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Chopard, predominantly known as a jewelry brand, debuted their L.U.C. line in 1997 as an homage to the founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard, focused on creating fine timepieces. It was a bold move as the world of horology was in recovery after the quartz crisis in the 1970s to 1980s.
The Chopard L.U.C. 1860 is simply a traditional dress watch, measuring at 36.5mm with just over 8mm profile.
The dial is crafted from gold with beautiful engine-turned guilloche dial by Metalem, the same factory that did the dial for Philippe Dufour watches. And in this case it has a beautiful and rare salmon color dial. It features a date window at 6 giving it a good balance and symmetry.
At the back, we can see the Cal. 1.96 automatic movement with micro-rotor. Manufactured in-house, and developed with the help of Michel Parmigiani, it took three years to develop. It has an impressive 70 hours power reserve thanks to its two stacked barrels. The finishing is spectacular with the distinct Geneva Stripes on the bridges, black polished swan neck regulator and the screw heads, as well as the sharp chamfer on the bridges. The movement is COSC certified and carries the Geneva Seal hallmark. It is no surprise that this Cal. 1.96 is considered one the finest automatic movement ever made.