Alpina Extreme ’12 Hours of Sebring’ © Alpina Geneve

Alpina Geneve is proud to be the Official Timekeeper of the 57th edition of the famous 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, which will take place from March 18-21, 2009 on Sebring International Raceway in Florida, USA.

For this occasion, Swiss manufacturer of high quality sports watches Alpina, developed an exciting special limited edition: the Alpina Extreme ’12 Hours of Sebring’.

The watch capitalizes on the strong brand philosophy of Alpina, combined with the important requirements of the drivers in the race: highest level of accuracy, extremely high readability, shock resistance, sturdiness and reliability.

The timepiece, with a case diameter of 48mm, is made out of black steel and rubber, has a mat black dial – expressing the tarmac of the track – and features clear indexes with a bold red ‘12’, commemorating the twelve exhausting hours of the race. Inside a durable, fully hand made Swiss automatic movement keeps track of time and shows the date. This high tech ‘engine’, with its black signature Alpina oscillating weight is visible through the exhibition case back. Both front and reverse sides are equipped with sapphire crystals.

To honor the 57th race, the watch will be presented in an exclusive limited and numbered edition of only 257 pieces worldwide, giving it a high collectors value, already before its introduction.

The partnership between Alpina and Sebring Raceway forms the perfect match between two important players in their respective fields.

More about Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring are America’s oldest and most prestigious sports car endurance race and are considered to be the most important race in the American Le Mans Series. Also, it is known as an excellent preparation for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the track’s extremely bumpy surface, combined with south-central Florida’s perennial hot weather, forms a true test for the reliability of the equipment.

Sebring kicks-off the international sports car racing season and traditionally attracts North America’s finest field of sports car racing teams. Second only to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, Sebring attracts over 200,000 fans from around the world to the 3.7-mile circuit, which originated from a World War II B-17 training base. An impressive 627 million television viewers around the world is expected to be watching the race.

All the legends have raced at Sebring … Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Briggs Cunningham, Jacky Ickx, Lake Underwood and dozens of other international motor racing heroes, driving race cars built by the world’s great manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati, Aston Martin and Audi.

More about Alpina
With regards to the history of Swiss watch manufacturer Alpina, we look back to 1883, the founding year of the association of manufacturers and retailers of watches that evolved into ‘Alpina’. Its members called themselves affectionately the ‘Alpinists’ and they all shared the same target: the success of the Alpina brand. Alpina Watch International SA developed a new collection, perpetuating the Alpina heritage. The new Alpina collection of technical sports watches composes of a range of models, some equipped with complications; three families with different styles that attract various kinds of sportsmen.

In the past, Alpina was best known for its “Alpina 4” watches. The number “4” stood for four important quality criteria that were united in these watches: anti-magnetism, water-resistance, the incorporation of an Incabloc anti-shock system and a tough stainless steel case. The “Alpina 4” was also equipped with one of the sturdiest watch calibers of its generation, the Alpina 582 Calibre, which continued to be used well into the 1950’s and 60’s.

Today, Alpina is an independent family owned watch manufacturer based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. Founded in 1883, Alpina celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2008 and is evolving into a cool Sports & Lifestyle brand with its new, contemporary collections. The company is involved in all stages of watch production, from initial design to final assembly and quality control. Each watch is assembled by hand and extensively controlled with state-of-the-art equipment, in order to ensure maximum quality and durability. The company innovates to offer creativity and exceptional value. Its factory in Plan-les-Ouates Geneva is ultra modern and offers the best environment for its watchmakers. Production reached 10’000 timepieces in 2008.

Alpina, Be a Player!

More information can be found on www.sebringraceway.com and on www.alpina-watches.com.

Feel free to contact:
Yasmina Pedrini: pedrini@alpina-watches.com
Caroline Delmonte: delmonte@alpina-watches.com