After iterations in white gold with a blue mother-of-pearl dial, then in rose gold and pink mother-of-pearl dial, Chopard is enriching its line of IMPERIALE Moonphase timepieces. The highlight of this new version lies in the introduction of an aventurine glass dial with a celestial touch. Alongside the moon, the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Draco constellations stand out against dozens of sparkling diamonds representing the stars at night.
Art and noble materials
Chopard’s masterful flair for detail enables it to offer an unmistakably poetic vision of the lunar cycle. The dial of the IMPERIALE Moonphase timepiece consists of two blue plates made of aventurine glass, also known as goldstone and recognisable by its typical sparkling inclusions or spangles. This long-lost know-how was first discovered in Murano, where legend has it that a glassmaking artisan accidentally dropped iron and copper filings into his molten glass. Once cooled, the molten glass revealed unique, shimmering reflections, reminiscent of the night sky.
IMPERIALE's characteristic bezel, lugs and lug-covers are set with diamonds totalling three carats, as are the central decorative fillets rimming the moon phase and the small seconds disc, both adorned with the collection’s iconic quilted motif.
Like all the watch and jewellery creations emerging from Chopard's workshops since July 2018, this new watch is crafted in ethical gold.
Art and precision moon phases
The mechanism of this watch also testifies to the excellence of the Maison’s artisans. Its entirely in-house made 96.25-C movement with automatic winding is certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) and features a generous 65-hour power reserve.
Its moon-phase display offers astronomical accuracy, reducing the precision error in the duration between two successive new moons (known as a lunation) to just 57.2 seconds, and hence taking 122 years to accumulate a mere one-day difference between the measured and actual lunar cycle. It betokens the resolutely horological care that Chopard devotes to the creation of its timepieces endowed with complications.
