1930s Vintage Alpina Pocket Watch Cal. 271 Pure Nickel Case Mechanical Working

Up for sale is a classic Alpina Pocket Watch, a testament to early 20th-century craftsmanship. This timepiece features a robust Pure Nickel case and a high-quality mechanical movement signed with the iconic Alpina logo and caliber number 271. The dial has a beautiful aged patina with clear Arabic numerals and a dedicated sub-second dial at 6 o'clock. Known for their durability and precision, Alpina watches from this era are highly sought after by collectors for their historical significance and engineering excellence.

Good vintage condition! The case shows natural signs of age, and the dial has a charming patina that proves its authenticity. Please see the high-resolution photos for your own assessment. The watch is fully functional and runs well. A new mineral glass has been installed for better visibility and protection.

DEFECTS: small traces of use on the case

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany/Switzerland

MANUFACTURER: Alpina

OVERALL CONDITION (10-point scale): 8

CASE

Material: Pure Nickel

Condition (10-point scale): 8

Features: Signed Alpina logo inside the back cover

GLASS

Material: New Mineral Glass

Condition (10-point scale): 10

DIAL

Condition (10-point scale): 8

Features: Sub-second dial, Alpina logo

MOVEMENT

Mechanical: hand-winding

Caliber: Alpina 271

Features: Signed Alpina logo and Cal. 271

https://ranfft.org/caliber/101-Alpina-271

Basic Information

Technical Details

Complications and Specifications

Additional Information

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, FUNCTIONS

Dimensions of watches

HISTORY

Alpina Watches International SA is a manufacturer of luxury watches based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1883 by Gottlieb Hauser, a watchmaker in Winterthur who founded the Swiss Watchmakers Corporation ("Union Horlogère Suisse"). It is currently owned by Frédérique Constant.

A number of watchmakers joined together as the Union Horlogère Suisse to purchase watch components and organize their manufacturing. All representatives of Union Horlogère depended on the Association, which aimed to sell watches under the Alpina brand. Quickly, the new concept gained acceptance. Together with qualified manufactures, the Association started to develop its own calibres and to enlarge its distribution network.

In 1912, the first Alpina Chronometer Glashütte was finalized and this model competed directly against the watch making of the likes of A. Lange & Sohne who even went so far as to take Alpina to court – unsuccessfully.

The company generally managed its business well until the 1970s, when quartz watch movements emerged and had a severe effect on the entire Swiss watch industry. Alpina was unable to counter the emergence of electronic watches. Other major brands got together to form groups (predecessor of the Swatch Group), but Alpina tried to fight it alone without really succeeding. In 1972, struggling Alpina Watch International SA was incorporated with new German investors, which purchased all shares in Alpina Union Horlogère SA and settled the company in Koln, Germany, limiting its distribution to the German market.

In 2002, Alpina Watch International SA was acquired by Frédérique Constant SA, returning the company to Switzerland, and Alpina watches were relaunched worldwide.

Named "Régulateur 1883" in reference to the year Alpina was founded, Alpina introduced a new model in 2005. The "regulator" dial is distinguished by having an off-centred hour display at 10 o'clock – an exclusive Alpina feature.

In 2008, Alpina Genève celebrated its 125th anniversary with the inauguration of the first movement to be made entirely in its own workshops.

Alpina first introduced its "4" line of sports watches in 1938, bringing together four themes: anti-magnetism, anti-shock, water resistance, and stainless-steel construction. The Alpina 4 was one of the very first Swiss sports watches to appear. In 2014, Alpina brought this concept back with the introduction of the new Alpiner 4 watches, available in both GMT and chronograph models. The new watches cover all four of the original requirements first set forth in 1938.

1883

Gottlieb Hauser founds the 'Alpina Union Horlogère S.A. (UH) / Schweizerische Uhrmacher-Genossenschaft (SUG)' ('Corporation of Swiss Watchmakers'). His vision was the 'Alpinist Principle': uniting Swiss watchmaking industry forces to achieve the highest quality and technical innovation in manufacturing, at the most favourable conditions. Soon the Union was making its own calibers.

1890

The Union moves its headquarters to Biel/Bienne where Jacob Straub, an important member, had his caliber manufactory (J. Straub & Co). The ébauches at that time were made by the Alpina Ebauches factory, owned by Duret & Colonnaz, in Geneva.

1900

The Alpina Union Horlogère participates to the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris.

1901

The mark 'Alpina' is registered by Jacob Straub to protect his 12 and 19 line calibers, unmarked until then. Being J. Straub & Co. its main caliber supplier, almost all high-end watches of the Union now carry the famous triangular 'Alpina' mark on their movements. Alpina, as a standalone name, was therefore first used as a protection and quality mark.

1903

Gottlieb Hauser and his son go on an adventurous mission to Russia to establish a foothold in the empire of the Tsars. They succeed: at the end of their 50 successive day’s trip, their ledgers are filled with the names of surprisingly many new customers, including some famous ones. In1955, Gottlieb Hauser Jr. wrote an account of this voyage: From Bienne to Astrakhan: "The Adventures of a Swiss Watch Representative in Russia Fifty Years Ago".

1908

On occasion of its 25th anniversary the Union registers the 'Alpina' brand name for timepieces. For prestige reason the Union members, the 'Alpinists', agreed to use the brand 'Alpina' only for watches that encased selected high-quality calibers, amongst them those with Breguet hairsprings and compensating balances.

1909

The Alpina Union Horlogère expands its watch manufacturing to Germany and founds the Präcisions-Uhrenfabrik Alpina Glashütte i/S in Glashütte. The Union`s factories were by now located in Geneva, Biel, Besançon (F) and Glashütte, the four world capitals of watchmaking.

1910

The Alpina Union Horlogère creates a perpetual calendar pocket watch complication. A significant technical challenge for that epoch.

1913

The German Navy (K.M.) purchases Alpina Chronometers. An Alpina 21-lines Glashütte Chronometer, equipped with an Alpina chronometer ebauche with Glashütte escapement, instead of the typical Swiss anchor escapement, was adopted as standard K.M. equipment to cover its need for high precision time instruments.

1929

Alpina and American company Gruen enter into a joint venture with the purpose of getting access to their respective distribution networks and production facilities. The partnership gave birth to the Alpina 'Tecno', encasing the famous 877 caliber. The 'Tecno' advertising brochure used the following words: 'The new 'Tecno' chronometer wristwatch boasts a trailblazing movement and shows the exact time in seconds: for physicians, engineers, technicians, transit officials, merchants and athletes.

1933

Alpina presents its first sports watch, the 'Block Uhr'. It sported a sturdy all steel case and a patented a new type of crown (Brevet 1464). The innovation consisted of a very close-fitting connection between the crown and the winding stem to prevent dust from penetrating. Moreover, the crown could not be torn out or lost. In 1938 the 'Alpina 4' evolved from this first sport watch due to rapid technical progress.

1945

Alpina manufactures its first automatic movement. The 12½-ligne, 5.5-mm-tall, self-winding caliber 582, also known as the 'P82', had a sub dial for the seconds at 6 o’clock and a power reserve of 40h.

1948

The school of watchmaking at the cantonal polytechnic in Biel chooses the 12-lines hand-wound Alpina caliber 592 to serve as the school’s didactic caliber. This choice underscores the fact that this movement was especially precise, reliable and robust.

1953

Alpina celebrates its 70th anniversary with the introduction of the 'Alpina 70' sport watch, encasing the 592 and 598 calibers. The 'Alpina 70' boasted the 4 Alpina sport features (anti-shock, anti-magnetic, water resistant, stainless-steel case), and a beautiful faceted golden 'Alpiner' adorned its dial.

1957

The Alpina President is revealed. The President is the company’s first Sports Automatic; using the 584 'Hammerautomatik' 17 jewels self-winding Caliber.

1959

Alpina introduces the 'Alpina 4' Chronograph. The dial featured a telemeter and a units-meter, making it ideal for sports and industrial applications.

1963

Alpina realises an automatic movement for women, the caliber 362 (6½ lines); the smallest and strongest yet made. It worked with a rotor system, turning in both ways. In the same year Alpina also presents the 'Comtesse' ladies line.

1968

Launch of the Alpina 'Tropic-Proof'. This elegant sport watch with a 'Qualité Geneve' case featured the 4 Alpina sport characteristics: 1/ anti-shock, 2/ anti-magnetic, 3/ water resistant, 4/ stainless steel case. At the time the 'Tropic Proof' was advertised as the 'Gran Tourisme' of the sport watches.

1969

Launch of the Alpina Diver '10 Seastrong'. This professional diving watch was moved by a17 jewel Automatic self-winding caliber. The '10 Seastrong' featured 2 crowns, one of which was used to determine the decompression time through a 1-60 min. rotating bezel. The 'Seastrong' was water resistant to 200m and anti-magnetic.

1970

Alpina launches the 'Dispomatic' Automatic Alarm encasing a modified 19 Jewels 2980 Lemania caliber with 21600 A/h. Despite the growing demand for quartz watches in this period, mechanical watches remained Alpina’s vocation.

1982-2002

The Quartz Crisis strongly hit European and American mechanical watchmakers; Alpina suffered but remains an independent company. After the devastating effects of the Quartz Wave, Alpina missed the renaissance of mechanical watches, which began in the mid 1980s, perhaps because the new German owners were too far removed from the Swiss epicenter. For years the brand drifted without a clear direction. Fortunately, at the eleventh hour, when Alpina seemed inexorably on its way toward the watchmaking archives, Dutch entrepreneur Peter Stas came onto the scene and discovered the Swiss tradition sport watch brand and its significant horological history and legacy.

2002

Alpina was bought by Aletta and Peter Stas, the owners of Frédérique Constant. Identifying with the 'Alpinist principle', they set out to further the Swiss sport watch manufacturing vision of Gottlieb Hauser.

2003

Alpina presents its first collection of mechanical sports watches under the new ownership at the BaselWorld international watch fair.

2005

Introduction of the AL-650 regulator hand-wound movement based on the famous Unitas Ebauche, which was originally a caliber for pocket watches. Launch of the professional Alpina 'Extreme Diver', water resistant to 1.000 m (3.280 ft). The 'Extreme Diver' features a helium escape valve and, uncommon for watches going to these extreme depths, a transparent sapphire crystal case back.

2006

Alpina celebrates its 123rd anniversary by moving into its new watch manufactory in Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva. At the same time it presents the Alpina 'Avalanche Extreme', putting the Brand back on the map for watches that are made for extremely challenging sports environments. Alpina presents its Automatic Regulator caliber AL-950. The caliber was entirely developed in-house by Alpina engineers; the parts machined on its CNC machines and assembled at the Alpina Manufactory. The AL-950 equips the Startimer Pilot Regulator Manufacture and the Avalanche Extreme Regulator.

2009

Alpina unveils its 'Extreme Tourbillion' encasing the fully in-house developed and produced AL-980 Tourbillon manufacture caliber: the first Tourbillon movement ever produced by Alpina in its centenary history. The AL-980 incorporates two major new technologies: a Silicon escapement wheel and anchor give the caliber accuracy, even under extreme conditions, because no oil is needed to lubricate the escapement mechanism. The S.M.A.R.T. Weight Balancing System, (patent pending), enables further improvement to the movement’s precision. Alpina becomes the Official Timekeeper of the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in Sebring, Florida.

2011

Alpina reveals its Extreme Sailing 'Yacht Timer' containing the new AL-880 movement. Based on the SW500 chronograph, Alpina designed a specific mechanical module to time the 5- and 10-minute countdown to the departure line of the Regatta. In case of an interruption of the departure, the AL-880 movement gives the possibility to hold the countdown, and then release it again. Alpina's AL-710 small date automatic manufacture caliber of is launched. An evolution of the first Manufacture Caliber of Alpina since its re-launch, the AL-710 adds a central second to this automatic movement.

2012

Alpina presents the Startimer Pilot 'Worldtimer Manufacture', encasing the fully in-house developed and manufactured AL-718 automatic World Time caliber. The AL-718 is based on the AL-710 Manufacture Caliber and features a 24 time zone indication, night/day indicator and a small date at 6 o'clock. It is extremely easy to use: the single crown operates all its functions.

2013

Alpina celebrates its 130th watchmaking anniversary with the "Alpina 130", a pilot chronograph inspired by a 1930s Alpina pilot chronograph, featuring both a telemeter and tachymeter on the dial.

2014

76 years after having introduced the concept of the modern sports watch with the Alpina 4 in 1938, Alpina comes back with the concept of '4' in its Alpiner collection. The Alpiner '4' is a professional Alpine watch featuring the 4 sports properties 1) Antimagnetic, 2) Antishock, 3) Water-resistant, and 4) Stainless steel case.

All Antique watches are mechanical. Many repairs will not be cheap, as most likely they will require replacement of non-standard parts (unlike most late model watches).

• Antique watches should not be beaten or dropped - because repairs may be expensive.
• Antique watches are generally NOT waterproof. This is because waterproofing was not in general production until the middle of the 20th century for most watches. Therefore you should protect your antique watch from exposure to moisture.
• If your watch becomes wet it should be dried off quickly. Carefully open all covers and use a hair drier to blow dry the movement, dial, covers, crown. This will reduce the amount of rust.
• If your watch becomes wet with any kind of salt water you should immediately immerse or spray your watch with fresh (no-salt) water to remove all the salt from the works before drying the watch completely. Any salt left in the watch will combine with moisture in the air to rust metal components of the movement, case etc.
• Winding any mechanical watch tight may break the mainspring. If you can avoid it do not wind the watch hard.
• When adjusting the hands of your watch, move them in a clockwise direction only. Counter-clockwise adjustments may damage the movement. It is desirable to adjust the hands of your watch at the same time every day. An automatic or self-winding watch should be worn for at least 8 hours a day. It is a mechanical watch in which the mainspring is wound automatically as a result of natural motion of the wearer's arm, to provide energy to run the watch, making manual winding unnecessary.
• If you must adjust counter-clockwise make it for small adjustments only (i.e. for minutes, NOT hours).
• Be careful and gentle when adjusting the movement speed (faster or slower). Don't make sharp movements, and don't touch other components in the movement especially the pendulum mechanism.
• Every 2-3 years it is necessary to service and oil vintage watches. If the course of your watches is worsening and the accuracy of the reduction in the duration of the clock (autonomy) from one fully wound spring - it need a service.
• IF the watch is dirty - allow the watch to run down, don't wind it again until you have it serviced by a qualified watch repair expert. Dust will absorb and remove important lubricants and cause the movement pieces to wear down.
• To clean the case, dial and crystal you should use a cloth that does NOT leave fibers as these may get caught up in the movement. Check with your Watch repair expert to get an appropriate cloth.
• Keep your antiques watch away from magnets. Strong magnetic fields may affect the accuracy of your watch since some vintage watches were made with iron based components in the movement.
• Most Cases and Covers are fine components and will not handle abuse well. The watch should not be shaken, beaten, or stressed.
• Antique watches generally experience an error of up to 5-7 minutes a day. Any accuracy of +- 5 minutes is very good.
• Mechanical watch is not recommended to use for engage in extreme sports, and expose them to excessive vibration loads. Recoil force, which take on the clock, affect their reliability and precision. No matter how perfect was not anti-shock mechanism, there is always the chance of excessive load that details of the mechanism can not survive.
• Watch with calendar. It is not recommended to adjust, the date between 20.00 and 06.00, because at this time involved a mechanism for automatic adjustment date. Translation pointers calendars manually in this position arrows may damage the mechanism. Date changes should be made, relegating pre-clockwise to lower sector of the dial (for example, to position 6 (18.00) hours).
• Chronograph watches. In most cases, these watches contain the "start/stop" button and "reset" button. It is strongly recommended not to press the "reset" if the chronograph is running. Before you use the "Reset" button need to stop the chronograph by button "start/stop". Using the "reset" when running chronograph can damage the mechanism of most models of watches.

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We ship to any country. This item will be shipped to you from Europe (Ukraine) via registered airmail with tracking number and insurance within 7-14 days (except for the weekends and holidays) after the payment is fully received.

Typical Delivery Time

• European Countries: about 7-10 days;
• USA, Japan & other: about 10-14 days.

NOTE: Delivery time may increase because of postal services and/or customs. Please, don't worry and check location of your parcel using provided tracking number. In spite of delays all our previous lots have been successfully delivered!

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