Like some of you out there in the watch-world, I tend to live my life in one time zone – GMT-5 for me. So why would I need the Alpina Alpiner 4 GMT? The answer is simple: Because.

Having never owned an Alpina or a GMT before, I was surprised by the quality of finishing and level of detail on this watch. The case is a bit large coming in at 44mm x 15mm, but it is certainly manageable. The crown is perfectly sized with deep edges making unscrewing the screw-down crown easy and smooth. The Alpina logo adds a nice touch.

The bezel is a bit of an odd duck as it uses a 0-36 representing 360 degrees without the “0”. In theory, one can use the GMT hand, the sun’s position and the bezel to determine compass direction. Not sure how useful this is in real life. The action on this bi-directional bezel is solid and exact, and the coin edging is well executed.

The movement of the Alpina Alpiner 4 GMT is the Caliber AL-550 (base Sellita SW-200). It features a jump-hour GMT function, 28,000vph, and a 38-hour power reserve. The big draw with this movement is the jump hour GMT. Changing the local time is as simple as turning the crown to the desired time with no need to fuss with minutes.

The dial is where it’s at. In a word, the silver dial is radiant. The dial has a lot of text but is fairly symmetrical. The applied Alpina logo and hour markers are a nice touch and well done. Similarly, the hands are well done and are appropriately long. A nice touch is the red triangle counterweight on the second hand which mimics the logo nicely. The rehaute is a bit cluttered but necessary to use the 24-hour scale. The date window is inconspicuous at 3 and is deeply set.

Overall, I highly recommend the Alpina Alpiner 4 GMT to anyone seeking a true GMT watch that won’t break the bank or for anyone looking for an elegant sport watch that can be worn in almost any situation.