BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Chopard is a brand with a diverse product portfolio. On one hand, it offers crowd favorites such as the racing-inspired Mille Miglia watches, and on the other hand, it also produces high horology products such as the Alpine Eagle and the L.U.C watches. For 2020, Chopard is expanding its L.U.C family with a new member, the XPS Spirit OF Nature. Featuring a case made of fairmined gold and a textured green dial this new watch is Chopard’s way of paying homage to the environment.
One of the things that makes L.U.C watches stand out is their excellent in-house movements and the XPS Spirit of Nature is no different. The caliber L.U.C 96.12-L that powers this watch is an automatic movement that is made in Chopard’s High watchmaking workshops. It operates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a power reserve of around 65 hours using two co-axial barrels, which is quite an achievement considering that the movement is just 3.3mm thick. The movement has been nicely decorated using perlage, Geneva stripes throughout the bridges, and features a real 22ct gold micro-rotor that not only contributes towards the thin profile but also helps in giving the wearer an unobstructed view of the movement through the exhibition case back.
While the movement is Avant grade, it is the dial that elevates this watch to an entirely new level. Presented in a nice shade of green, the dial has been given a special texture to reciprocate the look of a dense forest, to pay a tribute to Mother Nature. The leaf-like patterns spread throughout the dial give the watch a ton of visual interest and help in giving it a distinctive identity. To complement the green backdrop, almost everything, which includes the applied hour markers and the handset has been presented in gold. The text, as well as the quadrant markings on the running seconds, has been presented in white.
The case on the L.U.C XPS Spirit of Nature has been crafted from solid 18ct rose gold and gives the watch a warm and dressy outlook. It is worth mentioning that this watch has been given the Fairmined label, which means that the gold used on this watch has been sourced from community-based artisanal and small-scale mining organizations that fall under the alliance for responsible mining. The case measures a modest 40mm diameter, which combined with a low height would make sure that the watch slides comfortably under those cuffs. There is a sapphire crystal on both the front and the back, and water-resistance is limited to just 30 meters.
The L.U.C XPS Spirit of Nature is another great luxury dress watch from the house of Chopard. The watch is limited to just 100 pieces and would come attached to a vegetable-tanned green alligator leather strap. The watch would retail for CHF 17,400.
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