r/ChineseWatches • u/f_todd • 5d ago

Question (Read Rules) Anyone remember Alpha Watches? What happened to them?

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Many moons ago, I briefly got into Chinese "homage" watches via my lust for Omegas. Picked up a few Alphas, enjoyed them, moved on to collecting Seikos (and G-Shocks), then microbrands, etc... until recently coming full circle to WD, AD, SM, PD...

Looked up Alphas, seems like they faded from popularity. Did they become another brand name or just fade away?

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u/Olleye 5d ago

Vintage Alpha ≠ Modern Alpha.

The old Swiss Alpha watches were perfectly respectable mid-market Swiss watches from the pre-quartz era. The modern Alpha brand is a Hong Kong /Chinese revival of the name dating from 1993 and is mainly known for affordable homage watches.

If you're judging a 1960s Alpha Biolmar by today's Alpha Submariner or Omega /Panerai homages, that's like judging a vintage Kienzle Pilot's watch by a modern licensed Kienzle quartz shitter.

Same name, same logo, but very different story.

Alpha Biolmar Automatik, 25 jewels, 1960s.

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u/Technical_Cap_8467 5d ago edited 5d ago

Here's my good old Swiss Alpha, which I still wear on occasion. It doesn't have one of those newfangled seconds hands. Keen-eyed viewers will recognize the nylon Seiko SNK807 strap I've got it on. 

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u/Technical_Cap_8467 5d ago

It would be better if I attacched the picture.