Under an ethical 18-carat white gold lotus flower, a miniature marquetry scene in mother-of-pearl changes its appearance. Blue in winter, energetic green in spring, lemon yellow in summer, coppery in autumn. The colors slowly succeed each other, in the rhythm of days. IMPERIALE Four Seasons is a fragment of a landscape that evolves over time. This mechanical poetry was imagined by Caroline Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, and combines know-how, artistic sensitivity, rigor, and watchmaking creativity.
This piece, limited to 25 examples offered in the brand's boutiques, is part of the Imperiale collection, born in 1994. True to its codes, it incorporates the lotus motif, sculpted in ethical 18-carat white gold on the upper half of the dial. Its petals form a stylized lace, satin-finished, and polished on its veins. The lotus is also found in the shape of the crown, topped with a diamond, and also set on the sides.
Organic marquetry and mother-of-pearl palette
Under the ethical white gold petals, a unique visual magic operates. A decor in mother-of-pearl marquetry subtly transforms throughout the year. This landscape dial is revealed each day from a slightly different angle. The realization of this marquetry is particularly demanding as mother-of-pearl is an organic material, easily friable and brittle. To accompany this evolving dial, Chopard provides with the IMPERIALE Four Seasons four interchangeable alligator straps. Blue, green, yellow, orange - each blends wonderfully with a season, according to a chromatic palette subtly matched to the dial's shades.
The spectacle continues with the brilliance of diamonds, set in a line on the dial, on the rehaut, and then on the case, with a bezel and lugs entirely set with diamonds, with pear-cut stones on the lugs.
Legitimacy and watchmaking inventiveness
Behind this precious staging is hidden the caliber L.U.C 96.31-L, equipped with an exclusive complication module. This movement showcases the expertise acquired and cultivated by Chopard for nearly thirty years. In 1996, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, also the current co-president of the brand, took a major strategic turn with Chopard Manufacture, in Fleurier, in the Swiss Jura - with the aim of developing high-precision mechanical movements. The L.U.C movements and collection pay tribute to the founder of the brand, in 1860, Louis-Ulysse Chopard.
The L.U.C 96.31-L comes from this lineage. Mechanical with automatic winding, it integrates the Chopard Twin system invented by the brand. Two coaxial barrels offer a power reserve of 65 hours. Above all, it integrates the exclusive "Four Seasons" module: a rotating disc that completes a full revolution in 365 days, indexed to the hour hand. This discreet mechanism alters the dial's shades, like a miniature natural calendar.
This unique interpretation of the seasonal calendar complication, presented with the IMPERIALE Four Seasons, is not trivial. It combines dimensions dear to Chopard: poetry, creativity, and expertise, both in watchmaking, jewelry, and arts and crafts. Technique and expertise give rise to emotion. Time is no longer read only in hours and minutes, but in the nuances of a changing scene.
