ack in 1883, the intrepid mountaineers at the origins of the Alpina watchmaking firm were already hard at work designing watches that could accompany them everywhere on their adventures. It was important for these timepieces to be watertight, anti-magnetic, and impact-resistant. In 1963, a grand old lady of watchmaking benefited from these specifications to become Alpina’s first women’s sports watch: the Comtesse, notable for having what at the time was the smallest, strongest automatic movement ever: the Caliber 362, complete with a bidirectional rotor.

The Comtesse went on to become part of the Alpina collection; now known as the Alpiner Comtesse Quartz, the watch is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, it will be released in three all-new shades heralding a summer devoted to sport and elegance.

With its new light brown finish, the first dial exudes timeless wisdom and distinction, while the subtly sparkling peppermint version gives the Alpiner Comtesse Quartz a more natural, lively and original aspect. The third alternative combines lilac with a hint of pink for a decidedly early-morning, flowery, feminine feel. The three new dials all feature a sun-brushed finish; the slightest ray of sunlight really makes them shine!

Just like any other family, the three new Alpiner Comtesse Quartz models share the same DNA – and the same price tag, offering excellent value for money given their outstanding technical and stylistic quality.

Each piece uses the same steel case to provide optimum impact resistance in a petite 34- millimetre diameter that’s both minimalistic and elegant. The finish features alternating matte and polished surfaces, notably on the three-link steel strap, ready to gleam when caught by the light. At the same time, these beautiful timepieces are built to withstand the rigours of everyday use, with a screw-down crown making them water-resistant to depths of 100 metres, a non-reflective sapphire crystal, and a robust double-clasp buckle equipped with two pushers to secure the watch firmly on the wrist for sports and urban wear.

On the dial, each of the three pieces features three central hands and a date window at 6 o’clock. Owners can tell the time effortlessly at any time of day or night: the hour and minute hands are luminous, as are the applique hour markers. Alpina connoisseurs will recognise the triangular counterweight on the seconds hand, a discreet reminder of the alpine summits that gave their name to the brand. Similarly, a subtle minute circle with Arabic numerals around the flange recalls the sporting lineage of the Alpiner Comtesse Quartz.

When it comes to precision, the three new watches offer everything one expects of legendary Swiss Made accuracy thanks to a quartz movement powering the hours, minutes, seconds, and date functions and a battery life of nearly four years (45 months), making the timepiece the most faithful of companions for even the longest of adventures.