Chopard Unveils Its Most Complex Watch Yet at Dubai Watch Week: A Symphony of Chimes and Innovation
Chopard has unveiled its most intricate timepiece to date at Dubai Watch Week, a masterpiece that combines a symphony of chiming mechanisms with cutting-edge horological innovations. The L.U.C Grand Strike is a tour de force, featuring a grand sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, and a tourbillon, all encased in an 18-karat ethical gold case. This watch required an astonishing 11,000 hours of research and development, with 2,500 hours dedicated to fine adjustments during the prototyping phase, ensuring every component works seamlessly.
The dial-less display showcases the intricate mechanics, with 686 components packed into a compact 43mm by 14.08mm case. Despite its complexity, the Grand Strike is designed for user-friendliness. The minute repeater activation slider has been upgraded to allow easy switching between grand sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and silence modes with a simple touch. The fluted bassiné-style crown provides additional control, allowing the user to activate the minute repeater, wind the barrel for the movement, or wind the sonnerie mechanism.
The heart of the watch's chime lies in its sapphire crystal gongs, operating with two steel hammers. Chopard collaborated with the Haute Ecole du Paysage, d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture (HEPIA) to perfect the chime's nuances, tuning the notes to emit a C#-F♮ chord. This design avoids the traditional energy loss associated with hammers striking steel gongs, as the gongs and dial crystal are machined from a single monobloc of sapphire crystal, ensuring a crisper and clearer sound.
The sapphire crystal gongs feature a square cross-section, maximizing contact with the hammers and channeling vibrations into distinct, layered modes, resulting in a richer chime. Combined with the material's monocrystalline hardness, this construction produces an ethereal, resonant tone, setting Chopard's sonneries apart.
Chopard's commitment to innovation is further evidenced by five new patents: two for intuitive use, ensuring the chime can be activated or modes switched without harming the movement; and three for performance, including an energy-efficient clutch, a safeguard to prevent incomplete chimes, and a redesigned hammer geometry to minimize shock to the sapphire gongs.
The watch also boasts a Poinçon de Genève certification, a prestigious hallmark awarded to watches assembled and regulated in the Canton of Geneva, meeting the highest standards of craftsmanship, quality, and construction integrity. The components are hand-finished, with the main plate and bridges in German silver, a material also found in Chopard's Full Strike watches. While sapphire was considered for the tourbillon bridge, stainless steel was chosen for its impact.
Despite its complexity, the L.U.C Grand Strike offers an impressive 70-hour power reserve, making it both a workhorse and a masterpiece. This unveiling at Dubai Watch Week showcases Chopard's flourishing manufacture in Fleurier, Switzerland, and the brand's dedication to pushing the boundaries of horological excellence.
Although not a limited edition, production will be limited to approximately three pieces annually, ensuring its exclusivity and desirability among watch enthusiasts.
