Australia has well and truly entered the horological conversation. Both Seiko and Grand Seiko have paid homage to the distinct landscape down under and its unique plant life through regional exclusives. Meanwhile, Zenith teamed up with AFL legend Buddy Franklin to design a bespoke charity that took its design cues from the sandstone of the sacred site of Uluru as well as Franklin’s indigenous heritage. Most recently, Longines collaborated with Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung artist and surfer Otis Hope Carey on a quartet of NATO straps for its HydroConquest collection.
Entering the fray is Chopard, with the Swiss manufacture’s latest timepiece displaying how two seemingly disparate crafts can harmonise together. Introduced in 2019, the Alpine Eagle drew inspiration from the manufacture’s 1980s St. Moritz, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s debut watch design. The new Chopard Alpine Eagle Sunburnt offers a thoughtful Australian take on the manufacture’s luxury sports watch offering.
Designed in collaboration with tattooist, surfer, punk musician, and Indigenous artist Shaun Daniel Allen (Shal), the Chopard Alpine Eagle Sunburnt features a ‘Sunburnt Red’ dial. Where Alpine Eagle releases have typically looked to the Swiss Alps for tonal inspiration, Sunburnt Red makes for a striking deviation from the cool shades of Aletsch Blue and Bernina Grey. Dark and deep yet undeniably warm, the Sunburnt Red shade is reminiscent of ochre and the soil in the outback. Reflecting the Australian landscape’s ability to shift depending on the time of day, the Alpine Eagle Sunburnt is the first of its kind to feature a gradient dial, which sees the red become darker as it radiates towards the periphery.
The textured dial plays host to rhodium-plated Roman numerals and hour indices, which pop against the deep red shade and boast a luminescent coating for readability under all lighting conditions. There’s also a subtle date aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock. The limited-edition Australian exclusive is based on the standard 41mm Alpine Eagle in Lucent Steel; Chopard’s proprietary alloy which is crafted from recycled material, resistant to abrasion, and a touch shinier than traditional stainless steel.
Flip the timepiece over and the true artistry is on display. The sapphire crystal exhibition caseback plays host to Shal’s artwork which takes form as undulating shapes in earthy shades of reds and browns. Beginning his career as a tattoo artist, Shal used painting as a way to wind down and create without the creative constraints imposed by the job.
“I started doing meditation-based art that a few of my friends pointed me in the direction of,” Shal tells Albert Review, noting that he subsequently scaled back his tattooing and began to paint larger form artworks. “They kind of ended up morphing towards this, and I didn’t really know what it was until I flew over home [to Bundjalung country] and saw all the rivers and I was like ‘this is it’.”
It’s these rivers that inform the abstract motifs on the caseback, with the curvilinear shapes taking pride of place atop Chopard’s in-house 01.01-C automatic calibre. Par for course for the Alpine Eagle, the limited-edition variant is presented on an integrated triple-link Lucent Steel bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links and a butterfly clasp.
Limited to 20 examples, each timepiece comes housed in a sustainable wooden box, each hand-painted by Shal. The artist’s expressive motifs extend across the entirety of the box, with not even the Chopard logo spared — there’s always a certain inherent coolness to seeing contemporary art swathe a heritage luxury product, but the mutual respect here is evident.
The Chopard Alpine Eagle Sunburnt is limited to 20 pieces and priced at $27,500AUD, with a portion of the profits going to the Ngunya Jarjum Aboriginal Corporation, a charity that provides culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with an emphasis on Aboriginal kinship and continued cultural immersion.
“Ngunya Jarjum works to support families to nurture their children, raise them on country, and preserve our culture and strength into the future,” says Shal. “I want to see Bundjalung families thriving and supported!”
The Alpine Eagle Sunburnt is exclusively available through Chopard boutiques in Australia.
Words by T. Angel
