Let’s start with L.U.C. 30 years ago Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele wanted to create a line with uncompromised watchmaking with movements made in Fleurier. Ever since, this has been a strong pillar of Chopard’s horological universe. The L.U.C 1860 is a continuation of the first model released 30 years ago, but it has been updated with new technologies and materials. While still 36.55 millimeters, the case is now crafted in Lucent Steel™, where at least 80 percent of the steel is recycled. And the developed Calibre 96.40-L now has a power reserve of 65 hours thanks to double barrels. The blue gold dial is inspired by near-by river Areuse, and hand-guillochéd by inhouse artisans. The meticulous approach of the L.U.C collection has been awarded multiple times in its three decades, including with watchmaking’s finest prize Aguille d’Or at the Grand Prix Horlogerie de Genève in 2017.
Flying High
The COSC-certified, Poinçon de Genève-standard L.U.C caliber Calibre 96.40-L is also used for the new, ultra-thin Alpine Eagle 41 XPS, whose thickness is a mere eight millimeters. The dial, as always inspired by an Alpine Eagle’s iris, has a champagne-colored coating called Mountain glow. Since Lucent Steel™ is becoming a Chopard standard, it is used also for this Alpine Eagle. “The Alpine Eagle collection embodies not only sustainable values and technical prowess, but also represents a beautiful story of three generations, of perseverance and boldness”, said Karl-Friedrich Scheufele about the sporty collection inspired by the 1970s.
Happy Go Lucky
Another kind of sporty can be had with the 33-millimeter Happy Sports Happy Hearts, which is powered by Chopard’s 09.01‑C in-house automatic movement. This attention to mechanics is right in line with what Chopard Co-President Caroline Scheufele said to me at a previous watches and wonders. “Women fly planes and drive beautiful cars – why would they not want to have real mechanical watches?” Alongside the dancing diamonds we have known since the collection was introduced in 1993, The Happy Sports Happy Hearts features two mother of pearl hearts, dancing inside the double sapphire glass. The denim strap is probably something we will see more of this summer, as this is the third denim strap I have so far seen from Watches and Wonders 2026.
Black Onyx
No doubt the most elegant and exclusive from the Chopard Watches and Wonders 2026 releases is the latest addition to the L’Heure du Diamant collection. It features a cushion-shaped case, and is set with 4.40 carats of diamonds in Chopard’s signature crown-setting. But above all I am enamored by the dial made of shiny, night-black onyx, the chalcedony-family mineral which is becoming the favorite stone dial for several watchmakers. Again, the movement used is the inhouse 09.01‑C, and it is housed in a case made of white gold. As with all gold cases from the sustainability pioneer Chopard, the gold is 100 percent traced, ensuring that it is ethical gold. Even the hands are made of 18-carat ethical white gold, adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds for that extra sparkle.
