Chopard LUC 16/1860/2 Calibre 1.96 Yellow Gold
The Chopard 1860 with the 1.96 calibre is, without a doubt. the finest watch to come out of Chopard's manufacture. Even more impressively, it was more or less the first serially produced watch to come from the then-brand new manufacture.
The movement is a beautifully decorated microrotor movement, complete with a Breguet overcoil and swan neck regulator. These features are the hallmark of high-end movement design, as they're more difficult to design and produce but make for a more accurate movement.
The guilloche dial was manufactured by Metalem SA, who would go on to produce dials for Philippe Dufour. The case, while perfectly proportioned, is relatively simple, allowing the dial and movement to take centre stage.
A very small number of 1.96 watches were produced, with Chopard never finishing the production of all the watches they intended to make.
The 1860/2 variant comes with the open caseback by default, showing off the stunning movement in all its glory.
CHOPARD
Although Chopard's phenomenal success as a haute joallerie brand has overshadowed its watchmaking department, this manufacture is very much a watchmaker in its own right. Many of its movements feature the Geneva seal, a highly respected market of horological excellence. Chopard has created many of its own movements, including an ultra thin microrotor automatic - a highly respectable achievement.
LessThe Chopard 1860 with the 1.96 calibre is, without a doubt. the finest watch to come out of Chopard's manufacture. Even more impressively, it was more or less the first serially produced watch to come from the then-brand new manufacture.
The movement is a beautifully decorated microrotor movement, complete with a Breguet overcoil and swan neck regulator. These features are the hallmark of high-end movement design, as they're more difficult to design and produce but make for a more accurate movement.
The guilloche dial was manufactured by Metalem SA, who would go on to produce dials for Philippe Dufour. The case, while perfectly proportioned, is relatively simple, allowing the dial and movement to take centre stage.
A very small number of 1.96 watches were produced, with Chopard never finishing the production of all the watches they intended to make.
The 1860/2 variant comes with the open caseback by default, showing off the stunning movement in all its glory.
CHOPARD
Although Chopard's phenomenal success as a haute joallerie brand has overshadowed its watchmaking department, this manufacture is very much a watchmaker in its own right. Many of its movements feature the Geneva seal, a highly respected market of horological excellence. Chopard has created many of its own movements, including an ultra thin microrotor automatic - a highly respectable achievement.
As part of our commitment to transparency, we're showing you this watch on our timegrapher. Testing is done in six positions, covering how the watch is worn in daily use.
Timegraphers listen to the ticks which a movement make. Professional machines like ours can take more measurements, create a graph, and support more escapement types.
"Accuracy" refers to how many seconds a movement gains or loses each day. COSC standards require -4/+6 seconds a day, while vintage watches may read closer to -60/+60s.
"Amplitude" tells you how much the balance wheel is moving each rotation. Certain escapements have a higher amplitude, while some will have a lower value by default. A below-average reading for your watch's escapement suggests there is friction in the movement from a lack of lubrication.
"Beat error" is an indication of the alignment between the timekeeping components. In modern watches, a reading under to 1.0ms should be expected, while vintage watches may have a reading of up to 3.0ms.