Alpina reaches deep into its archives with the new Alpiner Heritage Tropic-Proof Handwinding, a direct descendant of the brand’s 1965 adventurer’s piece. Retaining the hallmark 34mm stainless steel François Borgel case and hand-wound architecture, this reissue channels the spirit of the original Tropic-Proof model—rugged, compact, and built to weather extremes. The AL-480 movement, with its 42-hour power reserve, sits behind a solid caseback engraved with “Heritage,” a nod to the tool watch roots of the original, which quietly resisted magnetism, moisture, and impact in tropical conditions.
Offered in black or white, the matte dials keep to the script with polished Dauphine hands and luminous markers arranged in the unconventional 3-6-9-12 double-index layout. The new glassbox-style sapphire crystal pays tribute to the original resin form while upgrading durability and clarity. Each detail is a deliberate echo of the past, from the compact dimensions to the Alcantara strap, which updates the original’s practicality with a contemporary twist.
The Tropic-Proof moniker once defined a type of construction built to serve explorers moving through the equatorial belt. This 2025 reissue stays faithful to that ethos—not through reinvention, but through careful preservation. It’s a watch made for today’s travelers who appreciate a slower, more mechanical rhythm, and for collectors who know that real heritage is measured not in decades, but in consistency.
