Chopard is one of the few high jewellery marques that is equally an haute horlogerie one and this is nowhere better seen than its recent novelties unveiled at Watches & Wonders. While its Happy Sport brings aesthetic joy, its Happy Sport Chrono and Imperiale Flying Tourbillon is sure to fascinate the horology fans. Meanwhile, its Happy Sport Métiers d’Art is a wonderful combination of both and is an absolute feast to the senses and the intellect…
Happy Sport
A talisman of joie de vivre in a golden gown, the Happy Sport now appears in a 33 mm version in ethical 18-carat rose gold. Chopard’s iconic Happy Sport timepiece appears in in a golden gown for a majestic dance. Crafted in accordance with the golden ratio embodied in its 33 mm-diameter ethical 18-carat rose gold case, this ultimate embodiment of the sporty-chic trend sweeps five dancing diamonds spinning around its gilded satin-brushed dial in its opulent wake. Fitted with an ethical 18-carat rose gold bracelet, the Happy Sport beats to the rhythm of the Chopard 09.01-C in-house movement and guarantees a 42-hour power reserve.
Happy Sport Chrono
The Happy Sport Chrono is a chic, ultra-feminine chronograph. A critically acclaimed feminine watchmaking icon regularly interpreted since its creation through a multitude of daring designs, the Happy Sport has been reinvented in a new chronograph version. Sporty by nature and ethical in essence, this daring 40 mm-diameter watch has what it takes to appeal. Its seven dancing diamonds swirl around its elegant dial, framed by case made entirely of ethical 18-carat rose gold or a bi-material version made of stainless steel and ethical 18-carat rose gold. The Happy Sport Chrono is powered by a chronograph movement boasting COSC-certified chronometer precision and endowed with a 54-hour power reserve. It is paired with a blue leather strap that contributes to its chic yet casual appearance.
Imperiale Flying Tourbillon
This truly exceptional eight-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat white gold from Chopard unites its watchmaking and jewellery skills. The Imperiale collection created in 1994 welcomes its first-ever flying tourbillon movement, L.U.C Calibre 96.24-C, which is equipped with a stop-seconds function. This technical feature, extremely rare in a tourbillon, enables even more accurate time-setting. Entirely designed and crafted by Chopard, this exclusive mechanism bears both Chronometer-certification and the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. The artisans of the maison have crafted a magnificent robe to attire the extreme precision of this timepiece. Framed by an ethical 18-carat white gold case set with diamonds, the aventurine dial is ‘embroidered’ with a mother-of-pearl marquetry lotus blossom. Nestling within the latter is a flying tourbillon that is both mesmerising and profoundly touching. On the back, a sapphire crystal reveals the Côtes de Genève motif as well as the diamond-paved platinum micro-rotor.
L’Heure du Diamant
With L’Heure du Diamant, Chopard masterfully captures the beauty of diamonds. The collection is now enriched by a 26 mm-diameter jewellery watch in ethical gold, richly set with diamonds and fitted with a link bracelet. The absolute purity of the diamond is majestically highlighted by an emblematic crown setting, which exalts the beauty of each stone by allowing the light to blaze through. This ribbon composed of more than two carats of brilliant-cut diamonds encircling the case lights up a dainty mother-of-pearl dial set with 12 brilliant-cut diamonds. Crafted in ethical 18-carat white or rose ethical gold, the timepiece is paired with a link bracelet comfortably moulding the shape of the wrist. At its heart beats a mechanical manual-winding movement driving hours and minutes indications.
HAPPY SPORT MÉTIERS D’ART
The Happy Sport Métiers d’Art collection this year features three diamond-set eight-piece limited editions in ethical gold. Equipped with Chopard Calibre 96.23-L with its 65-hour power reserve, crafted from ethical gold, magnificently hand-decorated and entirely set with sparkling gems, they are the quintessence of excellence in both watchmaking and jewellery. The impression of depth exuded by their mineral dial graced with multi-dimensional marquetry inlays makes them veritable works of art, fascinating miniature ecosystems representing poetic and stylised worlds that highlight the virtuoso skills of the artisans in Chopard’s workshops.
Hummingbird
The dial of this Happy Sport invites you to immerse yourself in the Amazonian forest and the treasures of floral biodiversity that are essential to its survival. Against a malachite background, four different levels of gold and orange, red and different shades of mother-of-pearl echo the flamboyant chromatic range and stylised shapes of the exquisite hibiscus flower, whose pistil is made of four heart-shaped diamonds. Textured by two types of opal with green and blue iridescence, a hummingbird flits above this ecosystem, surrounded by three heart-shaped dancing diamonds. The bridges and the micro-rotor of Chopard Calibre 96.23-L visible through the case-back pick up the colours, mineral textures and geometrical shapes of the dial.
Polar Bear
Chopard depicts an ice sheet on a splendid blue and green opal dial. Textured mother-of-pearl and invisible-set triangle-cut diamonds trace the ice of the Arctic Circle in an extremely graphic manner featuring varied relief effects. Designed around the geometric shape of the triangle, symbolising perfection and unity, the Happy Sport dial spreads out the canvas of this sparkling landscape as a background for the polar bear ‘mobile’ entirely set with diamonds and holding a pear-shaped diamond in its arms, like a shard of ice lit up by a sunbeam. Together with three other triangular-cut dancing diamonds, this gentle polar bear journeys through a miniature ecosystem reinvented by mineral jewellery magic. The Chopard 96.23-L movement visible through the case-back echoes the dial with its mother-of-pearl bridges and its opal and textured mother-of-pearl micro-rotor.
Sea Turtle
Exuding an aura of playful kindness and protected by a cabochon-cut natural aventurine shell, itself set with diamonds, the ingeniously stylised sea turtle coasts gracefully across the dial of this masterpiece. Thanks to a new technical process developed by Chopard, the sea turtle and the three pear-shaped dancing diamonds twirl between the two sapphire crystals as if swimming in a miniature aquarium surrounded by the protectively undulating arms of a protective mother-of-pearl and green opal arborescence. The result recreates the fascinating and soothing sight of seabed plant-life, on several levels and with unprecedented visual depth. The mechanical intricacies of the Chopard 96.23-L movement can also be admired through the case-back, amid a splendid setting of green textured mother-of-pearl and opal marquetry.
