ollectors everywhere adore that neo-vintage style combining the best features of timepieces from the 50s and 60s with the bold colours that defined the era. The new Alpiner Extreme Automatic California is made for them, adding to this mix a dial consisting of half Roman and half Arabic numerals, a signature feature of “California” clock faces.

For the first time, the watch comes in a smaller 39 x 40.5 mm case and is presented in two new colourways with sandblasted dial: a Sunburst dial in shades of brown and orange; and a pine green dégradé one that evokes the outdoor spirit at the heart of the Alpiner Extreme collection. Each model is equipped with a steel case with sapphire crystal back, a date display at 3 o’clock and a rubber strap fastened with a with a folding buckle.

The “best of the best”, as they say across the pond. The two new Alpiner Extreme Automatic California watches combine the very best of the fine watchmaking of yesteryear with all the attributes of a reliable and robust modern-day mechanical watch.

Lending these two new watches their vintage aesthetic hallmark is the “California” dial. This dial consists of Roman numerals from 10 to 2 o’clock, followed by Arabic ones from 4 to 8 o’clock. Many legendary figures have tried to explain this unusual combination, ranging from a mistake made by the dial supplier to a genuine military invention designed to prevent time from being misread. One thing is for certain, however: California dials were born in the period between the two World Wars, likely during the 1930s.

Since then, they have quietly endured over the decades. Never becoming mainstream, but never disappearing either: they have established themselves as a quirky style beloved by enlightened and impassioned amateurs, and a charming watchmaking oddity capable of distinguishing a classic watch from a true collector’s item.

The two new Alpiner Extreme Automatic California watches embrace this with details that reinforce their vintage charm. Firstly, California-style indices presented in a clear, large typeface with a vintage beige luminescent finish. A display that is in keeping with the operational spirit of the earliest California dials.

Then, the two new colourways created for the dial. The first is a Sunburst dial A classic watchmaking style. This one recreates the hues of the sun setting over the Pacific horizon. Drawing closer to the curved flange of the minutes track, the sun sets and the brown takes on a hint of black, against which the luminescent hour markers light up.

The second adopts the same effect with a pine green dégradé. There’s a reason for this choice: the colour symbolises the call of the wild and the conquering of mountain tops in the native environment of Alpina, a brand born at the foothills of the Alps. The green is deeper at the edges and softer in the centre.

Lastly, the two new vintage-style Alpiner Extreme Automatic California watches feature a 39 x 40.5 mm version of the iconic cushion case: a unisex size that appeals to all and is prized by collectors.

The new steel case echoes the finishes of its predecessors, with a vertically brushed bezel set on a circular satin-finished case. The chamfer edges are polished to a mirror finish, underscoring the lines of this complex, iconic Alpina timepiece. Both models are powered by the AL-525 automatic calibre, extensively tested in the brand’s collections. It features a date display at 3 o’clock and a power reserve of 38 hours.