This year, Chopard is enriching its range with a “form” chronometer in 18-carat rose gold featuring pronounced curves conceived in the same manner as an exceptional wine and relying on the finest watchmaking skills cultivated by Chopard. Ultra-slim, beautifully rounded and supremely elegant, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is the only tonneau shape watch wound by an automatic movement. It’s a nod to the pocket watches created by Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Just as a Grand Cru wine is classified and certified, its excellent craftsmanship is attested by the “Poinçon de Genève” quality hallmark. Unique in many respects, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is intended for distinguished men who collect both great wines and exceptional pieces: the ultimate modern epicurean.

Form follows function*

Elegance implies the peak of refinement, an ideal match between form and function. This demanding approach picked up in the design of the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru makes this watch a perfect fit on the wrist. It was conceptualised by Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the same way as a great vintage showcasing the finest expertise Chopard has to offer. In lign with the first L.U.C Tonneau watch released in 2001, it’s the only tonneau shape watch to be equipped tih an automatic movement with micro-rotor winding. The understated elegance of its dial, its nicely balanced proportions, the finishing of its case and movement, make it a must-have for the modern epicurean gentleman. *Louis Sullivan

An elegant legacy

Four years after the launch of the L.U.C 1963, Chopard presents a fresh interpretation following this signature line. The L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru pays tribute to the historical pocket watches that forged the renown of the Maison founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860. It is thus endowed with authentic emotionally charged elements. It picks up the pure white porcelain type dial bearing black Roman numerals. Its minute track follows the central part of the dial and the small seconds at 6 o’clock compose an ensemble distinguished by a sense of nuance and equilibrium. This noble lineage makes the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru an authentic vintage Haute Horlogerie creation that has been treated with all due respect by Chopard Manufacture.

Poinçon de Genève certified, this chronometer is a symbol of respect for the fine craftsmanship and the fundamentals of traditional watchmaking as exercised by the Geneva-based Maison. It is in this spirit that Chopard has designed this watch with its highly distinctive shape reminiscent of the oak barrels from the forests of Bertrange, Jupille and Tronçais, which transform great vintages into exceptional wines.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele

The result of watchmaking mastery

The tonneau is a traditional shape of watch case that requires particular mastery. Part rectangle, part circle, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is less strict than the former and every bit as gentle as the latter. The maximum width of the case is almost equivalent to its height, thus ensuring a generously ample dial. The remarkable care lavished on the design ensures that the L.U.C Heritage Grand Gru exudes authentic masculine sensuality.

The case and crystal of the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru are domed, while the case is ultra-thin with a maximum thickness of 7.75 mm close to that of the L.U.C XPS models. Its curves procure authentic comfort on the wrist.

The 97.01-L calibre: a worldwide exclusivity

This slenderness begins inside the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru, which houses the 3.3 mm thick calibre 97.01-L. It is one of the rare “form” movements to be housed in a “form” case. It is adorned with the most advanced finishing performed in the Manufacture: the bevelling, polishing, circular graining and Côtes de Genève meet the high demands of the Poinçon de Genève criteria.

Automatic winding is accomplished by an engraved 22-carat gold micro-rotor, driving two stacked barrels based on Chopard’s patented Twin^® technology. Together, they guarantee 65 hours of running time and supply sufficiently constant energy to enable calibre 97.01-L to beat with chronometer-worthy precision. In accordance with the choice of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) has certified the operation of all the 97.01-L calibres equipping the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru. Elegance is also a commitment to technical and aesthetic quality: an intrinsic quality of the watches in the L.U.C collection.