Watches And Wonders 2021: Chopard 

A primer to the hottest new novelties from Chopard and Chopard L.U.C.

Chopard L.U.C GMT One Black and L.U.C Time Traveller One Black

Chopard comes out with guns blazing this year, rolling out handsome dress watches, coveted limited editions, whimsical ladies’ sports offerings and, of course, a blinding selection of jewellery and high-jewellery creations that leave no stone (excuse the pun) unturned. Having said that, the big news of 2021 for Chopard is the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the founding Chopard Manufacture, an establishment that encapsulates the company’s horological ambitions with its in-house R&D, production, manufacturing and quality control facilities.

To that end, Chopard has introduced six L.U.C models that flex the Manufacture’s design and mechanical muscle. Surprisingly, our favourite among the lot happens to be one of the ‘simplest’: the, a retro-style stainless steel beauty that is limited to 25 pieces.

Chopard L.U.C QF Jubilee

Although it displays only the time with small seconds, the casual but dashing watch expresses the Chopard Manufacture’s fastidious quality standards. The ultra-thin L.U.C 96.09-L movement features the Chopard Twin technology with two barrels wound by a 22K gold micro-rotor that promises up to 65-hour power reserve. The watch also boasts double certifications from COSC and Chopard’s own in-house Quality Fleurier tests. 

Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25

Besides the L.U.C QF Jubilee, the other commemorative L.U.C offerings are all stars in their own right. They include the utterly gorgeous L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25, the brand’s first jumping hour wristwatch clad in ethical rose gold with pristine enamel dial that is limited to 100 pieces; a pair of ‘One Black’ watches (pictured at the top of this post) – the Time Traveller and GMT – that are clad in ultra-light but robust ceramised titanium; and, another personal favourite, the L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier Peony, which showcases the company’s savoir faire in hand-hewn artisanship with a grand feu enamel dial decorated with peony motifs, gilded dauphine fusée-type hours and minutes hands, and Fleurisanne engraving on its automatic L.U.C 96.23-L movement with 65-hour power reserve. 

Chopard L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier Peony

Away from the L.U.C offerings, Chopard also serves up a spectacular array of women’s watches that leverage its expertise in jewellery making. The iconic Happy Diamonds collection is always something to look forward too and, this year, the brand introduces a stunning bejewelled version featuring 15 dancing diamonds that spin and slide around the surface of the watch, occasionally disappearing under a Tahitian mother-of-pearl arc that covers half the dial. The spectacle is further enlivened with more diamonds that circle the time display and rose gold case. 

Chopard Happy Diamonds Haute Joaillerie 

Indeed, Chopard’s selection of women’s watches for 2021 brim with unapologetic ostentation. From the vintage flamboyance of the TV-screen shaped L’Heure du Diamant models bearing generously sized brilliant- and briolette-cut diamonds and tree bark-style gold bracelet that evokes the 1970s aesthetic, to the show-stopping trio of Haute Joaillerie watches in 18K white gold, festooned with dancing diamonds on the dial and a tiara of marquise-cut precious stones on the case, they show Chopard at its most capricious and glamorous. 

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