Chopard is once again at the forefront of marrying traditional celebration with high-end horology. This year, their tribute to Mexican culture reaches new heights with an extraordinary version of the L.U.C Full Strike watch, meticulously crafted to honor All Souls’ Day. This model is not just a timepiece but a narrative of cultural reverence and horological prowess, encapsulated in the form of miniature marquetry executed with remarkable precision and creativity.
Delving into the essence of the ‘Día de los Muertos’, a festival vibrant with life and remembrance, Chopard has chosen to imbue its high-complication watch with motifs and sentiments reflective of this joyous yet profound celebration. The ‘Día de los Muertos’ is renowned for its colorful, energetic celebrations that honor deceased loved ones with music, food, and symbolic offerings. Chopard’s interpretation through its eleventh variation of the L.U.C Full Strike brings this imagery to the wrist, merging the audible charm of a minute repeater with the visual celebration of life and afterlife beliefs.
At the heart of this watch’s allure is the L.U.C Calibre 08.01-L, a movement that demonstrates Chopard’s unparalleled mastery of the minute repeater mechanism. Introduced in 2016, this caliber showcases not only technical innovation but also a commitment to acoustic excellence. The minute repeater, revered as the queen of watch complications, achieves a crystal-clear sonority unique to this model, thanks to its sapphire gongs. These are not just components; they are the culmination of meticulous engineering, shaped from a single sapphire block without joints, screws, or glue. This innovation provides a purity of sound that in 2017, was lauded with the “Aiguille d’Or” best-in-show prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Beyond its technical achievements, the watch dazzles with a dial that is a canvas of cultural storytelling. Over 100 hours go into the making of each dial, starting with the careful selection, preparation, and assembly of various fine stones to form the traditional Mexican calavera. This skull, symbolic of the ‘Día de los Muertos’, is brought to life through miniature inlays of milk opal, pink opal, orange and red carnelian, orange and red aventurine, golden obsidian, and black jade. The craftsmanship extends to solid gold details that enhance the depth and texture of the motif, surrounded by a guilloché gold base that adds an element of traditional luxury watchmaking.
The watch’s case itself is a testament to Chopard’s ethical commitment, crafted from responsibly sourced gold and detailed with a bezel hand-engraved in patterns inspired by Mexican art. The L.U.C Full Strike’s aesthetic extends to its functional elements: the blackened hammers and power-reserve indicators are ingeniously shaped to form the eyes of the calavera, blending form with function in a way that’s both clever and visually captivating.
Chopard has also addressed the vulnerability of minute repeaters with a patented safety mechanism. This feature ensures that even if the strikework pusher is engaged while a chime sequence is in progress, it does not damage the intricate internal components. This consideration is crucial for the longevity and reliability of the watch, ensuring that the melodic celebration of time can continue unabated.
Each watch from the L.U.C collection not only signifies Chopard’s technical expertise but also its devotion to the artistic crafts. The meticulous hand-finishing of each component, whether visible or hidden, meets the stringent criteria of the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. This certification is not merely decorative; it is a testament to the labor and skill that Chopard invests in each timepiece.
With the L.U.C Full Strike dedicated to All Souls’ Day, Chopard continues to celebrate not just the mechanics of timekeeping but also the global cultures that enrich our collective experience. This timepiece is more than one of the most expensive watches in the world but a bridge between worlds, a melding of the ancestral with the contemporary, and a beacon of horological excellence rooted in cultural appreciation.
