Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded his eponymous watch company in 1860, but it took over 100 years for the brand to truly come into its own. In 1996, and after three years of development, the company debuted its own in-house movement. The wait seemed to have been worth it. The L.U.C 96.01-L immediately drew acclaim for beautiful finishing, embracing the microrotor, and COSC certification. It, and the subsequent L.U.C. 1860 dress watch, marked a sea change from reliance on third parties to true independence, arriving at a resurgence in fine mechanical watchmaking.
Thirty years later, the L.U.C. family has expanded into dozens of variants, complications, and movements. But at 2026’s Watches & Wonders, Chopard pays tribute to 30 years of in-house manufacturing with a continuation of that vaunted original. The L.U.C 1860 Chronometer uses the same dial and microrotor movement from 1996, albeit with their own upgrades and unique design tweaks.
The intricate white-gold dial features guilloché finishing in the center, emanating in scalloped waves from the Chopard logo and nameplate. The concentric circles are separated by thin bands of white gold, and delicate spear-shaped markers point inward, toward the dauphine hands. At 6 o’clock, the small-seconds dial echoes the twin-circle pattern of the overall dial, and Chopard specifically mentions the lack of a date window “to preserve purity.”
Where the first L.U.C. 1860 had a white dial with gold accents, this Chronometer wears a husky blue-gray tone known as “Areuse Blue.” It’s named after the river that flows through the Chopard manufacture in Fleurier, Switzerland; in a quirk of fate, the town of Fleurier is no longer on the map, having merged with neighboring towns into Val-de-Travers in 2009. But the manufacture is still there, about 120 kilometers northeast of Chopard’s Geneva headquarters.
The Chronometer’s L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L is an evolution of that first movement produced in the former Fleurier. It features a 22-karat microrotor that drives two barrels, a 65-hour power reserve, and COSC certification —impressive specifications for a movement just 3.30mm thin. The gold microrotor, its engraved L.U.C. nameplate, and all that Côtes de Genève bridge finishing are all beautifully on display through a clear caseback. One key difference from the OG of the Nineties: where the frist L.U.C. 1860 had cases in yellow gold, rose gold and platinum, while this is a more modest steel. Paired with an Anthracite calfskin strap, both add to the Chronometer’s subdued look.
Chopard is hoping that this subtlety will pay off — like the watchmaker itself, it’s relying on those who know will truly appreciate the L.U.C. and its enduring appeal. Chopard
Blake Z. Rong
2026-04-14 18:00:00