The quintessence of Urushi, the ancestral Japanese lacquerwork, combines with the ultimate degree of Swiss horological refinement om giving rise to the new L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat”.
The dial of this new Zodiac watch is entirely crafted by hand. It places Asia in the limelight by using the traditional Japanese lacquer technique, Urushi. It is the sap of the Urushi tree, known as the “lacquer” or “Japanese varnish” tree and found in Japan and China, that secretes the varnish which gave rise to this ancestral form of lacquerwork. Its resin is harvested once a year in extremely small quantities. Only after three to five years and a specific treatment will this resin become a highly resistant lacquer with a honey-like consistency.
Maki-e, a technique stemming from the art of Urushi, consists of sprinkling the lacquer with gold dust in order to create or accentuate a motif. The precious dust, applied using bamboo tubes or tiny natural bristle brushes, traces exquisitely fine lines. This art requires a skill and a degree of meticulous care acquired only by a handful of Urushi Masters after years of assiduous practice.
A work of art such this dial could not be better served than by the refinement of the L.U.C XP, a discreetly elegant ultra-thin timepiece measuring 39.5 mm in diameter and a mere 6.8 mm thick. Chopard Manufacture is one of the rare movement makers capable of producing a mechanical self-winding calibre equipped with twin barrels ensuring a 65-hour power reserve. The watchmakers of the Manufacture in Fleurier have achieved this feat by means of an off-centred micro-rotor. The latter, instead of topping the movement in order to rewind it, is integrated into its overall thickness so as to keep the ensemble slim and ensure smooth and practical winding.
Entirely hand-decorated by the artisans of the Manufacture Chopard in accordance with the craftsmanship traditions of fine watchmaking, L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L may be admired through the transparent sapphire case-back. The case comes in a choice of 18-carat rose gold or white gold. Fitted with a black alligator leather strap, the L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat” is delivered in a special presentation box, also decorated according to Urushi techniques. Black on the outside and adorned with Maki-e on the inside, it is shaped like an octagon, the oriental symbol of joyfulness.
