Full calendar

The name says it all – L.U.C All-In-One packs into its 46mm case a 33mm movement that operates a tourbillon and a host of calendar functions including a moonphase. And to fit them all in, there are two faces.

On the case side, you’ll find the tourbillon at ‘6’ with small seconds indication. There are also a perpetual calendar with date (at ‘12’), month and leap year (‘3’), and day of the week with 24-hour indication (‘9’). The solid gold dial is decorated with guilloche motif radiating from the date aperture. 

Turn the watch around to discover the rest of the calendar functions including the equation of time, sunrise and sunset set to Geneva time, and an astronomical orbital moonphase, as well as the power reserve (maximum 7 days thanks to four barrels).

The watch is available in two versions, each limited to 10 pieces: platinum with blue dial and 18k rose gold with verdigris dial.

Also see: IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar in platinum

Aural pleasure

The L.U.C Full Strike, Chopard’s first ever minute repeater, debuted in 2016, one of the special pieces created to celebrate L.U.C’s 20th anniversary. It would go on to win Aiguille d’Or (Best in Show) at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

The chiming watch first appeared in ethically sourced Fairmined 18k rose gold case; this time around, it is crafted in Fairmined white gold. One of its most unique features is the sapphire gongs, machined from the same block of sapphire that is also used for the protective glass of the dial. A pusher on the crown activates the minute repeater.

Sapphire, as it turns out, proves to be strong enough to withstand the impact of steel hammers. More importantly, it doesn’t just act as a sound generator but also as an amplifier, promising a more full-bodied and crystal clear acoustic.

Coaxially positioned rachet-wheels also ensure consistency in sound intensity. When it is chiming, the crown is disconnected from the movement, an additional security measure that prevents accidental damage. There are two barrels for a total power reserve of 60 hours. One of the barrels is dedicated to the chiming mechanism and it comes with its own indicator in blue at ‘2’ to inform the wearer how many more chimes it has left in its reserve.

Design-wise, the open dial gives the watch a striking appearance. The case’s white gold is also guaranteed to maintain its luxurious sheen thanks to high palladium content in its alloy. The hand-sewn, plant-dyed alligator strap is double-sided to keep the overall high quality look.

ICYMI: The different types of gold in horology

Elegance personified

Limited to 50 pieces, the L.U.C Quattro has been refined with an even more minimalist dial in silver. There is a sub-dial with small seconds and pointer date at ‘6’ and a 9-day power reserve indicator in a fan-like design emblematic to Quattro at ‘12’.

Dauphine-fusee hands, in an attractive shade of blue, are paired with blued hour markers and Arabic numerals of ‘3’ and ‘9’. These elegant features are set against a dial that has been vertically satin-brushed.

The 43mm case is 18k rose gold, with satin-brushed caseband and polished bezel. This new look makes for a better fit for the ultra-slim Calibre 98.01-L endowed with two pairs of stacked barrels that give it its slender proportions.

Also see: How Chinese actress Liu Tao personified Chopard's Happy Diamonds

Shape of cru

The L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is now embellished with 40 baguette diamonds totalling 3.05 carats on a white gold case. The case’s barrel shape actually adheres to a similarly shaped calibre, a project initiated by Chopard’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele back in 1997. The new watch is endowed with the ultra-slim Calibre 97.01-L that operates the central hour and minute hands, a seconds sub-dial and a date.