Introducing: The New Chopard L.U.C. Chopard Strike One In Titanium (Live Pics)

What We Know

Among the more attractive releases from Watches and Wonders this year is the new Chopard L.U.C. Strike One Titanium, now with a beautiful new dial treatment. In ethical 18k rose gold with salmon-colored galvanic treatment, with a hand-guilloché central medallion with a honeycomb motif, the Strike One is a watch that may fly under the radar for some. Not a minute repeater, not a grande et petite sonnerie, but rather a beautiful watch that chimes once at the top of the hour (a sonnerie au passage), it’s still got a very romantic quality about it.

Despite being a chiming watch, Chopard has (as they usually do) minimized the size as much as possible with a 40mm by 9.86mm case in Grade 5 titanium. That light metal should help emphasize the chime’s sound, with the hammer on the dial side visible through an aperture for the full experience. Even better, the gong is made of sapphire and is connected in a monobloc construction (one piece) to the dial crystal to emphasize sound transmission. The dial itself is capped by a snail-shaped chapter ring and has rhodium-plated hour markers and hands, plus anthracite-colored printed transfers.

This is all powered by the L.U.C. 96.32-L. With a two-barrel construction and micro-rotor, you get 65 hours of power reserve, automatic winding, and a 4Hz beat rate, all chronometer-certified by COSC, with Poinçon de Genève-certified quality. Chopard really shows bigger brands how to do it when it comes to finishing, so this is the kind of watch that you can be proud of front to back.

The watch is available from Chopard retailers and boutiques at a retail price of $66,600. This is only about $9,000 less than the Hazemann & Monnin “School Watch,” which is a sonnerie au passage as well, was made in smaller batches, measured a bit thicker, and was manually wound. Comparatively, this seems like a fair price.

What We Think

The discontinuation of the L.U.C. 1860 with the salmon dial left me a bit sad, if I’m being honest. Then I saw this watch, and I did a bit of that head-turning “distracted boyfriend” meme. Far more expensive but, in many ways, far more interesting, the L.U.C. Strike One is kind of like the ultimate version of the L.U.C. 1860. 

The monobloc construction of the sapphire crystal and gongs is a signature of the brand, but I don’t think it gets enough attention for how amazing it makes their watches sound. I was not on the ground in Geneva for this meeting (temporarily handing off my title of tallest journalist at Watches and Wonders to Robin Swithinbank), but I’m putting out a call to Chopard: please let me see this watch. Please? I want to see hear it, know how it wears, and how much I would love to be the guy flexing the chiming of time’s hourly passing. On looks alone, this is a winner.

The Basics

Brand: Chopard
Model: L.U.C. Strike One Titanium

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 9.86mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Dial Color: Ethical 18k rose gold with salmon-colored galvanic treatment, with hand-guilloché central medallion with honeycomb motif
Indexes: Chapter ring with snailed concentric circle pattern and applied rhodium-plated chevron hour-markers
Lume: None
Water Resistance: None given
Strap/Bracelet: Anthracite grey alligator leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching with pin buckle in Grade 5 titanium with L.U.C engraving

The Movement

Caliber: L.U.C 96.32-L
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chime in passing, chime/silence pusher, stop seconds
Diameter: 33mm
Thickness: 5.6mm
Power Reserve: 65
Winding: Micro-rotor
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 33
Chronometer Certified: Chronometer-certified by the COSC
Additional Details: Balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve; Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark

Pricing & Availability

Price: $66,600
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No

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