All started in 1883 when Gottlieb Hauser, timepiece and watch maker in Winterthur, founded Swiss Watchmakers Corporation ("Switzerland Clock and watch makers of company").
A certain number of timepiece and watch makers joined the components of watch of purchase and organized their manufacture. Quickly, the new concept gained acceptance. As qualified at the same time manufactures, association started to develop its own gauges and to increase its distribution network.
Outlines (the base of a gauge) were produced by the factory of Alpina Ebauche in Geneva, had by Duret and Colonnaz, which also played a significant role in the construction of the first gauges of Alpina. Final stages in the manufacture of the gauges were carried out in Bienne, the place of the principal quarters of association in date of 1890.
Success was fast and of the representations were installed in Germany as well as in Europe east and Scandinavian. In 1901, the name "Alpina" was registered like marks deposited at the same time; it appears only on the dials of the watches at end high. Beginning, watches of Alpina were manufactured with high-grade components, inter alia spirals of Brequet, wheels of balance with gold screws and heavy gold cases.
ALPINA GLASHUTTE 1909-1922
in the order also to be taken part in the German base of observe-manufacture, Horlogère union of Alpina founded the "Präcisions-Uhrenfabrik Alpina "in Glashütte in 1909.
The factories of the trade unions were now located in Geneva, Bienne, Besancon and Glashütte. In 1912, the first stop watch Glashütte d Alpina was completed: it was equipped with an outline of stop watch builds by Alpina with a outfall of Glashütte instead of the typical Swiss outfall of anchor.
Another model was created in 1913: it was the watch a 21 marine, which was bought by the German navy then. The watches of Alpina Glashütte gained ground and directly competed with those of Lange and Söhne. In 1913, the felt of Lange and Söhne threatened and began a business in judgement to try to stop Alpina for the reason that not all the parts were manufactured in Glashütte.
The business in judgement trailed during years but was finally proven without merit. One dropped it in favour of Alpina in 1915. While waiting for world war that I had begun and had a feeling effect of suffocation on the "Präcisions-Uhrenfabrik Alpina "in Glashütte. The parts hardly could be send to the factory of Switzerland due to the restrictions on the imports of war.
Moreover, there were principal restrictions of movement of capital. The FIRST WORLD WAR during the First World War, the allied forces were not obviously satisfied with relationship with businesses between Switzerland and Germany. The factory of Alpina Glashütte had tested already principal problems but also the relationship between the Swiss factories of Alpina and their customers in Germany was under the strong pressure. Finally in 1917, towards the end of the First World War, association Horlogère union was dissolved formally.
The branch, which was responsible for the Swiss members, incorporated up to now the third association separated in the name "from Swiss Clock and watch makers of association of Alpina". The activities of the companies increased clearly after the First World War. Watches of Alpina were sold with great success in 2000 retailers around Europe, of Lisbon towards Copenhagen towards Moscow.
HOW The CLOCK MAKING union Did FUNCTION? All the representatives of Horlogère union depended on association, that the objectives to sell high quality observes mainly under the mark of Alpina. Each timepiece and watch maker, manufacturer or specialized store who wanted to go well to a member had to apply. The board of directors of the Horlogère union would study the candidature carefully and then to accept it or rejects.
One was well to a member after the payment of the fees of entry. Adhesion made it possible to each representative to draw benefit from the purchase of the watches of Alpina at the reasonable prices as well as much of other advantages described below. Association fought hard for the interests of its members and helped to stimulate the maximum growth.
Association was a non-profit organization. Each member was guaranteed to be the only representative of Alpina in his city except if the city were enough large to support more than one representative. The members could represent other marks, but could not be member of a similar organization. Association fixed prices at the detail of detail and members were dependent to maintain the prices overall to avoid discounting unconstructive.
Publicity on watches of Alpina was entirely paid the association of its pools coming from the subscriptions, the fees of entry and the subsidies calculated on the sales turnover of the suppliers. In date of 1908, association created a guarantee, which was valid in all the stores selling the watch of Alpina in the Swiss network. Then in 1926, this guarantee became validates internationally. The retailers could be useful themselves of a decorator to help them to carry out the attractive windows. Association organized being sold and of the technical training courses regularly.
To finish, association published its own newspaper informing its members on developments and innovations. The regular Committee mainly directed association. The Committee would meet several times per year to review new applications, the discussion disputes between the members, to determine the contents of the new catalogue, its cost, the quantity of participation, etc. The principal event without any doubt was the annual congress, a kind of mini fair during two days with a great atmosphere: Alpinists coming from everywhere in the world were invited to discover the new products and to place them order in advance. The congress was a social event where the members could share their problems and experiments, and also forms in the long run strong friendships. Alpinists trained a great family, prepare to support her members during the good and bad times.
THE ALPINA GILDE GRUEN the 1929-1937
The American mark gruen, of Cincinnati, wished a fusion with Alpina in order to employ its European distribution network. In 1929, "Gilde gruen SA of Alpina" is constant, the greatest community of interests which ever existed in the horological field. The factories belonging to the new company were rationalized to produce standard gauges, and the quality of Alpina and improved watches gruen. The model of climax currently created is "Watch of the doctor" produced by the factory of Aegler. Rolex later bought the factory of Aegler. "Watch of the doctor" was distributed under the names of Alpina, gruen, Alpina-Gruen and of Rolex ("prince"). But the infatuation of the beginning had a short duration. Even when gruen the produced watches of good quality, it was almost unknown in Europe.
Moreover gruen wanted to sell its watches at prices higher than Alpina, which made it very difficult so that the European members of association accept gruen. At the same time, gruen seemed limited the access of Alpina to its members of the United States. The heavy losses were the result of this co-operation, and the two marks separated in 1937; Clock making SA of the trade unions of Alpina only continued. BEST-sellers of ALPINA in 1933, Alpina presented its first "sport-observe", the steel "Blockuhr". During this time, Alpina made also patent a new type of crown (Patent 1464). Thanks to technical progress, sport-observes advanced quickly and became the "Alpina 4" in 1938.
The "4" meant that combination of four principal qualities of Alpina sport-observe: 1) anti magnetic, 2) impermeable with water (thanks to its case of "Genève"), 3) equipped with the shock-proof system of Incabloc, and to finish, 4) stainless steel. The "Alpina 4"was manufactured with the gauge with automatic reassembly 592, one of Alpina of the strongest gauges of its generation. This gauge was employed later equip with other sport-models such as Alpina 70 (1953), Standard (1958) and Tropicproof (1968). In 1945, the first automatic movement of Alpina was carried out, gauge 582. The automatic system of rolling up functioned with a mechanism with two springs where the mass of oscillation enters moved in the two directions. This large and precise movement (12 lines of ½) was equipped with a spiral of Nivarox, had 18 000 alternations and the system of Incabloc. Its reservation of power was 40 hours.
In 1957, president d Alpina was introduced and quickly became notorious as a reliable automatic sport-observe (584c with the date gauges). In 1963, Alpina carried out an automatic movement for women; smallest and most extremely ever still made, gauge 362 (6 lines of ½). That functioned with a system of rotor, turning in the two manners. Those are little the most known models. The collection of Alpina to its size was composed of hundreds of models (there were 1000 models exhibés with the congress 1958).
Retrospectively, one can indicate that the sport-line was the principal center of the collection of Alpina. Since 1933, Alpina improved the execution of the sound sport-observes without interruption and follow-up with these watches an evolution where people engaged in more activities of spare time. The SECOND WORLD WAR while the Horlogère union had separated with three companies legally independent during the First World War, reports/ratios were still under the intense meticulous examination during the world war II. The restrictions of importation and movement of capital as well as of the problems of voyage removed several of its activities. Thereafter, the allied forces tightened the Swiss union Horlogère of Alpina to drop the use of the name from Alpina in Germany.
German association then adopts named Dugena (Deutsche Uhremacher-Genossenschaft Alpina), which becomes their new trade mark. AFTER the WAR after the war, the co-operation restarted intensively. The change of the name in Germany with Dugena even had a positive effect because the members could now also start to sell watches produced in Germany. The Swiss union Horlogère sold still only the watches at end high of Switzerland to its members, including German association under the strong mark of Alpina. Alpina continued to develop and the congress reconciled every year with more and more people. All functioned well until the years 70, when the quartz crises violently crushed Swiss observe-industry. Alpina was impotent to avoid the overpowering appearance of the electronic watches.
Other principal marks met to set up the groups (predecessor of the group of Swatch), but Alpina tried to only fight it without really succeeding In 1972, SA international of watch of Alpina was built-in with the new German investors, who bought all the shares in Horlogère SA of the trade unions of Alpina. A few years after, the German investors arranged the company in Köln, Germany. Alpina continued to be sold in a more restrictive way under the new slogan which more clearly determined the commercial directive of the mark: "Alpina the mark reserved to the specialized retailers".
Watches were now sold partly of Köln, other diluting the clearness of the company. Most of the preceding spirit of "Alpinist "which made so strong Alpina obtained lost. The creation and the renewal of product were controlled partly of the company of distribution in Germany having for result the collections less than logical which had reduced the call of the market. Alpina missed the rebirth of the mechanical watch in the years 80 and the years 90, probably due to the fact that the German investors behind SA international of watch of Alpina were too remote far from the epicentre of the mechanical watch making in Switzerland.
Always however, part of the "Alpinists "meets by today in an annual meeting without ceremony. It is a clear objective so that new Alpina takes again the spirit of Alpinist which made Alpina so strong in the past. Watches are sold by today in only roughly 30 stores in Germany. The REBIRTH D CAlpina in February 2002, Frederique Geneva constant bought SA international of watch of Alpina. The constant of Frederique produced traditional-to look at mainly the mechanical watches up to now, and will develop a new collection of sports under the name of Alpina, perpetuating the heritage of Alpina.
The new collection of Alpina of technical watches of sport is composed of 25 mechanical models, some equipped with the complications; two families with various models should attract various kinds of COLLECTIONS of sportsmen. THE because the first model of the new collection of Alpina, heritage has a significant part to play; to establish the bond between the past and the present of the mark. Its case formed by rather massive cushion is equipped with an automatic movement and a dial inspired by the years 30. Among the various lines, the stop watch, decorated with the snail balance in the center of the dial, and balance of rangefinder to the periphery, is one of the nicest examples.
The strong lines and the originality marry sports of level raised with elegance. It is an excellent base so that the collections come. Startimer is an old recorded trade mark of Alpina and was employed for the second new collection of Alpina. The collection of Startimer returns with a very real design and interesting characteristics like an additional crown located at 10 hours to turn internal revolving mounting. A model part has even two internal revolving mountings. The small edge of the case increases the impression of the wideness watches; the broad painted numbers, the vertical alignment of the dials of the stop watch with the balance of tachometer.
All started in 1883 when Gottlieb Hauser, timepiece and watch maker in Winterthur, founded Swiss Watchmakers Corporation ("Switzerland Clock and watch makers of company"). 