Chopard L.U.C Full Strike “Metiers d’Or” for ART in TIME Piece Unique

L.U. Chopard & ART in TIME are unveiling the ultimate Full Strike minute repeater “Metiers d’Or”. For the first time the full strike is unveiled with a full rose gold caliber which has been fully hand-engraved with fleurisanne techniques for 500 hours.

Measuring 42.5 mm in diameter and totally hand-engraved, the L.U.C Full Strike “Metiers d’Or” is the first minute repeater watch by Chopard whose movement plates and bridges are made entirely of rose gold 18ct, offering the opportunity to decorate with fleurisanne engravings the movement and highlight the exceptional finishes. This unique piece gets the very best from Chopard in-house know-how, resulting in a veritable art & musical instrument.

Fully developed, produced and assembled in the Chopard Fine Watchmaking workshops, the L.U.C 08.01-L caliber is the first manually wound minute repeater movement in the world to feature a striking system whose gongs and sapphire crystal form a single monobloc. It boasts two barrels – one for the hour, which guarantees the watch a 60-hour power reserve, and the other for the striking mechanism which enables it to sound the longest time indication, 12:59, twelve times. 

The L.U.C Full Strike awarded with the “Aiguille d’Or” prize at GPHG in 2017 has its own unique sound signature. The sound it produces is not metallic, cold or abrupt, but instead full-bodied and truly crystal-clear. The gongs are tuned to two notes: C and F. Their chime lingers pleasingly, with a very low sound-deadening factor. The tonal richness boasts unprecedented amplitude, since this is the first time that sapphire is used as a generator. Sapphire also plays the role of acoustic amplifier. 

Finally, the L.U.C Full Strike astonishes by the intensity of its chime. This is not a goal in itself for Chopard, which would never seek to achieve it to the detriment of sound quality. Throughout the 16 seconds that the watch takes to strike 12:59, it chimes in a uniform manner, a result that is extremely hard to achieve and in itself represents an important horological accomplishment.

Fleurisanne engraving enjoyed its heyday in the 19th century and in Fleurier's watchmaking workshops, care was taken to decorate the movements of the Swiss watches with volutes (scrolling patterns) and floral motifs. Upon seeing a gold watch featuring a movement decorated with delicate volutes in the Fleurier tradition stored in the L.U.CEUM, the Chopard Museum, located within the Manufacture in Fleurier, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele felt the desire to revive this neglected tradition and decorate the movements of certain one-of-a-kind or very limited-edition luxury watches with the help of Nathalie, an Artisan of movement decoration for Chopard since 2004, and who has since become a Master of Fleurisanne engraving.

A minute repeater mechanism is a system of interactions that is unparalleled in watchmaking. Numerous movement parts are in motion and this implies equally numerous risks of breakage. Chopard has therefore equipped Calibre 08.01-L with three security devices protecting it from any handling mistakes. The striking mechanism power reserve is coupled with a semi-toothed wheel. When the reserve drops too low, it deactivates the minute repeater chime, thus ensuring that the watch cannot sound fully, due to the lack of energy.

Moreover, in order to maximise the striking mechanism power reserve, an ingenious patented device has been incorporated into the coupling-clutch of Calibre 08.01-L. During coupling and uncoupling, the regulator does not rotate, and only when everything is in its appointed place does the striking mechanism actually consume energy. During the chime itself, the crown is disconnected from the movement, thereby making it impossible to perform any time-setting that could damage the movement. The activating pusher built into the crown is also deactivated at this time, since a second attempt to trigger the mechanism might otherwise force the striking mechanism coupling-clutch.

In addition to being certified Poinçon de Genève quality and holding a COSC certification as a Chronometer, this movement enabled the development of a unique on-demand striking system, as well as four patents. It displays the hours and minutes at the center, the seconds counter is located at 6 o'clock with the precision and elegance that characterize Chopard.

© All images by Yohann Martinez of ART in TIME

Technical specifications

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike “Metiers d’Or” for ART in TIME

Reference: 161947-5006

A Unique Piece exclusively available at ART in TIME

Case

• Material: Rose gold 18ct, fully hand-engraved
• Decoration on the case/bezel/crown: hand-engraved fleurisanne during 360 hours
• Diameter: 42.5 mm
• Thickness: 11.55 mm
• Glass: Sapphire crystal
• Transparent caseback
• Water-resistant to 10 meters (splash-proof)

Dial and hands

• Openworked with red minute track
• Rose gold hands and applied indices
• Power reserve indicator at 2 o'clock
• Chiming hammers at 10 o'clock

Movement

• Caliber : LUC.08.01-L
• Complications : Minute repeater with sapphire gong, small second, two power-reserve indicators
• Decoration on the movement : hand-engraved fleurisanne during 140 hours
• Movement material : rose gold 18ct
• Movement diameter : Ø 37.20 mm
• Movement thickness : 7.97 mm
• Certification : Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, certified chronometer by the COSC
• Frequency : 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour)
• Balance spring : with Phillips terminal curve
• Number of parts : 533
• Number of jewels : 63
• Power reserve of 60 hours

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes, small seconds
• Minute repeater, two power reserve indicators

Strap and buckle

• Hand-sewn alligator strap
• 18ct rose gold buckle, fully hand-engraved

MSRP

• EUR 642'500 (incl. VAT)
• EUR 535'420 (excl. VAT)

For more information, please visit art-in-time.com