Wristwatch Journal
The Chopard L.U.C collection was presented after the brand proudly inaugurated its Fleurier manufacture in 1996. This Chopard milestone gave birth to a multitude of superb watches with gentlemanly refinement – subtle, nuanced Haute Horlogerie at its best. Presented to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this collection, the L.U.C Perpetual Twin now returns in two new versions with redesigned dials and new colours. Let’s take a closer look.
Chopard expands its L.U.C Perpetual Twin line with another steel model with a blue dial and, for the first time, a pink gold model fitted with a ruthenium colour dial. The main evolution over former models lies in the dial design. Dynamic faceted hour markers now replace the previous applied Roman numerals. Obviously designed with care, the dial results sober but with beautiful details all around.
Contrasting with the satin-brushed background, the registers for the month, day of the week and leap year are snailed. Together with the large date indication, these make for a highly legible perpetual calendar. Rather than overload the dial and compromise legibility (often a major flaw for perpetual calendars), Chopard has really organised the material well. For more information about calendar watches, you can read our technical perspective here.
Visible underneath a sapphire crystal caseback is the automatic in-house calibre L.U.C 96.22-L. Thanks to a 22k micro-rotor, this elegant movement is just 6.00mm thick despite its complex mechanism. Operating at 4Hz, it uses twin barrels to deliver a comfortable 65-hour power reserve. Its precision is certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). The finishing is traditional and finely executed in line with the impeccable Haute Horlogerie execution of the L.U.C collection.
The sober case comes in steel or in pink gold. The rounded bezel, upper surfaces and caseback are polished while the flanks are satin-brushed. The fluted crown allows for ease of operations. Thanks to the ergonomic lugs, it wears comfortably and slightly smaller than the 43mm diameter would suggest – but it is a rather large diameter for a dressy classic perpetual calendar. The water-resistance is rated 3ATM/ 30m. The elegant calfskin straps match the colour of the dial and are fitted with a pin buckle.
Chopard has really excelled with the updated L.U.C Perpetual Twin; these new versions are subtle, sober and display a great deal of attention to detail. The highly legible perpetual calendar display is much appreciated. The new colours and dial design are superbly executed. At 43mm, it is rather large for a classic perpetual calendar but it uses every square millimetre to great effect. Price is set at EUR 24,600 for the steel version and EUR 49,600 in pink gold. For more information, please visit www.chopard.com.
Technical specifications – Chopard L.U.C Perpetual Twin
Case:
43mm diameter x 11.47mm height – stainless steel or 18k pink gold case, brushed and polished – sapphire crystal with A/R coating – sapphire caseback – water-resistant to 30m
Dial:
blue dial (steel) or ruthenium-grey dial (gold) with sunray-brushed patter – applied indexes matching the case – polished hands with Super-LumiNova
Movement:
calibre L.U.C 96.22-L, in-house – chronometer-certified by COSC – automatic with micro-rotor – 33mm x 6mm – 28,800 vibrations/hour – 65-hour power reserve – 29 jewels – hours, minutes, small seconds, perpetual calendar with large date
Strap:
calfskin leather strap with stainless steel or pink gold pin buckle
Price:
EUR 24,600 in steel
EUR 49,600 in pink gold
