Chopard’s timely Strike
As the crowning point of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture, the marque launches its first-ever minute repeater: the L.U.C Full Strike, featuring a number of world-première features, and the first L.U.C watch to feature a dual-time function built into the movement – the L.U.C GMT One in rose gold
L.U.C Full Strike
The Chopard Manufacture has been working for more than six years on its most sophisticated chiming watch to date: the L.U.C Full Strike. The L.U.C Strike One model, launched in 2006, chimes each hour. The collection now welcomes a minute repeater entirely developed, produced and assembled in house: the L.U.C Full Strike.
This distinguished 42.5 MM watch in Fairmined rose gold with an open-worked dial, which strikes the hours, quarters and minutes on sapphire gongs, houses a substantial number of technical solutions that make it one of the most innovative minute repeaters on the market.
These sapphire rings are an integral part of the watch glass, which creates a perfect loudspeaker to faithfully diffuse the chimes of the hammers striking the sapphire. This is a unique technical solution that is visible at 10 o’clock and results in a tone of matchless purity, which is rich and full, powerful and resonant. The Full Strike chimes as if a silver knife were delicately tapping a Bohemian crystal glass placed on the table of a gourmet restaurant.
Almost 17,000 hours were needed to develop the Calibre 08.01-L, which is subjected to three pending patents. Chopard has found all-new in-house responses to historical issues relating to the nature of the gongs, as well as to the operation and ergonomics of the striking system as a whole.
In particular, this movement comprises a series of security systems that protect it from all the inappropriate handling operations that can damage minute repeaters. Its crown serves to wind the movement in one direction, and its striking mechanism in the other. The watch thus accumulates enough energy to strike 12:59 – the longest time in the minute repeater repertoire – 12 times.
It is equipped with a double power-reserve indicator positioned at 2 o’clock and featuring two superimposed hands respectively indicating the striking-mechanism reserve and the movement’s autonomy. The watch bears the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark.
The Full Strike is uniquely equipped with sapphire gongs, which form part of a coherent set. The gongs and watch glass are machined together from a single sapphire block. They thus form a single welding-, glue- and screw-free entity: a construction that is totally unique in watchmaking history and for which a patent has been filed.
The Full Strike is housed in a case made of 18-carat Fairmined rose gold, with a polished bezel and case back, while the hand-engraved, exhibition back is fitted with glare-proofed sapphire crystal. With a frequency of 28,800 vph, the timepiece enjoys a power reserve of 60 hours. The striking watch case is further enhanced by the strap in hand-sewn double-sided CITES-certified alligator leather, dyed with plant pigments, and the 18-carat rose gold pin buckle. The L.U.C Full Strike is a limited edition of 20 pieces.
L.U.C GMT One in rose gold
Another timepiece that Chopard has unveiled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of its Manufacture in Fleurier is the first L.U.C watch to feature a dual-time function built into the movement.
The new L.U.C GMT One provides a dual-time read-off powered by an original L.U.C 01.10-L calibre with integrated GMT function. This watch for gentleman globetrotters stands out by the sheer elegance of its details and the intensely practical nature of its horological complication.
Its GMT function serves to display a second time zone and tells the time in any place and every circumstance. When travelling, the timepiece adjusts to local time while keeping track of home time as experienced by friends and family. In its more contemporary stainless steel version, the sunburst black dial rimmed by slate grey serves to show the 24 hours of a busy day, transferred in white for daytime hours and in orange for the night hours.
The 18-carat rose gold variation graced with alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes is the dressier of the two models. The dial matching the case is surrounded by a part-brown, part-white ring providing a clear contrast between daytime and night-time.
In keeping with the fundamental spirit of the L.U.C collection, the L.U.C GMT One is an exceptional timepiece that is easy to use and appreciate on a day-to-day basis. A first crown positioned at 2 o’clock serves to adjust the date and local time, while the second crown at 4 o’clock controls the large baton-type hand tipped with a large arrow and pointing to the second time zone. The latter is orange for the L.U.C GMT One in steel, and gilt for the 18K rose gold version. At 6 o’clock it glides over the date aperture, a characteristic feature of L.U.C watches.
This complication is based on the new Chopard Manufacture self-winding Calibre L.U.C 01.10-L endowed with a 60-hour power reserve. The ideally proportioned L.U.C GMT function is smoothly integrated into this finely crafted movement. This mechanical signature embodies the horological mastery cultivated by Chopard.
In accordance with the stringent quality standards upheld by Chopard Manufacture, the movement finishes meet the highest aesthetic norms. Chopard has decided to apply to it the finishing criteria of the most prestigious watch industry certifications. Its components are all chamfered and its bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève. This meticulous finishing is visible through a transparent sapphire crystal case back. Like all L.U.C watches equipped with a function indicating the seconds, the L.U.C GMT One is chronometer-certified by the COSC.
The L.U.C GMT One, in both the rose gold and stainless steel versions, has a diameter of 42 MM and is water-resistant up to 50 metres.
