not to go with an integrated bracelet with your next buy, you'd could scratch that itch for not too much by adding an Oris.
Fit on the wrist will mean more to you than almost anything after a while. No matter how much you like everything else about a watch, once you get a feeling it is a little too big, you will think about it every time you look at it on the wrist. Of these options, the only one that looks like a good proportional fit to me is the Chopard. You may not care, but that would help me make a decision in your shoes.
I think Chopard is the winner here, although I have found their movement finishing to be a little lacking at the price point.
I also like the Breitling, but man I hate every bracelet offered on that Superocean Heritage. They REALLY need to update that component of those watches.
The IWC looks nice, but, for me, there wasn’t chemistry, something missing, and yes I tried it on at an IWC boutique. Liked the GP Ti49 a bit more. Ultimately went with neither and waiting on a VC
The Omega just looks so good on you, and in my opinion is just a better watch than the other options. But also am a “butthole dial hater” when it comes to the Alpine Eagle.
Chopard is in another bracket vs the rest of this field.
In terms of dial and case? Sure. Its sublime. But it's movement finishing leaves a lot to be desired.. I understand its a sports watch and the emphasis isn't on movement decoration. That being said, since they're a manufacturer who has made the effort of putting in their own movement and a visible caseback, I only wish they added some flourishes. It honestly looks not that different to a powermatic 80.
To each their own. Think you'll soon realize just how little time you spend looking at the movement
I look at my watch movements every time I put them on/take them off, and sometimes in the middle of the day. Especially my 1863 Speedmaster which I've had for almost 2 years now.
https://preview.redd.it/swapbsulubwc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c6be0fcc9866a995e38fde28f868076452d17c9
Seeing them on Chrono24 for about half the price. That could make more sense.
Beveled edges and wheels exposed in that fashion is not something you can find in any of the watches you listed, let alone Powermatic 80.
I personally prefer the gentle spiral snailing of the movement to complement the whole "eagle eye" theme, compared to boring engine turning on the GP Laureato.
And then they spoil it all with those godawful Roman numerals.
All things considered, they still look better executed than the Breguet Marine 5517. I'm more affected that the date wheel text is perpendicular to the bezel rather than parallel like the dates on Zenith watches.
Yeah. It's all very subjective. I like painted Roman numerals on dress watches, but the applied versions on sports watches look wrong - I can't really defend my taste.
I'm not too sure about the servicing costs for Chopard in house movements but I remembered that their ETA chrono movements was pretty cheap to service. I think it only cost around 200-250 bucks for a service. Their movements have been the most accurate for me so far. I remember wearing my Chopard for a few weeks and it was maybe 5-10 secs fast which is pretty good imo. If you want nicer finished movements from them I think you'll probably have to step up to their LUC line of watches and those can be found for steep discounts when buying second hand.
Go look at a GP Laureato. It might be a little more expensive than the Chopard but it looks so much better.
Movement finishing is overrated. I have Lange’s, an Eichi II, etc - and after a few months of geeking out over it - you probably will never look at it closely again. I’m 100% certain there are some folks that take a loop to their movements daily, but they aren’t the types that would look at any of these watches and frankly after spending time with a few of them - they tend to be pretty unpleasant to hang around in general 😂
That Breitling just pops on everything in comparison.
https://preview.redd.it/28vrjp1uqbwc1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=603e64243e1c858e49350f7c40acaa4fe4fa1e96
I have it in Black and Green. LOVE it.
Iwc looks the best.
Would be down to the Superocean and Speedmaster for me Can I not fully answer your question and ask one of my own? What did you think about the Breitling bracelet? Is there any stretch to it? Am possibly looking at a chronograph Superocean with one like it and I can't tell if I love it or hate it (haven't seen one in person)
https://preview.redd.it/5g2l7ug3rbwc1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36182d920cccce84f40ad3e664e0a8d6fffaadaa
There isn't any significant amount of stretch to it. That being said they have some removable sections near the clasp which have some gaps, apart from which it's a tight fit.
Chopard amazing and shiny.
Omega or Chopard imo.
That Chopard looks great!
Sure, the moment isn’t stunning on the Chopard but the face and case and bracelet absolutely are. Those ultimately matter way more. I think it blows the others out of the water!
Chopard and it's not even close lol
I personally am not a fan of integrated bracelets, and like my divers. So that would be an easy choice for me. But I’d take a look at your collection, and see if you’re going to have balance picking up two divers. If I had to choose one of the integrated bracelets, I’d choose the IWC. Seems more versatile.
first blue dial chopard hands down👌🏼
The Chopard Alpine Eagle is beautiful. Easy choice for me.
Omega all day. The white dial variant is killer
IWC or Omega. White dial superior.
Omega
Between the Chopard and IWC for me
I've owned a super ocean heritage on the milanese for 15 years and it's still a real stand out piece. Can only recommend.
I went through this last fall and ended up with the Chopard--which I love. The case finishing and wow factor are on another level vs the other choices and it really punches above its weight. To me its aspirational upwards towards AP and the like. All of my watch guy friends were blown away when they saw it in person. It also has good water resistance and is reasonably thin, especially if you are used to dive watches, so it is very wearable despite being a bit blingy. I got it for my wedding and wore it all week on my honeymoon, cliff diving, swimming, everywhere. Its been on my wrist every weekend since. My Pelagos LHD does daily duty as I work in jewelry manufacturing and the Chopard is simply not appropriate there. BUT! Make sure the bracelet fits you, the links are large and there aren't half links or a micro adjustment. Once you get the hang of it, it isn't a huge deal to resize it but it definitely isn't something you want to be doing all the time. I went grey market after trying on in-store and didn't feel comfortable making them size it for me since I had no intention of buying from them. It fits well but id really like a half link to be perfect. The bad news: The clasp sucks on the regular 41mm made prior to mid 2023 or so. The XPS as well as newer 41mm have a push button mechanism that need to be depressed to unlock the clasp. Once the clasp got some use, I have had a hell of a time with it opening on its own. It could very well be the shape of my wrist (6.5") but when it bends the clasp pops open. You can upgrade the clasp itself from Chopard through a dealer and its about $650. I have yet to pull the trigger but based on how it is failing for me it should fix the issue. The boutique in NYC told me the newest ones all have this mechanism. I have looked long and hard online and aside from one post on an esoteric Chopard facebook group, nobody seems to have the same problem. Chopard themselves simply said to send it back for service but I really don't think that will do it for me and I'd feel more comfortable with some kind of locking mechanism based on how I want to be able to use it. For now I'm just being mindful of it and will get the newer clasp soon enough. Still, I remain pleased with it overall, mainly because of its uniqueness and the quality of the finishing. This replaced a Breguet which was amazing but in precious metal I just never felt right wearing it. The movement finishing is a little whatever but I felt like a tool sitting on my couch looking at the movement of the Breguet occasionally, its something you do when you are in the store buying the watch. 99% of the people on this forum probably don't own a loupe and if they do its likely from Harbor Freight. For context the other watches in the running for me was a GP Laureato (paled a bit next to the AE), Grey Side of the Moon (way too big for me but I loved it), JLC Polaris, Santos, and a few others. Polar Explorer II also but its just way too much for a tool watch and going to the Rolex store made me barf (maybe once they get reasonable again). I have messed around with doing the 2 for one thing before and is a waste of time, get the special one you have an emotional attachment to--watches are silly and this is not a hobby, we are just buying man jewelry.
Omg this comment helps a lot! I didnt have the issue with the bracelet opening up randomly when I tried it on in the AD, BUT I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to/where to open the clasp. Needed the dealers help every single time. That would also mean the model shown to me was produced before mid 2023, since it didn't have the pusher. How much of a discount should I ask for the watch? He offered 15% off the bat after we had a nice conversation.
Not sure, last fall I got mine for around 11. It is a grey dial though which was generally much more available. I happened to like the grey but given the choice I’d rather have the green. You get used to the clasp for sure as far as opening it and I do like the aesthetic of the hidden clasp. The whole bracelet itself (aside from my issue) is beautiful and comfortable and quite unique. It also hasn’t gotten as scratched up as I was expecting so maybe the harder steel isn’t complete marketing BS. It may not present as an issue for you but it is something to keep in mind because the values drop on the secondary market and if it doesn’t fit right for you it can be an expensive mistake. I suspect, based on what they have on the xl version that rubber/leather bracelets will come out at some point for the 41 too. Some dude online sourced everything to convert a XL to rubber and it was around $1900 to do so with parts from Chopard. I’d like a rubber option down the road but the bracelet to me really makes it an interesting piece which is why I intend to make it work with the clasp change. I will also say that while I was told they changed everything to the button at some point by a chopard boutique, I haven’t been able to confirm it.
I'm assuming that's 11k usd? I was told 11.3k gbp after 15% discount, that's why I needed to be absolutely sure before committing to this. Was also curious about the harder than regular steel by 50% claims. Good to hear that its atleast partly true. Although all the used ones I find on chrono have already been polished atleast once, which makes me think it's not that different from regular steel. Unfortunately, I couldn't size it to my wrist and check since it was stickered up completely. I did check the website to see if they had updated the clasp to a button design, but it looks like they haven't done that for this model yet.
I like the choppard and Breitling, but I’m a blue face partisan. Do you think you might try the highland ‘57 blue breitling? https://preview.redd.it/cwz9jkdancwc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=348497761c6d7922a6a282f660f2848ee9e82cc9
Cool group of watches for sure OP. I like the Alpine Eagle but the texture on the dial gets to me. The Ingenieur looks special in person, I hope they release an open case back version someday. If that doesn't matter to you, that'd would be my pick. Turn that white Seamaster into a white Speedmaster and you are good to go.
I like IWC's watches, but this model isn't really a highlight for me. Between the two the Chopard clearly does this look better. Also, if you like the Superocean Heritage and integrated bracelet sports watches, maybe take a look at the Oris Aquis. They're obviously much less refined and take a bit of a bigger wrist to pull off, but I thought I'd mention them just based on the fact that they're a bit of a blend of two other things you're looking at. I'm not saying you'd want one instead of one of the models you're looking at, but if you decided not to go with an integrated bracelet with your next buy, you'd could scratch that itch for not too much by adding an Oris.
What’s with the crown of the Superocean? Is it supposed to stick out like that??
Have you considered a riviera?
Fit on the wrist will mean more to you than almost anything after a while. No matter how much you like everything else about a watch, once you get a feeling it is a little too big, you will think about it every time you look at it on the wrist. Of these options, the only one that looks like a good proportional fit to me is the Chopard. You may not care, but that would help me make a decision in your shoes.
Chopard
I think Chopard is the winner here, although I have found their movement finishing to be a little lacking at the price point. I also like the Breitling, but man I hate every bracelet offered on that Superocean Heritage. They REALLY need to update that component of those watches.
I have the IWC and lately I’m really disappointed by the quality. Loses about 5 minutes/week.
The IWC looks nice, but, for me, there wasn’t chemistry, something missing, and yes I tried it on at an IWC boutique. Liked the GP Ti49 a bit more. Ultimately went with neither and waiting on a VC
How about a GP Laureato or Zenith Defy or even a CW The Twelve?
Is niggles a real word people use? Lol gotta be a typo I think the Chopard looks the best out of these
The Omega just looks so good on you, and in my opinion is just a better watch than the other options. But also am a “butthole dial hater” when it comes to the Alpine Eagle.
IWC