To keep track of my heartbeat, my activity and my sleep patterns, I wear a Fitbit (Charge HR 2, if you must know), and I really love it. The only time it is off my wrist is when I have to charge it.
So, when Alpina contacted me to test their newest “sports” smart watch, I was a little hesitant. I had tried an Apple Watch and was less than convinced. But Alpina CEO Peter Stas is a very persuasive man, so I agreed to give the new Alpiner X a try.
And I’m glad I did.
I really liked the watch. The Alpiner X is big (at 45mm), but it feels and looks like a watch, not like a gadget. From a distance, it just looks like a high-quality sports watch, which is what it is, but it offers all the information that my Fitbit does and more, including a Worldtime (2nd time zone + local 24h time), a UV indicator, altitude, a compass, temperature and a barometer.
Its fiberglass and stainless steel case is light, so even at 45mm, it doesn’t overwhelm your wrist. Unlike my Fitbit, the Alpiner X is water-resistant to 100 meters, which meant that I didn’t have to take it off when going swimming or when dropping into the hot tub at the gym.
The Alpiner X connected seamlessly with the app on my iPhone, so I could track everything there. While traveling, I was able to change the time via the app, so no fumbling through menus on the watch was needed.
Another advantage of the Alpiner X is that its battery life is at least two years, where other fitness trackers have to be charged every other day or so. This is a great relief, because it takes the stress out of wearing and using the Alpiner X.
Technical Specification
Case: Black fiberglass and stainless steel, 45mm diameter with 360° bi-directional turning compass bezel
Movement: MMT-283-1, Horological Smartwatch; All connected functions operated by crown; 2+ years battery life
Water Resistance: 10 ATM/100m/330ft
Dial: Black dial with matte finishing with applied silver indexes with white luminous and digital screen
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date; Activity Tracking; Sleep Tracking; Dynamic Coach; Worldtime (2nd Time Zone + Local 24h Time); Smart Alarms (Get-Active Alerts, Sleep Alarm); Calls & Messages Notifications; UV Indicator; Altitude; Compass; Temperature; Time Recorder (Stopwatch, Timer, Workouts); Barometer
