Chopard presented the new L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire, an new exclusive edition featuring a blue sapphire case. Only five pieces. Price on request.
Blue transparencies and crystal-clear sound for an exclusive 5-piece limited edition
The pinnacle of Chopard's watchmaking, the L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater is now offered in a new exclusive edition featuring a blue sapphire case, with only five pieces available.
In 2016, Chopard introduced the first L.U.C Full Strike model, which marked a significant advancement in watchmaking. It presented a unique approach to producing and amplifying the sound of a minute repeater. This innovation involved creating solid sapphire gongs and utilizing the sapphire crystal as a resonator, effectively combining these two components into a single monobloc structure, which contributes to its tonal richness and acoustic intensity.
The exceptional qualities of this design led the first L.U.C Full Strike model to receive the prestigious 'Aiguille d’Or' award at the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève."
Retaining its elegant proportions, the new L.U.C Full Strike Blue Sapphire features a 42.5 mm diameter case with a thickness of 11.55 mm. The case, including the bezel, caseband, crown, case-back, and rear glass, is crafted entirely from blue sapphire crystal offering a 360-degree view of the refined movement.
The choice of lab-created sapphire is based on its remarkable technical properties. This material, derived from synthetic corundum, ranks among the most scratch-resistant substances, boasting a hardness level of nine on the Mohs scale, almost as tough as a diamond. Despite the significant machining challenges involved in creating a sapphire case, it offers the advantage of remaining unaltered over time.
To achieve the deep blue color, precise amounts of chromium and other trace elements are added to the standard corundum crystal composition. This meticulous chemical process ensures both a consistent color and a uniform structure, free from bubbles or haze.
The watch dial is also made of sapphire. To enhance readability, a railway-type minutes track is engraved on the cut-shaped sapphire crystal and painted. The chapter ring is punctuated with rhodium-plated herringbone-shaped applied hour-markers, and black transferred counterparts.
The sapphire ring is interrupted by three elements. The first is the off-centre seconds counter. The second is an applied white gold plate bearing the "L.U.CHOPARD" logo. The third is the concentric power-reserve indicator where two hands serve to display the remaining energy in both the barrel that powers the movement and the minute repeater.
In a traditional minute repeater mechanism, the energy is typically supplied when the winding lever is activated. In this design, a dedicated barrel directly wound by the crown supplies the energy needed for the minute repeater's striking mechanism. This approach allows the watch to chime the most complex and energy-intensive time of the day or night, specifically 12 hours and 59 minutes, and it can achieve this up to 12 times without requiring rewinding. A patented clutch-lever mechanism contributes to this remarkable autonomy by ensuring that the strikework going train is blocked, to prevent power loss during the information capture that controls the minute repeater.
The hand-wound L.U.C 08.01-L calibre and its meticulous finishes, including the bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif, can be appreciated also through the transparent sapphire crystal case back.
Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), this COSC-certified movement has a power reserve of 60 hours.
Bearing the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Blue Sapphire, ref. 168604-9001, is a numbered five-piece limited edition. Its price is provided on request. chopard.com
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