News: Chopard L.U.C. Time Traveler One
L.U.C., the high-end arm of the already high-end Chopard, takes its initials from Chopard founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Yes, that makes the new Chopard L.U.C. Time Traveler [semi-sic—that's the American spelling] One the Chopard Louis-Ulysses Chopard Time Traveler One, but pay no heed to that double-stuffed branding because, well, they've earned the right to a little ego time with this watch.
The Time Traveler One borrows from the 60s compressor case diver style, fondly known by fans of Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC and Longines amongst others, yet here diving is far from the top talent the Time Traveler has to offer. This isn't a watch that will get H. G. Wells foaming at the mouth, but it will do you well if you want to jet set in style, keeping track of timezones as they breeze by at 500mph.
With a format akin to Patek Philippe's 5130, the Time Traveler One staggers an array of displays from inner dial out, starting with the date, then home time, then a GMT display, then a city disc. Home time is adjusted with a crown at two o'clock; the second time zone and city disc are adjusted by the other. Helpfully, Chopard saw fit to decorate the lower crown with a depiction of a globe to remind users which is which.
Cases come in steel, gold and platinum, depending on your fancy, and straps are all suitably luxurious. Dials vary from black and orange, silver and blue, and teal and silver, all with a mixture of brushed and sunburst finishes. The innards are in-house, as is proper for a L.U.C., the beautifully decorated but cryptically named calibre 01.05-L giving owners a whopping eyeful of watchmaking goodness. Power comes from the Geneva striped rotor weight, generating enough power for 60 hours' use.
