The Chopard L.U.C Continues the Brand’s 30th Anniversary Celebration with Three New Models

It is a big year for Chopard. The manufacture is celebrating its 30^th anniversary, marking three decades of high-end watchmaking in Fleurier since its 1996 founding. To celebrate, the Maison has already unveiled the L.U.C Grand Strike, a timepiece commemorating the occasion that features a bold trifecta of complications including a grande sonnerie, a petite sonnerie, and a minute repeater, representing the brand’s most complex chiming watch to date.

The choice of the Chopard’s iconic L.U.C collection for the anniversary edition is a deliberate one. This year also marks the 30^th anniversary of the beloved line, which also debuted in 1996 with the L.U.C. 1860, aptly named for the year Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company. All this said, it comes as no surprise the Maison is continuing this trajectory with its Watches and Wonders releases, which includes three more versions of the L.U.C.

Kicking things off, it would not be an anniversary celebration without a special edition of the model that started it all: the L.U.C 1860. For the occasion, we get a COSC-chronometer certified version that has several fun details to unpack. Like its predecessor, the L.U.C 1860 Chronometer features the same highly accessible 36.5mm proportions crafted in the brand’s Lucent Steel.
 

The dial is the next carefully articulated layer, featuring hand-guilloche in a sunburst pattern. Atop the pattern, which adds visual interest and texture that plays with the light, we get an “Areuse Blue” hue inspired by the Areuse River that flows near the manufacture in the Val-de-Travers region.
 

Powering the model is the L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L, a direct evolution of the first movement conceived and produced by Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier in 1996. At just 3.30mm thin, this self-winding movement incorporates a 22-karat gold micro-rotor that efficiently winds two stacked barrels, thanks to Chopard Twin technology.
 

The calibre is chronometer-certified (COSC) for precision and includes a stop-seconds function and a swan’s neck regulator for fine adjustment. In addition, each component is meticulously finished by hand with a combination of polished, beveled, and decorated surfaces in line with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève standards.
 

Lastly, we have another example of Chopard’s expertise in remarkably thin watchmaking with the new ultra-thin L.U.C. XPS model. Once again, the Maison chooses Lucent Steel for the composition with a 40mm diameter and a thinness of just 7.2mm.
 

This incredible thickness is made possible thanks to the 3.30mm automatic L.U.C. 96.12-L calibre, which is also a descendant of the first movement conceived and produced by Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier in 1996. Here, we have the same 22-karat gold micro-rotor enabling the efficient winding of two superimposed barrels thanks to Chopard Twin technology, altogether delivering a 65-hour power reserve. In addition, the calibre features a stop-seconds mechanism for precise time setting and is COSC chronometer-certified.
 

Here, we have an equally stylish timepiece for the wrist with a gorgeous sector-style dial design featuring two concentric rings structuring the hours and minutes and a small seconds register at 6 o’clock. Giving the watch its name, the dial is rendered in Prussian Blue with a sunburst satin finish. The hue once again holds significance for the brand, paying tribute to the unique past of the Canton of Neuchâtel, where Chopard established its Fleurier Manufacture 30 years ago.