Borna Bosniaks
High beat movements aren’t all that common these days, as manufacturers have pretty much figured out how to make highly accurate “regular” beat movements. For Chopard, this is another point of differentiation, as many of its competitors simply don’t have this selective trait. Chopard engineers can choose between “run-of-the-mill” automatics, LUC’s most highly decorated watches, or developing experimental, limited-run movements into regular production models. Positioned firmly in the latter category, the Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF takes the brand’s successful integrated bracelet design and subtly tweaks it to make a rather attractive high-performance sports watch.
Dial
While I love the blue of the Lucent Steel Alpine Eagle model, the black is a cool reminder that even the most subtle colors can make a statement without being too over the top. The jet black is achieved through an electroplating process, giving the Alpine Eagle that stunning eagle iris texture. Along with the feather-tip seconds hand, Hi-Beat logo, and orange accents on the seconds hand hash, I think the Cadence 8HF is rather handsome, even if some feel like Chopard has played it safe.
The rest of the dial is as you’d expect from an Alpine Eagle, with minimal printing and more prominently showing off the Hi-Beat, chronometer-certified features, and brand name. All the indices are applied, including the Roman XII, which I think is a rather odd choice on such a sporty watch. And yes, the date does creep in at the uncomfortable 04:30 position, but at least the colors are consistent.
Incident
There are some watches out there with integrated bracelets that don’t seem to have stuck to the feature at all, or at least weren’t originally going to be, and then suddenly changed course at the last minute to jump on the trend. The Chopard Alpine Eagle is not one of those, as the case and bracelet are truly one and complement each other. However, if I were to nitpick, and trust me, one design feature I’m not a huge fan of is the crown guard-like protrusion on the left side. This is not to be taken as a favoritism; it’s just not a design element I’m crazy about in any of the integrated bracelet watches that popularized the porthole style. That said, it does make the case as symmetrical as possible, which some may find aesthetically pleasing.
Size-wise, it may have been inspired by the tiny St. Moritz of the 1970s, but the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is large in every dimension. The case is 41mm in diameter, but remains impressively thin at just 9.75mm, despite being powered by a full rotor automatic movement. However, there are essentially no lugs, and the first bracelet link doesn’t protrude as much, so the case doesn’t flare out and it fits surprisingly well on smaller wrists.
So much for the design and dimensions, but what about the finish? Aside from the technology we’ll get to in a moment, this is what makes the Cadence 8HF stand out to me. Simply put, the finish is exquisite, especially the transitions between surfaces. Manufacturers often expect the novelty of titanium to be enough of a draw, but not Chopard. The brushing of the grade 5 titanium is rich and obvious, but not clumsy, the angles are sharp and the polish almost mirror-like. No detail is lacking, with the three-dimensional compass rose machined into the media blasted crown relief being my favorite.
bracelet
With any Alpine Eagle model fitted with a bracelet, you can talk about the bracelet and the case at the same time. The excellent finish continues throughout the length of the now trademark brick style, with a raised and polished midsection that continues uninterrupted all the way to the hidden butterfly clasp. It’s a strange comparison, but it reminds me of expensive artisanal chocolate that’s too cool to be a classic bar; it tastes just a little better because it’s oddly shaped. Or is it just me?
I’m usually against butterfly clasps on sports watches because they don’t offer much in the way of adjustment, but given how smoothly and fluidly the Alpine Eagle bracelet works, I think it’s a worthwhile trade-off. I do wish there were quick-release tabs on the end links, though.
motion
I think the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is a great watch even without the high beat movement, but given its high price, it needs something special. Before we decide if the 01.12-C is worth it, I think it’s worth discussing what the point of having a high beat movement is in the first place. This idea is rooted in statistics, where “high beat” refers to the number of oscillations the balance makes per second. Most modern mechanical watches (let’s call them “regular beat”) have a frequency of 4 Hertz, or 28,800 oscillations per hour. This means that the balance vibrates four times per second and the second hand ticks eight times. In a high beat watch, whether it’s 5 Hertz, 8 Hertz, or 10 Hertz, the frequency increases, so the more oscillations, the more likely it is that there will be less inconsistency due to averaging. Additionally, a higher beat rate also improves the stability and recovery of the isochrone rate. This means that external influences such as shocks or magnets are less likely to throw the balance off, and it recovers from errors more easily.
TL;DR – The more beats, the better.
Boring bits aside, the conclusion is pretty simple: a high-beat movement makes sense in a sports watch, given the high likelihood of it being subjected to external forces. The 01.12-C is the first COSC-certified high-beat movement, and it evolves from the Chopard 01.06-L, which has gone through several iterations to get here, albeit with some specification changes. The COSC-certified 28-jewel movement boasts a 60-hour power reserve, which is very impressive for a high-beat caliber, and the impulse pin, pallet fork and escape wheel are all made from silicon, improving anti-magnetic properties and reducing friction to the point where no lubrication is required. The balance wheel is small, as expected, which is a common feature of high-beat watches, and does not require the high moment of inertia found in slow-beat watches with balances the size of a bicycle wheel.
While the movement specs are impressive, I was surprised to see that earlier versions of Chopard’s movements were more impressively decorated. Perhaps that explains why the crystal on the caseback is printed. As expected, the baseplate is perlage-finished, but the bridges are basically just brushed in circles, with minimal machining on the edges. The same goes for the screws and stone countersinks. It doesn’t affect the Cadence 8HF’s main appeal: its chronometric performance, but this is a high-end luxury watch that Chopard (or its LUC division) is capable of decorating to an extremely high standard.
Verdict
With the market clearly becoming saturated with integrated bracelet watches of all shapes and sizes (and price points), it’s refreshing to see a brand trying something new without being shy. Interestingly, the Cadence 8HF is the only way to get the Alpine Eagle with a black dial. Along with the orange accents, Chopard has managed to make a sports watch look sporty without making the watch huge or printing “SPORTS” in block letters somewhere on the dial. The dull sheen of the titanium makes it feel feather-light on the wrist, and the excellent finish of the brushing and polishing makes it even better. I don’t see why the decoration of the movement wouldn’t be done to a higher standard, but the allure of a high-tech caliber is likely to be appealing to watch enthusiasts either way, which would justify the Cadence 8HF in Chopard’s current catalog.
Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF Price and Availability
The Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is available as a regular production model. Price: US$22,000
Brand Chopard Model Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF Reference 298600-3020 Case Size 41mm (D) x 9.75mm (T) Case Material Grade 5 Titanium Water Resistance 100 meters, screw-down crown Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back Dial Black Eagle Iris Sunburst Strap and Bracelet Integrated titanium bracelet, butterfly clasp Movement Chopard 01.12-C, in-house, automatic, COSC, 8Hz Power Reserve 60 hours Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date Availability Current Price US$22,000
