Chopard have had a really solid last couple of years when it comes to their new releases, and all told they did not disappoint at Baselworld 2018. Some funky new colours were added to the Mille Miglia line, but one of the real stars of the show was this new take on the L.U.C Quattro. Past iterations of the piece, while technically brilliant, have always come off as quite conservative. For 2018, the Quattro takes on much more casual airs, and though limited to only 50 pieces worldwide, we can’t help but hope that a similar variant will make it to series production further on down the road. Here’s what you need to know about this rose gold gem while they’re still on the market. Vital statistics At its core, this is pure Chopard L.U.C fine watchmaking at its best. The hand-winding caliber of the Quattro is an impressive one, delivering a 9-day power reserve from four stacked mainspring barrels (two stacked pairs), all crammed into a very modestly sized caliber. Believe it or not, the caliber itself is only 3.7mm thick — thinner than the conventional 3-hand caliber 2824 from ETA, for that matter. This isn’t a new caliber… Read More
INTRODUCING: The Chopard L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru
The latest addition to the L.U.C Heritage collection pays tribute to not only the Chopard of the past but also to the present. To understand how, I’ll have to take you through a crash course in Chopard history (don’t worry, I’ll make it quick). Chopard were founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who specialised initially in highly accurate pocket watches. Some of these early chronometers even made their way as far as the court of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Skipping forward a century, in 1963 the company was purchased by the Scheufele family, who still own it to this day, with brother-sister combo Karl-Friedrich and Caroline Scheufele at the helm as co-presidents. In 1996, through the efforts of Karl-Friedrich, Chopard created the L.U.C collection and released their very first in-house movement, the L.U.C 1.96. Which brings us back to today and the reason we’re here, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru. The first thing you’ll notice is the tonneau-shaped, 18k rose gold case. It’s slim at only 7.74mm thick and measuring 38.5 x 38.8 mm across, and its rounded rectangular (only just) shape is reminiscent of the oak barrels used to store wine. While this isn’t a new shape in watches – nor… Read More
HANDS-ON: Looking for a dressy daily wearer that’s a little left field? Try the Chopard L.U.C XP
I don’t want to sound like a jaded watch journalist because – let’s be honest – those guys are the worst. But having said that, there were not too many surprises at Baselworld 2017. I knew we’d be seeing Speedmasters from Omega, a Sea-Dweller from Rolex and some crazy-but-cool collabs from Hublot. I didn’t expect to be blown away by a simple, smart little dress watch from Chopard. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a lot of time for Chopard’s fine watchmaking (and indeed their high jewellery – though I’m not the target market there), but the way the Chopard L.U.C XP managed to combine proper high horology, classical restraint and a youthful energy really struck me. It might not have made our Top 11, but it was very much in the running. Before we get to the good looks of the L.U.C XP, let’s talk about what’s going on behind the scenes. The slim (7.2mm) steel case houses a brand new movement, the L.U.C 96.53-L, a very neatly finished ultra-thin (3.3mm) automatic powered by a tungsten micro-rotor and boasting an impressive 58 hours of power reserve (compared to 44 hours for Piaget’s 1200P and 43 hours for the Caliber 896, which… Read More
BEST IN SHOW: The Top 10 Watches of 2013
As we look forward to the latest and greatest that Baselworld 2014 will offer us we started feeling a little emotional, a little nostalgic even. Before we get caught up in this years batch of ultra-thin, ultra-cool and generally game changing watches we wanted to pay our respects to the greatest watches of 2013. The King is dead! Long live the King! Omega Dark Side of the Moon Speedmaster This is the watch that had to happen. It’s the watch that Speedy fans have been clamouring for and expecting, for years. But when Omega finally dropped an all black moonwatch no one expected them to make the entire freaking thing out of Ceramic. Omega could have gone the easy route of giving a regular speedy a DLC (diamond like carbon) coating, and everyone would have been happy. But no, they decided to make it out of super light, super hard to machine ceramic. Not just the bezel either. The whole thing. Big kudos. And even bigger kudos for make it a regular production model, not a limited edition. Absolutely stunning watch. Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Frederique Constant have managed to achieve the virtually impossible: Carve out a solid space in… Read More
