Swiss Watches
The Swiss watchmaker Chopard that was founded as an independent manufacture in 1860 and now works under umbrella of the well-known Fleurier Quality Foundation (a joint project of Chopard, Parmigiani Fleurier and Bovet Fleurier,) has recently presented its gorgeous Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date automatic chronometer watch with brilliantly executed moonphase display.
I’m beginning to fall in love with the brand. Really. As of late, the Swiss-based brand keeps churning out marvelous timekeepers at a rate that can put to shame even such juggernauts as Federal Reserve System, which is quite good at printing dollar bills.
Can’t say that I was particularly fond with their Happy Sport or Mille Miglia collections (however, I might admit that from the point of view of design they are great, no doubts about that), but heir latest lot of models from the premium-priced L.U.C. collection that features manufacture made movements just makes me want to buy one of those ticking beauties.
The Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date is a full-fledged COSC-certified chronometer watch, which means that the timekeeper was tested by the respected COSC (Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres, an authority that tests an enormous amount of Swiss watches or mechanisms of the same origin every year) over several days, in varying temperatures and in different positions (both variables tend to noticeably affect accuracy of a mechanical watch and a watchmaker has to employ really high-quality components that help to minimize the effects of gravity and thermal fluctuations.)
The new watch is also capable of presenting an actual lunar cycle. The lunar month is said to be equivalent to 29.53059 days, or 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds, or 2,551,442.98 seconds.
To present this cycle with the highest precision, the watchmaker has equipped its in-house L.U.C. Calibre 96 LD with en extremely precise moonphase complication, in which the moon-bearing disc sports 135 teeth.
Well, it may sound not so impressive, but it also implies that one of your many great-grandchildren will have to correct the moon-phase calendar by just one day in 122 after you buy the timepiece! Sounds accurate enough to me.
Cased inside a fairly large (for a dress watch) 18-carat rose gold body whole 42 mm in diameter, the Calibre 96 LD is equipped with a pair of stacked co-axial mainspring barrels providing for a generous power reserve of 65 hours.
Chopard doesn’t say anything about the unit’s price, but I’m afraid it won’t be cheap*.
*UPDATE ON PRICE: Well, it seems like the MSRP has been set at hefty $30,000. Well, the watch does deserve such a price tag.
See also: Bvlgari Diagono Retrograde Moonphase rose gold watch
Photos: Chopard
Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date watch specification
Price range: $30,000 (Retail)
Movement: L.U.C. Calibre 96 LD, automatic, COSC-certified, Swiss Made
Jewels: 33
Cadence of balance: 28,800 vph
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, big date, moonphase
Power reserve: 65 hours
Case material: 18-carat rose gold
Case dimensions: 42.00 mm
Case height: 10.90 mm
Dial: Silvered, with a guilloche pattern
Hands: Rose gold, luminous
Hour markers: Luminous dots
Numerals: Arabic
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Hand-sewn alligator leather strap, available in brown or black, folding clasp in 18-carat rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated
Case-back: Sapphire