Comments:
With some recent threads about forged carbon...
I thought I would share a few photos of my old Alinghi Team Chronograph. This watch remains so original in design, and it was AP's entrance into using the polarizing material for the watch case and bezel.
There was discussion early on about the sharpness of forged carbon. My sample had rather perfectly manufactured parts that fit together as they should. If there was one area I did not like on the watch, it was the attachment of the crystal to the bezel, which was accomplished using a glue. I remember the side of mine was not as clean as the rest of the bezel.
The Alinghi is superbly comfortable, and so light you frequently forgot it was on. The rubber strap offered a very unique attachment for an AP, as it did not utilize the typical plots. The top of the strap itself was shaped to be inserted directly into the case.
I owned mine for a while and wore it hundreds of times. The edges of my case and bezel never softened, as I have seen on other samples. That likely comes down to how you wear your watch. I can only recall "banging" a nice watch once or twice in 10+ years to a point where I could immediately identify a ding or deep scratch. Luckily, I never had such contact with the Alinghi.
A few of these photos show the watch with the AP hornback strap and ceramic attachment plots. The watch looks so awesome on this strap, and the texture of the crocodile skin really works against the "modeled" look of forged carbon.
There was discussion early on about the sharpness of forged carbon. My sample had rather perfectly manufactured parts that fit together as they should. If there was one area I did not like on the watch, it was the attachment of the crystal to the bezel, which was accomplished using a glue. I remember the side of mine was not as clean as the rest of the bezel.
The Alinghi is superbly comfortable, and so light you frequently forgot it was on. The rubber strap offered a very unique attachment for an AP, as it did not utilize the typical plots. The top of the strap itself was shaped to be inserted directly into the case.
I owned mine for a while and wore it hundreds of times. The edges of my case and bezel never softened, as I have seen on other samples. That likely comes down to how you wear your watch. I can only recall "banging" a nice watch once or twice in 10+ years to a point where I could immediately identify a ding or deep scratch. Luckily, I never had such contact with the Alinghi.
I will say that I found forged carbon extremely scratch resistant. Whereas other polished and brushed metal watches commonly acquire "hairlines" and "swirlies", forged carbon certainly does not.
I remember wearing the watch to an event in NYC later in 2007 and 2 attending friends had the same watch on. At the time, the watch was still in the earlier phases of distribution, so to see 3 together was a bit rare.
Now 6 years later since the launch of the Alinghi Team Chronograph in 2007, we have seen the material used numerous times. No doubt AP has learned more of its properties and how to best utilize the material. I think this watch shows the height of AP's audacity in design, and I always respected the brand for bringing us this wicked material.
I remember wearing the watch to an event in NYC later in 2007 and 2 attending friends had the same watch on. At the time, the watch was still in the earlier phases of distribution, so to see 3 together was a bit rare.
Now 6 years later since the launch of the Alinghi Team Chronograph in 2007, we have seen the material used numerous times. No doubt AP has learned more of its properties and how to best utilize the material. I think this watch shows the height of AP's audacity in design, and I always respected the brand for bringing us this wicked material.
How it will continue to be used in the future remains a point of interest for me. Obviously, 2013 showed us some new cases executed in ceramic, and for sure that material's properties really showcase AP's superb finishing abilities. But forged carbon has its own unique set of properties, and I certainly hope to see it used again in the future.
Good memory. I remember having seen it in the flesh, at the SIHH.
The ROO Orchard Road still stays my favourite ROO, with the Montoya in Titanium, I have to say.
Cool to see this one again, nonetheless!
Thanks for these nice pics, my friend.
Best,
Nicolas
I hope one day a new AP Offshore will again tempt you
Something to exceed the Orchard Road and Montoya for you... maybe I can give them some ideas ;-)
You sure it's forged? Looks real to me. [nt]
No message body This message has been edited by Whirling on 2013-11-26 17:41:09
Nice revisit
This one remains my favorite forged carbon piece .. the one that started it all.
Always hard to better the original
And in this case, I agree that can be said about the Alinghi.
Thanks for your detailed report...
...your first hand experience ease worries towards the durability of forged carbon. Thank you.
Of course. I have always felt that for normal wearing...
The material is terrific.
For someone who will have the watch in harm's way and possibly bang it off things, other materials will wear better.
A very comfortable watch to wear.
I think the design of the strap and tang buckle make this one on the most comfortable large watches to wear.
JerryW
I completely agree with you Jerry.
This is a large watch, and the wide rubber strap paired with the tang buckle was a great decision by the AP design team. This watch would not be correct with the more typical AP deployant.
Very nice read, Michael...
While I respect it as the pioneer of forged carbon timepiece, I share your sentiment on the glued crystal. I also wonder what is the rationale of having a special rubber straps with integrated plots… The watch would probably stand out more if the bezel screws are in polished SS material. However, there is no doubt that this Alinghi ROO is a milestone piece in the application of exotic material in horology.
Thanks for the story and first-hand experience!
I think the integrated strap was appropriate here
Let's face it, this watch has no bling to it at all aside from the polished bezel screws. If nothing else, this design proved a good canvas to try the new strap attachment.
Alinghi FC
It is certainly a landmark piece. Good to know that your watch stood the test of time as a regular wearer. The newer AP FC iterations with ceramic bez possibly offer the best combination of the use of these two modern materials. I was also pleasantly surprised how reasonable a replacement FC case is from AP. So further peace of mind for those still on the fence regarding the durability of FC.
Thanks for sharing your experience of FC.
I loved my Carbon Alinghi when I had it
I still remember wearing it that day Donald Trump was eating at the table next to us!
- AT