Chopard has waited almost until the end of the year to remind us that it has been already 20 years since it decided to transform itself into a real manufacture. To celebrate this anniversary, the brand that motor-racing fans like me consider the symbol of the “Mille Miglia” race, has unveiled two extremely interesting and unexpected timepieces, namely the Chopard L.U.C Time Traveler One and the Chopard L.U.C GMT One.
As you may know already, the L.U.C collection celebrates the name of the manufacture’s founder, Monsieur Louis-Ulysse Chopard. He was a big fan of perfect lines and details and the L.U.C Time Traveler One and the L.U.C GMT One represent two complicated timepieces dedicated to frequent-flying professionals and to globetrotters alike, thanks to the world time function and the GMT function. The choice of the “One” world is not casual, the world time complication has appeared on a Chopard watch for the first time, and both calibers are brand new and built in a place that Mr. Scheufele – the brand’s owner – has managed to quickly transform into an entirely-integrated manufacture that is capable of crafting both exceptional complications and melting precious metals alike.
The L.U.C. 01.10-L (GMT One) caliber and the 01.05-L (Time Traveler One) caliber are virtually twins, they are both built on a common base equipped with 60 hours of power reserve and 28,800 beats per hour, they are COSC–certified and feature refined details like, for instance, the Côtes-de-Genève decoration that is fully on display through the sapphire-glassed case-back that has undergone an anti-glaring treatment. It is not simply about finishing lines but it is the general appeal that is the real trademark of Chopard’s calibers and makes them immediately recognizable even without the presence of the logo on the winding rotor. The upper part of the dial sports an interesting soleil decoration, the hours and minutes hands are crafted in a dauphine style that is typical of the L.U.C collection while the seconds hand and the hand of the second time zone are baton-shaped. The date is located at 6 o’clock on the L.U.C GMT One while, on the L.U.C Time Traveler One, it has been replaced by a pointer date that displays the information in an entirely analogical viewing mode and in aesthetically-neater manner too.
In accordance with a scalar logical based on concentric rings, on the L.U.C Time Traveler One, the minutes ring and the 24-hour-ring are inserted between the outer hours ring and the inner one that displays the date through a small arrow-shaped hand. Chopard has clearly preferred an extremely classic interpretation of a world timer watch by giving up the idea of figuratively representing the world-map like many of its competitors and it has simply engraved it on the crown at 4 o’clock instead. The 24-hour-ring and the cities ring are interconnected and adjustable through the latter and allow the user, once the correct time zone has been identified, to read the time simultaneously in the 24 different world cities.
The choice of using stainless-steel for the L.U.C Time Traveler One version is both wise and interesting as it represents the final acceptance and, possibly, the dignifying of stainless-steel, a metal that can now be used to craft elegant timepieces with particular complications like the world time function. The case measures 42mm on both timepieces and is available in 18-carat-rose-gold and platinum (exclusively for the L.U.C Time Traveler One) with a wonderful light blue dial that reminds me, at first sight, of the typical landscapes of the Poles; a mixture of frozen and transparent water and ice. The stainless-steel versions present a fascinating black dial with hands and indices crafted in a deep slate-orange color, quite a strong contrast that makes reading information on the dial even easier.
Exactly 20 years after the funding of the Chopard Manufacture, the L.U.C GMT One and the L.U.C Time Traveler One show the engagement and the attention to detail that this manufacturing company always devotes to the crafting of its watches. This time, Chopard has entered the market with two different products hitting a sector that, in recent time, has witnessed a real boom of watch offers, in particular of those equipped with the world time complication. Pending the chance to take a picture of these two timepieces and also find out what their retail price will be, we would like to wish the Chopard Manufacture 20 more years of success!
(Photo credit: courtesy of Chopard)
Matteo Bulla @Horbiter
@Matteo Bulla
