News · Alpina

Alpina gives the Startimer a 10-month solar reserve

Three 38mm Pilot Solarmetre references bring light-powered quartz to the aviation line in black, navy and champagne.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 3 min read · 3 September 2026

• All three Startimer Pilot Solarmetre references use a compact 38mm case.
• The solar quartz movement can run for up to 10 months in complete darkness.
• Black and navy models cost CHF1,095; the champagne-PVD model costs CHF1,195.

Alpina has added solar power to its Startimer pilot-watch line with three new 38mm references. Each Startimer Pilot Solarmetre uses a quartz movement that can run for up to 10 months in complete darkness, with black, navy and champagne-coloured executions providing three distinct takes on the same compact instrument layout.

Solar watches are often made to announce the technology with visible cells or overtly technical dial patterns. Alpina has kept the Startimer vocabulary in front. Large Arabic numerals, a clear minute track and a date at three o'clock preserve the aviation-watch character, while the energy system works behind the dial.

Ten months away from the light

The key specification is the stated reserve of up to 10 months in total darkness. In ordinary wear the watch charges from available light, then draws on that stored energy when it is under a sleeve or left in a drawer. That largely removes the regular battery-change cycle associated with a conventional quartz movement, without asking the owner to keep an automatic rotor moving.

Alpina identifies the solar-powered quartz movement as calibre AL-140 across the three product pages. The confirmed functions are hours, minutes, seconds and a date at three o'clock, with stored energy supporting the stated reserve when the watch is away from light.

Quartz also suits the basic promise of a pilot watch. It starts from legibility and reliable timekeeping rather than mechanical display. The centre seconds hand gives an immediate running indication, while the date is positioned away from the main numerals. There are no chronograph subdials competing for space.

Three executions, one 38mm case

All three watches use a 38mm case, a notably wearable size for a modern aviation design. The first reference, AL-140BW3S26, has a black presentation and a genuine leather strap with white stitching. The contrast keeps the dial easy to parse and gives the watch the most traditional Startimer appearance.

Reference AL-140BLW3S26 shifts to navy and comes on a fabric strap with matching stitching. It is the quieter, more casual version, and the textile strap reinforces the utilitarian character without adding another colour accent.

The third, reference AL-140BR3S25, changes the case as well as the strap. Its stainless-steel case receives a champagne-coloured PVD finish and is paired with a sand-beige NATO-style strap. It is priced above the two steel-coloured models and moves furthest from the conventional black cockpit-instrument look.

The product photography shows a closed back across the family, which is entirely sensible here. There is no mechanical movement to exhibit, and the solid surface maintains the clean tool-watch presentation. The 38mm diameter also keeps the solar technology within a compact pilot-watch format rather than making the energy system the dominant visual story.

The strap choices accompany different dial presentations, while the champagne model also changes the case finish. Leather makes the black model the most conventional option, navy fabric gives the second a quieter textile pairing, and the sand NATO-style strap continues the warmer palette of the PVD case. All three share the 38mm format, four functions and stated darkness reserve. With those specifications fixed, the comparison turns on colour, surface treatment and strap rather than fit or function.

The 38mm size also broadens the audience beyond buyers who equate pilot design with an oversized case. Large numerals and a clear minute track supply the required presence, so diameter does not need to do that work on its own. The result is a compact case with the graphic scale expected of a pilot watch.

Price and availability

The black AL-140BW3S26 and navy AL-140BLW3S26 are each priced at CHF1,095. The champagne-PVD AL-140BR3S25 is CHF1,195. All three were listed for pre-order through the checked Alpina online-store pages, with departure stated for November 2026. Those official Swiss-franc figures are retained without conversion.

The official product pages do not identify these references as numbered or limited editions. That keeps the launch focused on choosing among the three colour, case and strap combinations rather than on a stated production allocation.

The Startimer Pilot Solarmetre is a straightforward release, and that is its strength. Alpina has not added a solar movement and then buried it under extra complications. The watches use 38mm cases, retain hours, minutes, seconds and date, and provide a stated reserve of up to 10 months in complete darkness.

For an owner who likes the shape and legibility of a pilot watch but not the routine of resetting an automatic, the proposition is unusually clear. Charge it through normal wear, read it at a glance, and choose whether black, navy or warm champagne belongs on the wrist.