BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
In 2026, Chopard marks 30 years of L.U.C, its range of watches devoted to the best design and craftsmanship that the brand can muster. L.U.C watches are made primarily in Chopard’s manufacture in Fleurier, high up in Val-de-Travers, in the canton of Neuchâtel, and they’re known for their classy and dressy watches that range from simple pieces right the way up to the most complex with tourbillons, minute repeaters, and the like.
The new Chopard L.U.C 1860 Chronometer 168860-3005 watch is simple and follows in the footsteps of the first L.U.C piece from 1996. It features a 36.5 mm x 8.2mm case made from Lucent Steel, Chopard’s proprietary alloy that it says reflects light with a similar lustre to gold (which does indeed reflect light differently than standard stainless steel or titanium).
The dial features elegant guilloché engraving radiating out from the Chopard logo, which, with its cursive script, makes the dial very classy. The colour is called “Areuse Blue” and is inspired by the colours of the River Areuse, which flows through the Val-de-Travers region. Elegant, polished dauphine hands point to applied markers for a classy finish, and both hands and markers are made from white gold.
Behind the blue dial is the self-winding calibre L.U.C 96.40-L, a 3.3mm-thick movement with a 4Hz beat rate and a 65-hour power reserve. The 22k gold micro rotor keeps that power reserve wound and looks classy doing it. Awarded the Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal), the calibre has plenty of fine finishing, which the Geneva Seal guarantees carries all through the movement, even to the components you can’t see. It’s also a COSC-certified chronometer.
This tribute to the first L.U.C watch and all the work that followed isn’t a limited-edition piece and retails for $29,700.
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