The three newest Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar watches mark the arrival of what’s solely the third technology of Lunar One Perpetual watches by Chopard. That, nevertheless, is to not say this assortment wasn’t near the model’s coronary heart: It has been a gradual member of its extra detailed and high-end L.U.C assortment ever because it debuted because the model’s first-ever in-house complication. The twentieth anniversary brings with it a well-recognized module and dimension, a mighty dial, a flying tourbillon choice, and value tags to match.
Left to proper, above, you see the unique L.U.C Lunar One from 2005 in a 40.5mm huge case, with two gigantic Roman numerals in true mid-2000s luxurious watch vibes (a better take a look at its particulars and proportions reveals simply how a lot thought and intent Chopard had put into the reference that may debut its first in-house complication). Within the center, the 2012 replace penned by Man Bove that grew to 43mm huge. To the correct is the 2025 replace that returns to the unique’s 40.5mm diameter, in tune with the most recent adjustments and developments in style, simply as the massive watch pattern has turned.
Left to proper, above, the three items that debut concurrently in 2025. These are the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar in 18k moral white gold with a salmon pink dial (Chopard reference 161951-1002), the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual T in 18k yellow gold with a inexperienced dial, and the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar in 18k moral rose gold with a galvanic blue dial (Chopard reference 161951-5001). Listed here are what Doug DeMuro would name their “quirks and options.”
First, the dial. The dial on all three variations of the brand new Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual watches is crafted from some variant of strong 18k gold. What’s particularly neat is that Chopard neglected a few little areas the place the unique alloy of the valuable steel could be found: the body of the “digital” date window was filed away — apparently by hand, judging from these inside corners — and so you will notice white gold, yellow gold, or rose gold contrasting in opposition to the galvanic treatment-colorized high. Likewise, the sides of the three and 9 o’clock subdial frames have additionally been machined away and polished, as soon as once more revealing the valuable base.
I particularly like the hardly seen horizontal groove (with painted black dashes) that separates the day and night time halves of the 24-hour show at 9 o’clock — that is the form of stuff that may take months of possession earlier than one lastly notices with a lot else happening. The orbital moon part show (the place the night time star rotates across the small seconds axis, therefore the time period “orbital”) represents the sky as seen from the Northern Hemisphere with the Massive Dipper, in addition to from the Southern Hemisphere with the Southern Cross. The remainder of the “stars” are little dots. It is going to take 122 years for this show to be off by a day — which, unusually sufficient, is how the accuracy of moon part shows is often measured.
The spectacular sample of the principle dial, in addition to the aforementioned subdials, are utilized with hand-operated guilloché machines at Metalem. Metalem is a well-liked provider of ultra-high-end dials to the watch trade, and one which Chopard has owned — however not marketed proudly owning — for years. Chopard co-president and head of the watch division of the model, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, has saved Metalem as a dependable provider to what really are Chopard’s rivals — a gesture only a few different manufacturers and conglomerates carry out once they take over a well-liked and hard-to-replace specialist provider.
The sample radiates not from the middle of the dial, however fairly the middle of the moon part show. Die-hard followers of L.U.C may recall earlier fashions the place the middle was the large date window, or the brand beneath 12 o’clock — for instance this beast of an L.U.C, the Perpetual Chrono in platinum, with an analogous perpetual module additional difficult with a chronograph. On the very fringe of the dial, the minutes scale is snailed, as are the peripheries of the varied subdials. The fingers are a “Dauphine fusée” fashion, a novel tackle Chopard L.U.C’s chevron-style fingers which have a much less pronounced cut up and a wider base. Chopard doesn’t personal a hand-supplier however apparently is aware of tips on how to maintain them out of their consolation zone, as producing these faceted, V-milled, and polished fingers should require particular know-how and manufacturing abilities.
The case is new, too. Whereas it does return to the unique model’s extra modest 40.50mm diameter, its form and building are new. The center case is bassine-shaped — you guessed it, meaning it’s formed like a basin — with a noticeably wider high across the bezel that narrows towards the caseback. The complexity of the form, mixed with the specified design for the lugs, meant that the latter must be welded to the basin case. At a time when 5-axis CNC machines outfitted with 20+ completely different instruments can (and certainly do) mill nearly case form on immediately’s luxurious watches, it would entice some collectors that Chopard selected to go old-school and have the lugs welded on by hand, and it would simply as properly go away others chilly. Just a few years in the past, because of social media, I discovered that there’s a critical and extremely vital welding neighborhood on the market, although I’m not positive in regards to the dimension of the cross part between watch and welding fanatics. However I digress.
The form and design is nearly Germanic in its fashion and enchantment. The welded lugs, the multi-tiered bezel, the basin form: these are all components which might be extra more likely to stand the check of time and altering tastes than to wow upon first sight. Entrance to again, the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual watches are 11.63mm thick, together with the tourbillon-equipped model. That is thicker than the place many would strictly draw the road for a blue-blooded gown watch, however nonetheless simply and comfortably wearable, whereas additionally lacking the in-your-face nature of bulkier watches. That 11.63mm can be thicker than the place one would anticipate a watch with a 6mm thick motion to land, so it should be the complicated dial and the beefy (for a dressy watch) crystal that make up the remainder.
The Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar is the primary to include the model’s new strap quick-release system, one of many extra extremely engineered ones on the market. It incorporates a superbly milled spring bar (see on the third picture within the gallery above) with a small spring inside, put in by a bespoke device pictured one above. The strap then provides its personal milled element with a pusher — actually some of the extremely engineered and elaborately milled strap inserts on the market immediately. In case welding was not your factor, perhaps spring bars are, and if that’s the case, you might be welcome to fawn over these. The lugs apparently function conventional drilled holes, so regular spring bars becoming regular straps can be requested upon ordering, or swapped in later. Usually, the watches include two completely different straps within the field, each fitted with the brand new system.
In step with Chopard’s long-time aspirations, and the hefty price ticket, the Chopard L.U.C Calibre 96.13-L in every of the brand new L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar watches goes all-in on options and capabilities. The Chopard 96 was the model’s first in-house caliber that debuted in (you might have guessed it) 1996. It options two stacked barrels for an influence reserve of 65 hours — mighty spectacular even almost 30 years later from a motion that’s simply 3.30mm thick (earlier than including a module) and operating at a contemporary 4Hz. The motion is replenished by a micro-rotor self-winding system with a guilloché oscillating weight in strong 22k gold.
Produced in numerous completely different tiers of refinement, for these items, the Caliber 96 shines in its highest specified kind. This consists of Geneva Seal-approved (or Poinçon de Genève, in the event you want the poncy model) decorations throughout all its surfaces: the bridges sport Côtes de Genève, the bottom plate and motion holding ring round graining, the numerous edges of the plates and bridges are beveled and hand-polished, as are the countersinks and the screw heads. There may be additionally a sprinkling of black mirror sharpening on the swan neck regulator’s spring, whereas the rotor and its deep, guilloché grooves merely seem to glow from inside.
Fitted to the dial facet of the motion is the complicated perpetual calendar module — additionally made in-house — that will increase the element rely to a complete of 355. I keep in mind seeing this module at SalonQP in London again in 2014 or so, and being completely mesmerized by its steadiness, thinness, and refinement. Talking of the latter, that is an instantaneous perpetual calendar, which is to say that each one its indications leap at exactly midnight. This, together with the large “digital” date show, provides an entire new degree of complexity to what already is a troublesome module to make this skinny. In the meantime, the torque required for these massive indications to be moved speaks to the efficiency of the skinny Calibre 96 base motion. It’s all typical Chopard, the place a long time of quietly pushing boundaries slowly provides as much as the complete image.
We’re not achieved with efficiency simply but. The Geneva Seal has included timekeeping efficiency necessities to extend its enchantment amongst demanding collectors, and its tolerance for a cased-up watch is a minute per week — i.e. roughly 8.5 seconds per day — whereas simulating lively put on over the course of that week. In the meantime, COSC stays a extra thorough and demanding accuracy check that takes twice as lengthy at 15 days lengthy, and it exposes the uncased motion to a few completely different temperatures (8°, 23° and 38°C) over that point. This double-certification is seldom seen even on this phase, and is very uncommon for tourbillon watches, however is however utilized to the tourbillon model too. Simply above, you see the clean dial that Chopard installs for chronometer testing.
To shoot these three new Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar watches, we visited the Chopard HQ in Geneva, the place a variety of the meeting occurs for the Geneva Seal-certified actions (them being assembled in Geneva is after all one of many necessities). Chopard additionally operates a extremely complicated and fashionable manufacture in Fleurier, in addition to the aforementioned Metalem dial provider. Additionally it is right here, in Geneva, that Chopard operates its personal gold foundry the place the gold for these watches is solid, and the place the circumstances and steel bracelets are produced for a lot of Chopard watches. The metiers d’artwork workshop can be right here, with some extraordinarily proficient engravers and different craftspeople. Each Chopard facility is a buzzing place, properly value a devoted article later.
True to itself, Chopard retains doing its personal factor, slowly advancing its fashion and pushing the varied efficiency and aesthetic particulars of its watches. It’s no secret that this has been achieved for 30-plus years a lot to the enchantment, and beneath the shut, shut scrutiny, of co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. Following an extended decade by which fashion and model standing dominated so strongly over substance, watches conceived and crafted by folks hyper-focused on the product itself stand out all of the extra strongly. What’s attention-grabbing that throughout the realm of luxurious purchases, Chopard and particularly Chopard L.U.C has at all times appeared as an choice for these with little to show to others — however it’s only not too long ago that Chopard has additionally arrived so far.
Designed and made for these out there for a “actually, very good watch” within the old-school sense, the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar is mighty sturdy, however it does have the worth tag to match that power. The Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar watch is priced at $85,500 USD, whereas the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual T with a tourbillon is priced at $184,000 USD. You’ll be able to be taught extra on the model’s web site.
