Despite a relatively short history, having only been founded in 1996, Chopard’s watch manufacture is an accomplished one. It is a highly integrated facility that has developed quite a number of movements since, as well as several of its own signatures and innovations. It has covered a gamut of prestige complications as well, such as striking watches, perpetual calendars and tourbillons.
The L.U.C collection, Chopard’s flagship watchmaking line-up, introduces a new milestone with the L.U.C Flying Twin T Perpetual. It features the Calibre 96.36-L, the first of its movements to implement a flying tourbillon alongside a perpetual calendar. It boasts of a couple of features that, traditionally, have been challenging to find in a tourbillon movement—it is self-winding (via micro-rotor, an L.U.C signature) and has a stop seconds function for accurate time-setting. The latter will come in handy to take advantage of the watch’s exceptional precision, as attested to by its COSC certification.
View more of the L.U.C. Flying Twin T Perpetual
Two stacked barrels, Chopard’s ‘Twin’ hallmark, give it a maximum power reserve of 65 hours. It is, of course, also finished to extremely high standards, as can be viewed through the display caseback. In fact, the movement is adorned with the Poinçon de Genève hallmark, signifying that the watch has passed an extremely rigorous set of aesthetic and performance benchmarks.
Despite this impressive array of features, the total thickness of this watch—including its ethical yellow gold case, which is 40.5mm in diameter—is just 11.6mm. The case also debuts a new, refined bassiné profile, one where the base is narrower than the domed bezel; it is a nod to the historical pocket watches of Louis-Ulysse Chopard, whose 19th century creations remain a key part of the brand’s inspirations.
The dial side is a concise calendar display, with a large date display at 12 o’clock, flanked by subdials that indicate 24-hour time, day of the week, month, and leap year. The backdrop is a deep Forest Green guilloché pattern in a bold, striated sunburst evocative of Art Deco styling. A subtle detail is the patterning of the 24-hour time subdial at 9 o’clock, dividing it into two and effectively turning it into a day/night indicator.
View more of the L.U.C. Lunar One
In the meantime, the new L.U.C Lunar One invigorates a long-standing part of the Chopard line-up, and it does so by closely following the path set by the Flying Twin T Perpetual. It is also chronometer-certified and bears the Poinçon de Genève; its case is also 40.5mm in diameter in the new bassiné style, thickness is also 11.6mm, and the dial pattern is very similar. The major difference is, of course, that calibre 96.13.L has no tourbillon and, instead, hosts a moonphase indicator that will be accurate within one day for 122 years. Both northern and southern hemisphere phases are shown, with iconic constellations—the Big Dipper and Southern Cross, respectively—adding a bit of astronomical flair. The L.U.C Lunar One is available in two executions: white gold case with salmon dial, and rose gold case with blue dial.
Both of these watches also have a quick-change strap system, and come supplied with an extra strap. The L.U.C collection has long been noted for its technical accomplishments and mastery of traditional watchmaking crafts, and the updates heralded in these new releases allow the collection to stand proudly in the contemporary horological landscape.
