The original Alpina Tropic-Proof, released in 1965 under mysterious origins—even the Swis brand itself can’t pinpoint the exact date—was emblematic of the newfound adventurous spirit ushered in by the now-accessible boom of transatlantic air travel. With a case designed by François Borgel and a handwinding movement, the Tropic-Proof was meant to be a watch-of-all-trades that could travel the globe with ease, rather than a specialized tool. Six decades later, Alpina is reissuing that design with key nods to the model’s history and future.
Appropriately dubbed the Heritage Tropic-Proof Handwinding, the watch is enveloped in an understated stainless steel case that measures 34mm in diameter. Both dial options—shiny-finished white or black—contrast well with the applied silver indexes and polished silver hands, and the dial design excels in its simplicity, without conceding elegance. The hour and minute hands, as well as the dotted minute track, are coated in beige Luminova to give the Tropic-Proof ease of use in darkness. A beige Alcantara strap with a pin buckle adds a touch of sophistication, but not overzealousness, keeping the watch within the boundaries of subtle class. A threaded solid caseback with an engraved Heritage pattern hides the handwinding AL-480 caliber movement, which touts a 42-hour power reserve. Capping off the simple but elegant design is an anti-reflective glass box sapphire crystal, which curves downwards to maintain viewing ease at all angles.
It’s all about the small details that connect this new Heritage model to the original Tropic-Proof: use of the exact typeface from the 1965 model on the caseback, identical hand-polished Dauphine hands, and the unique double markers at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions all tie the Heritage back to its roots. Of course, the original Tropic-Proof was also hand-wound, relying on an in-house 598R movement that persevered for decades after its 1950s inception.
What results from such carefully calibrated nods to Alpina’s own history is a sturdy sports watch elegant enough to do double-duty as a dress piece, but practical enough to withstand the tropical climates and tough conditions it was originally designed for. The new Heritage Tropic-Proof is a reissue that leans on preserving history rather than recreating it—a worthwhile reminder that a truly timeless design need only be created once and tweaked with care and respect thereafter.
The Alpina Heritage Tropic-Proof Handwinding is slated for a July 2025 release, with a retail price of USD $1,895. Alpina
