The Chopard was founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860 in Sonvilier, Switzerland. His watches were precise and dependable, attracting buyers from all over the world. His son followed in his footsteps, ultimately relocating the business to Geneva in 1937. His grandson had taken over the family company by 1943, and when his sons refused to continue, it was the grandchild who decided to seek a buyer for the brand in 1963.
Karl Scheufele, a German jeweler, purchased the corporation at that time. The Chopard brand flourished under the Scheufele family. The family was able to incorporate the company’s expansion for over 40 years while staying consistent in the watchmaking market. Scheufele’s children have maintained the company. Chopard is well-known throughout the world for its premium jewelry as well as its magnificently creative and reliable watches. Now there are numerous collections available, and here are some of the brand’s highlights.
1. L.U.C. 1860
The founding of the inimitable product of Louis-Ulysse Chopard is the reason why the brand commemorates the year with the L.U.C. 1860. In 1996, the first watch in the L.U.C. set was generated. It was a watch with outstanding chronometry that incorporated all of the watchmaking philosophies that have led to Chopard’s success. It features a Calibre 96.01-L and 4 Hz at 28,800 vph, the Chopard’s first in-house movement. The was automatically wound and its micro-rotor was made of 22-karat gold. This incredible feat had two barrels so that the very slender watch with a small case would have a power reserve of 65 hours. Chopard released a version in a limited run series of 250 pieces in 2016, with a market value of $22,181.45.
2. L.U.C. Quattro
When the L.U.C. Quattro was presented in 2000, it was engineered with supreme battery life and its movement used the L.U.C. 98.01-L. The serial operation of the twin spring barrels provided a long reserved power of 9 days, which was an exemption to the standard.
The most recent model of this revolutionary wristwatch is available in 18k rose gold for about $24,000, although the brand mentions that design cast with gems is dependent on economic volatility. Chopard will just give a notification if they decided to change prices at any time. There are a lot of different options available, each with a variety of metal, face, and band content. Within the 43 mm case is encased the L.U.C. Calibre 98.01-L movement. With the two sets of coupled barrels and springs measuring 47 cm, this is considered the world’s first hand-wound movement as all the finishing is done by hand.
3. L.U.C. Triple Certification Tourbillon
What distinguishes this 18k rose gold watch is that it is the world’s first model to have multiple certifications of excellence including The Fleurier Quality Foundation certificate, The Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, and the Chronometer certificate from the COSC.
These three credentials ensure the greatest ranks of craftsmanship and performance, as well as the source of power and influence. Its tourbillon movement is housed in a see-through sapphire crystal case and contains 33 jewels and 224 parts. The Phillips terminal curve balance spring, a Variner balance wheel, 11.15-mm thin case, and 216-hour power reserve all relate to the watch’s finest service. The cost of this timepiece can be obtained upon the query.
4. Imperiale Joaillerie
Imperiale Joaillerie, which debuted at Baselworld 2016, is a work of art in both craftsmanship and jewelry. It took over 1,000 hours to appropriately choose the 581 sapphires that enable all of the colors of the rainbow to sparkle through this wristwatch. Each stone was trimmed and placed to provide the whole color spectrum. The sapphires in baguette-cut were painstakingly fixed throughout the actual watch, which has an 18k rose gold base to effectively protect the dial, the bracelet, and the case. Amethysts were used for the lug and crown covers, and the setting processes took an added 1,012 hours. Chopard 01.03-C caliber is the watch’s self-winding movement and it beats at a rate of 4 Hertz, 28,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve capacity of 60 hours.
5. Chronomètrie Ferdinand Berthoud
FB1, the first luxury watch ever labeled after the renowned Ferdinand Berthoud, is a tribute to his expertise as he was termed the Master Clockmaker in 1753. He was conceived in Val-de-Travers, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and when he was 18, he went to Paris to study the art of clockmaking and horology. When he was 26 years old, the King of France appointed him maître, a person regarded as a master in the profession, and thus began his noble works of producing high-quality marine chronometers.
The Chopard timepiece honoring Berthoud is contemporary, intricate, and vintage in appearance, and is in the shape of an octagon. The movement includes a gimbal suspension system and the octagonal shape is evocative of ship portholes, which is common in marine chronometers. The movement and dial of the wristwatch are housed in a protective and waterproof case, while the small lateral portholes together with sides allow you to see the inner workings of the ship. A tourbillon, a persistent force fusée-chain, precise interior architecture, that incorporates elements of contemporary and traditional systems, a second hand that is driven directly, and a groundbreaking power reserve are among the complications. The mechanical works are made up of 1,120 internal structural parts. With the use of German silver, renowned as maillechort, there are references to old world development. An impressive 53 hours of battery pack is offered by the power reserve mechanism.
In A Nutshell
Chopard has created some technological advances in the past century and a half., and while they do have some remarkable in-house movements, the majority of their movements are not entirely created by them. They are either they are built in-house using multiple processes, or ébauche calibers, which are “outsourced” movements from ETA. They also have many watches that use Quartz movements, which are significantly more affordable than mechanical and automatic movements.
On the other hand, since Chopard has a long-standing romantic relationship with cinema, Caroline Scheufe enlisted the eyesight of one of today’s greatest directors to bring to life a movie that is a genuine screed of joie de vivre. Xavier Dolan has uncovered the electricity of our feelings through the perspective of his quick mind in an exceptional interaction with Julia Roberts.
