By: Roger Ruegger
From the workshops of Chopard comes the new L.U.C Grand Strike, an “opus of mechanical mastery developed entirely within the walls of the Swiss watchmaker.”
The L.U.C Grand Strike from Chopard (Ref. 161994-1001) features grande and petite sonnerie functions, and a minute repeater enhanced by the brand’s proprietary sapphire crystal gongs and watch glass monobloc construction, which aims to deliver a sound of remarkable depth and richness. The gongs and dial crystal are machined out of a single piece of sapphire crystal. When the sapphire crystal gongs are struck, they vibrate in concert with the dial crystal, channeling the sound directly towards the exterior of the watch and avoiding energy dissipation through the movement or case.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard: “It has always been our intention to create a grande sonnerie at Chopard. If you look at the L.U.C Grand Strike, what you see is the cumulative impact of 30 years spent creating and innovating in the domain of fine watchmaking. When you listen to its chime, you are hearing the rhythm of Haute Horlogerie at Chopard Manufacture. If the chime moves you, it’s because you resonate with our way of making watches”.
The L.U.C Grand Strike is the result of over 11,000 hours of research and development, and it is based on ten proprietary technical patents – five of which were newly developed for the L.U.C Grand Strike – making it the most complex watch ever created by Chopard Manufacture. On top, it is certified by external bodies such as the Poinçon de Genève and the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) in petite sonnerie mode.
The L.U.C Grand Strike features a grande sonnerie (G), which strikes the full complement of hours and quarters as they pass. With the lateral lever, owners can switch to the less chime-intensive petite sonnerie mode (C), which strikes the hours only at the 60-minute mark, and solely the quarters every 15 minutes thereafter. If desired, the automatic chime of the L.U.C Grand Strike can be entirely silenced, and the watch will strike the time only when its minute repeater function is manually activated (S).
Housed in a comparatively compact 18-carat ethical white gold case measuring 43 mm in diameter and 14.08 mm in height, Chopard’s new 686-component in-house movement L.U.C 08.03-L is visible thanks to the open dial. When fully wound, the sonnerie barrel provides 12 hours of uninterrupted function when in the chime-intensive grande sonnerie mode. The main power reserve of 70 hours is also noteworthy for such a highly complex watch, considering its balance frequency of 28,800vph.
Ref.: 161994-1001
Dimensions: ⌀ 43 mm
Case: white gold
Movement: L.U.C 08.03-L with 70 hours of power reserve
Strap: hand-sewn grey alligator leather with grey alligator lining, or hand-sewn dark blue alligator leather with dark blue alligator lining
Warranty: 24 months (60 when registered)
Price: CHF 780,000
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