Wempe and Chopard are more than just business associates, the companies’ owners are also long term family friends.
So, when it came to Wempe wanting to create a special limited edition watch to mark its 40th anniversary on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, the solution was just a speed dial call away.
2020 is also an anniversary year for Ruediger Albers, who has been running Wempe in the United States for 30 years.
Wempe chief Kim-Eva Wempe and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard set their teams the task of creating a watch that exemplifies their shared love of refined luxury, and they settled on a three-hand Alpine Eagle in pale gray with blue accents and — notably for collectors — the Wempe logo on the dial.
There are 40 of the steel on steel Alpine Eagle Wempe 5th Avenue Edition going on sale exclusively at Wempe boutiques for $12,900.
It uses the Chopard 01.01-C manufacture-made automatic movement with a 60-hour power reserve.
“When it came time to deciding how we would celebrate our milestone anniversary, Chopard was a natural partner,” says Mr Albers. “The Maison has been a part of our New York journey from the very beginning and this new Alpine Eagle Wempe 5th Avenue Edition timepiece really brings us full circle. It’s also just a great looking watch.”
Mr Scheufele adds: “The Wempe Fifth Avenue flagship is a destination for serious watch connoisseurs, and for the last 40 years, their New York team has been offering clients with the world’s best timepieces. Together with Kim-Eva Wempe, we had the idea to create a commemorative limited-edition watch, to celebrate this important anniversary — a timepiece that truly represents the spirit and savoir-faire of our family business and expresses the excellence of both companies.”
