News: Chopard L.U.C. Full Strike
Chopard has been creating beautiful watches since it was founded in 1860, but it didn’t have its own manufacture until 1996. Between then and now, it’s been making up for lost time, producing some really nice in-house movements—and in celebration of the 20-year anniversary of its manufacture, the brand has gone all out with the release of the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike.
The Full Strike is the first minute repeater created by the brand (although 2010’s L.U.C. Strike One chimed every striking hour) and according to Chopard, it took six years to develop and build from scratch. Looking at the watch in detail, it’s not hard to see why it took that long. The movement strikes out the hours, quarters and minutes—but the really interesting part is the transparent crystal gongs on which the sound is made, which are machined together with the watch glass from a single sapphire block. The result is a loudspeaker effect whenever the gongs are hit, resulting in a pure, resonating tone on every strike.
But this isn’t the only technical innovation of the watch. The calibre 08.01-L was developed from the ground up to be perfectly fit for purpose. It has been constructed with a number of security systems to avoid any damage to the delicate movement by incorrect handling, and the setting of the watch has been simplified: turning the crown one way winds the minute repeater, and turning it the other way winds the striking mechanics. The movement features two barrels, so that the minute repeater has its own power source, and doesn’t effect the accuracy of the time keeping mechanism—the dual power reserve indicator can be seen at 2 o’clock.
The dial features an openworked design, showing off the spectacular movement that took so many years to create. The case measures 42.5mm by 11.5mm in rose gold, and has beautifully classic proportions. There are only going to be 20 of these pieces available for sale, making the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike one very special birthday present.
