A Día de los Muertos Skull from Chopard
Chopard presents the L.U.C Skull One, a 100-piece limited-edition adorned with a Mexican calavera as a tribute to the Day of the Dead. Clad in a beautiful combination of dark hues thanks to a black dial with lacquered finishes and gilded hour-markers, the L.U.C Skull One features a 40 mm case in bead-blasted DLC stainless steel and a brown calfskin leather strap. Beneath this mischievous death mask beats the L.U.C 96.53-L mechanical movement with automatic winding, crafted by Chopard manufacture artisans
A syncretic tradition, born in the Aztec civilization and blended with Spanish Catholicism, the Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead in Spanish – is a joyful celebration of the cycle of life and a reminder to be aware of the possibility of death, which in turn gives meaning to existence. A holiday intended as a remembrance of loved ones who have passed away, it is an opportunity to offer gifts, offerings and libations to the deceased, and to maintain the bond that unites families on both sides of the final frontier.
Macabre, yet in a manner that is all about parody, this festival gives Chopard the opportunity to revisit the theme of vanities through the L.U.C Skull One timepiece. Its lacquered dial features a calavera face, a stylised Mexican skull featuring sun, flower and heart-shaped motifs, as well as a moustache with rounded tips above a sweet, toothless smile. An emaciated, yet harmless-looking and even friendly skull on which the hours flow by, marked off by hands, Arabic numerals and gilded hour-markers striking an elegant contrast with the overall black hue.
A hand-stitched brown calfskin leather strap sets a final touch of elegance to this 100-piece limited edition. Responsibly sourced in accordance with stringent ethical criteria, this noble leather becomes even more beautiful when time enhances it with a light-brown patina.
The case of this new timepiece houses the L.U.C 96.53-L mechanical movement with automatic winding. Ultra-thin at a mere 3.3 mm, it is nonetheless equipped with two barrels based on Chopard Twin technology and ensuring a 58-hour power reserve. It comes to life thanks to a micro-rotor in tungsten – a high-density alloy ensuring optimal winding. With its movement bridges finely adorned with a “Côtes de Genève” pattern, it makes the L.U.C Skull One watch as beautiful inside as it is on the outside, which is why its precious calibre is made visible through a blackened transparent back reflecting the sombre aesthetic of this creation.
Chopard is a family maison with a strongly ingrained philosophy of independence. The steps involved in making L.U.C watches are all performed at the maison’s Geneva and Fleurier production sites. Movement development, finished product design, gold smelting, case stamping and machining, calibre components, traditional hand-crafted finishes, surface treatments, polishing, assembly, adjustments and quality controls: Chopard masters the full range of watch production operations and applies them to each and every L.U.C watch. These exceptional timepieces stemming from meticulous workmanship meet the aspirations of the modern-day gentleman. They speak to him without artifice or pretention, through a subtle blend of artisanal expertise and emotions.
