Chopard celebrates the reopening of its Paris hotel with an exclusive timepiece. The L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Vendôme One pays tribute to 1 Place Vendôme, a building meticulously restored by Chopard and a testament to the Maison’s ancestral expertise and contemporary spirit. Adorned in the elegant blue that embellishes the imposing doorways of the world’s most beautiful square, it is available in an eight-piece limited edition. Be they Parisian or cosmopolitan, true connoisseurs will see in it a supreme testament to distinction and discretion.
Discreet elegance
The spirit of L.U.C XPS timepieces has always been one of discretion, purity and finesse. With its harmonious proportions, guilloché dial and officer-type case-back with a hinged cover, the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Vendôme One model remains true to these principles. It is upon closer inspection that this 40 mm-diameter watch crafted in ethical 18-carat gold reveals its true nature: when the crown is pressed to release the hinged cover concealing its sapphire case-back, the latter opens thanks to an ingenious spring system and holds its position. When the case-back is closed, the same mechanism generates a pleasant clicking sound that locks the hinged cover in place.
While hinged or officer-type case-backs served to protect the glasses of pocket watches, they also provided scope for unique, personalised engravings such as monograms, coats-of-arms and inscriptions. With the transition to wristwatches, this purpose became obsolete, yet the artistry of this distinctive touch remained.
In the same way, the building at 1 Place Vendôme conceals a well-kept secret: a private mansion with 15 rooms, whose entrance is distinguished only by the discreet “C” placed on its elaborate door.
A storied engraving heritage
From their creation in 1860 through to the 1920s, watches signed by Louis-Ulysse Chopard were all engraved – both on the movements and inside the back covers – with a beehive surrounded by bees. From 1996 onwards, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele chose to pick up the symbolic design of the beehive by associating it with certain models in the L.U.C collection, thus named in tribute to the founder of the Maison.
This signature honeycomb motif adorns the dial and the outside of the officer-style back cover in a contemporary evocation of the beehive; while the inside of the officer-type case-back reveals its Parisian heritage: a hand-engraving of the Sun strongly associated with Louis XIV, instigator of the project to build Place Vendôme. During his reign (1643-1715), the Sun represented the sovereign’s influence on the world and can still be seen on the square’s wrought ironwork.
The unique blue shade of the world’s most beautiful square
The dial of the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Vendôme One timepiece features an 18-carat gold base in Bering blue. This elegant hue echoes that of the doorway at 1 Place Vendôme: a deep, rich hue reminiscent of the famous square’s distinctive architecture. In fact, all the doorways on Place Vendôme feature a blue varnish, creating a harmonious azure symphony naturally exuding an unmistakable aura of majesty. Blue was a symbol of royalty during the reign of King Louis XIV, and today every door adorned with this royal hue contributes to the elegance of the world’s most beautiful square.
Certified precision
The opening of the guilloché engraved case-back reveals ultra-thin L.U.C Calibre 96.01-L (3.30 mm thick), finished to Chopard Manufacture’s highest standards. This movement first presented by Chopard Manufacture in 1997 is automatically wound via an engraved 22-carat gold micro-rotor, whose high inertia ensures optimal efficiency. It powers two stacked barrels, using Chopard-patented Twin technology. Together, they guarantee a running time of 65 hours and enable Calibre 96.01-L to beat with certified chronometer-worthy precision. This level of quality is a personal requirement of Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. All L.U.C models equipped with a small seconds hand are certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). What’s more, the elegant details of the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Vendôme One model, its perfectly designed and timeless proportions, as well as the quality of its craftsmanship are attested by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, a prestigious historical (1886) certification of excellence and fine craftsmanship.
L.U.C: elegance and Fine Watchmaking in timeless symbiosis
Since 1996, Chopard Manufacture has been cultivating watchmaking expertise and reflecting the inspired vision of its Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. Resolutely committed to a quest for innovation and to preserving the horological heritage, he loves to recall that Chopard has been a watch Maison ever since its founding by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860.
Movement development, finished product design, precious metal smelting, case stamping and machining, calibre components, engraving and traditional hand-crafted finishes, Grand Feu enamel, surface treatments, polishing, assembly, adjustments and quality controls: its Swiss workshops in Geneva and Fleurier enable Chopard to master the full range of production operations for each creation of the L.U.C collection.
The work of experienced artisans, endowed with a simple, clean-cut design and expressing a high degree of mechanical sophistication, these timepieces beat to the rhythm of the emotions experienced by the connoisseurs for whom they are intended: gentlemen distinguished by their attachment to art and expertise, watchmaking enthusiasts who lead their lives with boldness and passion.
L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Vendôme One
8-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat yellow gold
Case
Ethnical 18-carat yellow gold
Total diameter 40 mm
Thickness 7.70 mm
Water resistance 30 metres
Crown in 18-carat yellow gold with L.U.C logo 5 mm
Vertical satin-brushed flanks and inter-horn space
Polished case-middle and case-back
Glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Exhibition back protected by a crown-activated hinged cover
Interior of the cover hand-engraved with a sunburst motif
Exterior of the cover hand-guilloched with a honeycomb motif
Movement
Mechanical self-winding L.U.C 96.01-L
Total diameter 27.4 mm
Thickness 3.30 mm
Number of jewels 29
Frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve 65 hours
Winding via y micro-rotor in ethical 22-carat gold
Two barrels – Chopard Twin technology
Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève
Chronometer-certified (COSC)
Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark
Dial and hands
Bering blue dial in 18-carat gold
Chapter ring with sunburst satin-brushed motif centred around the Chopard logo
Gilded hour-markers
Centre hand-guilloched with a honeycomb motif
Snailed small seconds counter
Gilded Dauphine-style hours, minutes and small seconds hands
Functions and displays
Central display of the hours and minutes
Small seconds at 6 o’clock
Date at 6 o’clock
Stop-seconds function
Strap and buckle
Brown calfskin strap with ecru bridle stitching, blue leather lining
Pin buckle in ethical 18-carat yellow gold
Ref. 161242-0002 – in ethical 18-carat yellow gold
8-piece limited edition, available exclusively from the Chopard Boutique on Place Vendôme, Paris.
