Chopard
Introducing the Chopard L.U.C QF — Revolution Edition
Chopard
Introducing the Chopard L.U.C QF — Revolution Edition
Chopard and Qualité Fleurier
Qualité Fleurier was originally created in 2004 (check first watch was launched) by Chopard L.U.C, Parmigiani Fleurier and Bovet with the goal of elevating the objective testing of finished luxury Swiss watches to the highest level imaginable. The first Chopard L.U.C watch to receive QF certification was the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier model in 2005. Even by today’s standards, with the adoption of METAS certification by several of the industry’s best brands, the criteria for Qualité Fleurier is arguably still the most challenging in the world. Here’s why: First, the watch head (the bracelet and clasp are excluded) has to be 100-percent manufactured in Switzerland. Also, all the final stages of assembly after the final transformation of materials has to take place in Switzerland. That means every aspect of the decoration, assembly, regulation and final control process needs to be carried out within Swiss borders. Second, every watch must have already received COSC certification. This means that movements are each tested to be within tolerances of -4/+6 seconds a day by the famous Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. Movements are tested in five positions and at 8, 23 and 38 degrees Celsius, and they need to run for 15 days where they are re-tested daily. It is of note that from the very first Chopard L.U.C movement, each and every caliber (except one without a seconds hand, making it impossible to test) has been the recipient of COSC certification, demonstrating Scheufele’s absolute commitment to the objective demonstration of their accuracy.
Cut to 17 years later, and the project has long since been abandoned by Parmigiani Fleurier and Bovet. Which is not to cast any negative connotation on them, because what is clear is that this borderline insane level of testing also comes at a very high price. But Scheufele is very open to continuing the initiative. He explains, “To me, it is important that Qualité Fleurier continues because it still remains the highest level of objective testing in Swiss watchmaking.” Since 2005, a total of 10 Qualité Fleurier models have been released by Chopard L.U.C. These are (in chronological order):
• L.U.C Qualité Fleurier (2005)
• L.U.C Qualité Fleurier (2006)
• L.U.C Tech Qualité Fleurier (2009)
• L.U.C Tourbillon Triple Certification (2011)
• L.U.C Qualité Fleurier (2012)
• L.U.C Quattro Tourbillon QF Fairmined (2014)
• L.U.C Qualité Fleurier (2014)
• L.U.C XPS Twist QF Fairmined (2017)
• L.U.C XPS Twist QF Fairmined (2019)
• L.U.C QF Jubilee (2021)
Chopard L.U.C QF Jubilee
The QF Jubilee project started several years ago at the Basel fair. For all its multi-accredited performance élan, what I had long admired about the original 2005 QF case was its beauty, in particular related to its shaped soldered lugs that are concupiscent, like the flared wheels of the 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo I owned as a young man. This type of complex case making is something of a lost art form and is reminiscent of the output of the extraordinarily creative case makers from the 1950s, which resulted in watches like the Patek Philippe 2569. Then there was the size of 39mm, which to me was the perfect balance between visibility and elegance. At 8.9mm in thickness, the case was also suitably elegant. When discussing it with Scheufele and Pau Infante, at the time the man in charge of all things L.U.C, the conversation rapidly arrived at the idea of a steel case watch. Somehow, the idea of a QF watch in steel just seemed so cool.
“I agree,” said Scheufele, “The character of the dial works very well with the identity of the QF watch, especially in steel, and I like the practicality of this fully luminous dial.” With that, he and his team worked on several renderings before we arrived at a design we all loved, which is what you see before you today. The steel Chopard L.U.C QF Jubilee — Revolution Edition with the luminous sector track and Arabic markers has been made in just 25 pieces and is fitted to an aged brown calfskin strap. I would like to thank both Scheufele and Montanari for their wonderful input into this project, and I see this beautiful timepiece to be far more an expression of their creativity than it is mine.
Tech Specs
Chopard L.U.C QF — Revolution Edition
Ref: 168613-3002
Movement: Self-winding L.U.C caliber 96.09-L; 65-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and small seconds
Case: 39mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m
Dial: Black; Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals
Strap: Vintage brown calfskin; stainless steel pin buckle
Price: USD 15,000
Availability: Limited edition of 25 pieces