Chopard introduces a significant milestone among its Haute Horlogerie chiming watches with the L.U.C Strike One Titanium featuring a chime-in-passing. As its name suggests, the feather‑light 40 mm timepiece is encased in titanium, uniting refined aesthetics with the crystalline acoustic purity delivered by Chopard’s patented monobloc sapphire gong system.
Crafted entirely from this industry-leading light, durable and scratch-resistant Grade 5 titanium, the case’s exceptional hardness makes it particularly challenging to machine, requiring specialised tools, elevated precision and savoir‑faire. It is also crafted from a single block of titanium, with a vertically satin‑brushed finishing. The polished bezel and case-back create a harmonious contrast. Despite the technical complexity of the mechanism inside, the watch maintains a remarkably slim 9.86 mm profile. A discreet pusher integrated into the crown allows the wearer to activate or silence the chime, preserving the streamlined purity of the design.
The dial is crafted from 18‑carat ethical gold and features a hand‑guilloché honeycomb motif honouring founder Louis‑Ulysse Chopard, who adopted the symbolism of the bee and its hive early in the Maison’s history as a symbol of a Manufacture working together. Its salmon‑toned sheen contrasts with rhodium‑plated chevron markers and Dauphine hands. At 12 o’clock, a small disc indicates the chiming status – white when active, ruthenium when silenced – while an aperture between 12 and 1 reveals the hammer that strikes the passing hours. A hand‑stitched anthracite alligator strap complements the titanium case and dial tones while allowing the central hue to stand out.
Through the sapphire crystal case-back, the L.U.C 96.32‑L calibre reveals refined hand‑finishing. Chronometer‑certified and meeting the exacting criteria of the Poinçon de Genève, it features a micro‑rotor in engraved 22‑carat ethical gold, twin stacked barrels (Chopard Twin Technology), a swan’s‑neck regulator, and bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève. Its 65‑hour power reserve remains available even when the chiming mechanism is active.
First introduced in 2022 within the ‘Sound of Eternity’ trilogy, this calibre drives a chime-in-passingthat emits a single, pure note each time the minute hand reaches 12. At the core of its acoustic performance is Chopard’s patented monobloc sapphire construction. Thanks to this innovation, the use of Grade 5 titanium for the case – or indeed any other metal – does not affect acoustic quality.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard’s Co-President, emphasises: “Chiming watches embody one of the most demanding expressions of Haute Horlogerie. At Chopard, we have spent years refining this craft, developing patented solutions that allow our watches to chime with clarity and emotion. The new L.U.C Strike One Titanium is the latest proof of our mastery: a contemporary case, a signature savoir‑faire, and a sound that expresses the very soul of our Manufacture.”
Chiming Watches at Chopard
Chopard’s journey in chiming watches began in 2006 with the first L.U.C Strike One, leading to the landmark 2016 L.U.C Full Strike — the Maison’s first fully in‑house minute repeater. Its sound relied on a patented monobloc sapphire system in which the gongs and the watch glass are machined from a single piece of sapphire, without screws, solder or adhesive. This construction transforms the crystal itself into the resonator, allowing vibrations to propagate directly into the air with exceptional purity, amplitude and stability. This innovation, awarded the Aiguille d’Or the following year during the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, later defined the 2022 ‘Sound of Eternity’ series (comprising a minute repeater with a sapphire case, a minute repeater coupled with a tourbillon, and a chime-in-passing).
The Manufacture has secured multiple patents for acoustic technologies, placing it among the few able to master minute repeaters, hour strikers and sonneries. Karl‑Friedrich Scheufele personally approves the sound of each finished chime, underscoring his belief that a chiming watch must deliver emotion as well as time.
Also marking Chopard Manufacture’s 30th anniversary, the L.U.C Grand Strike stands as the Maison’s most complex chiming creation — uniting grande and petite sonnerie with a minute repeater and featuring monobloc sapphire gongs – developed over more than 11,000 hours of research and secured by ten patents.
Traditional hand-guilloché
Chopard Manufacture is among the few Maisons to equip its watches with hand‑guilloché dials since the first L.U.C 1860, a rarity explained by the extremely high level of manual skill this artistic craft requires as well as the very limited number of historic machines still in operation. At the Metalem workshops – part of the Chopard Group – artisans use traditional guilloché lathes, some of which are over 100 years old, to decorate dials with fine, repeating lines in sunburst, undulating or interlaced patterns. The movement of the lathe is controlled entirely by artisans with great dexterity and without any digital assistance, enabling depth and regularity impossible to replicate by machine.
Chopard Twin Technology
The L.U.C 96.32-L movement featured in this timepiece is equipped with the Chopard Twin Technology. This system, developed by Chopard Manufacture, uses two stacked barrels, allowing for an extended power reserve (approximately 65 hours) while preserving the calibre’s thin profile. As the barrels work in series, they supply more consistent energy. Integrated into several L.U.C calibres, this architecture enhances the stability of energy delivered to the balance wheel, improving precision.
Titanium expertise
Chopard Manufacture uses only Grade 5 titanium, the highest‑performing grade available for this metal, thanks to its combination of strength and lightness. Its remarkable hardness makes it significantly more difficult to machine than most other materials, demanding specialised equipment and exceptional precision. Working with such a demanding alloy highlights the Manufacture’s technical breadth and the level of savoir‑faire required to craft each titanium component to Chopard’s exacting standards.
