L.U.C Chopard’s 2021 watches are all mostly familiar faces, but in executions that are all very decidedly contemporary, as opposed to the classic elegant timepieces that these are mostly intended to be.

L.U.C GMT One Black & Time Traveler One Black

We start with the L.U.C GMT and Time Traveler, which are now both in ceramised grade 5 titanium. The way that this is done is by subjecting the surface of the titanium used, to oxidation at extreme temperatures using electroplasma technology. The treatment increases the metal’s hardness to 700 Vickers as well as its corrosion resistance. Best thing is, unlike most other novel metals, ceramised titanium biocompatible. The dark color of the cases, therefore, their stealth outlook, is further amplified by the dark grey dials used.

Tech Specs

L.U.C GMT One Black – Ref. 168579-3004: in ceramised grade 5 titanium with black rubber strap; 250-piece limited edition

Movement: Mechanical with automatic winding L.U.C 01.10-L; central display of the hours, minutes and seconds; semi-instantaneous date display at 6 o’clock; GMT function displayed on the outer dial disc; crown at 2 o’clock serving to adjust the date and time; crown at 4 o’clock serving to adjust the second time zone – GMT function; stop-seconds function; 60-hour power reserve; chronometer-certified (COSC)

Case: 42mm in ceramised grade 5 titanium; two ceramised grade 5 titanium crowns with L.U.C logo and globe; sandblasted case middle, bezel and case-back; exhibition caseback; water resistant to 50 metres

Dial & Hands: Dark grey dial achieved by galvanic treatment – vertical satin-brushed finishing on central part; snailed chapter ring; hour-markers and Arabic numerals painted with Super-LumiNova®; circular satin-brushed GMT function disc, grey between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm – black transfers; and black between 6.30 pm and 6.30am – white transfers; metallic black Dauphine-type hours and minutes hands; metallic black baton-type hand for the GMT function, white arrow; metallic black baton-type central seconds hand; railway track minute circle

Strap & Buckle: Fabric-patterned black rubber strap with grey stitching; ceramised grade 5 titanium pin buckle

L.U.C Time Traveler One Black – Ref. 168574-3008: in ceramised grade 5 titanium with black rubber strap; 250-piece limited edition

Movement: Mechanical with automatic winding L.U.C 01.05-L; central display of the hours, minutes, seconds and date; cities display on the outer dial disc; disc-type GMT function display; crown at 2 o’clock serving to adjust the date and time of the second time zone; crown at 4 o’clock serving to adjust the cities disc; stop-seconds function; 60-hour power reserve; chronometer-certified (COSC)

Case: 42mm in ceramised grade 5 titanium; ceramised grade 5 titanium crowns with semi-satin-brushed L.U.C logo and globe; sandblasted case middle, bezel and case-back; exhibition caseback; water resistant to 50 metres

Dial & Hands: Dark grey dial achieved by galvanic treatment – hand-applied vertical satin-brushed finishing on central part; snailed chapter ring; hour-markers and Arabic numerals painted with Super-LumiNova®; Circular satin-brushed city disc with white transfers; circular satin-brushed GMT function disc, grey between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm with black transfers; and black between 6.30 pm and 6.30 am, with white transfers; metallic black Dauphine-type hours and minutes hand, enhanced with Super-LumiNova®; metallic black baton-type arrow-tipped date hand; metallic black baton-type central seconds hand

Strap & Buckle: Vegan-certified fabric-patterned rubber strap with grey stitching; ceramised titanium pin buckle

---

L.U.C Perpetual Chrono

The L.U.C Perpetual Chrono, is another familiar face from the house. But it’s one that we’ve seen thus far dressed only in gold and platinum. Keeping to the contemporary theme, the 2021 version of the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono is now in grade 5 titanium with a black rhodium-toned and hand-guilloché solid gold dial. Note that they also seem have moved away from their usual Roman numerals for the hour markers and opted for a stylized applique hour marker that was first used on the original 1860.

In execution the watch looks deceptively like its white gold or platinum counterparts. The only way one would be able to tell this specific execution apart is by picking it up. At which point, its weight, or the sheer lack of, would alude to anyone in the know that this is the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono in titanium, as opposed to a more traditional precious metal.

Tech Specs

L.U.C Perpetual Chrono – Ref. 168611-3001: in grade 5 titanium fitted with a grey nubuck calfskin strap; numbered 20-piece limited edition

Tech Specs

L.U.C Perpetual Chrono – Ref. 168611-3001: in grade 5 titanium fitted with a grey nubuck calfskin strap; numbered 20-piece limited edition

Movement: Mechanical movement with manual winding L.U.C 03.10-L; perpetual calendar – patented mechanism; integrated column-wheel chronograph; patented return-to-zero device with pivoting hammers and elastic arm; patented chronograph seconds hand return-to-zero system; patented vertical clutch device; power reserve approx. 60 hours; Chronometer-certified (COSC); Poinçon de Genève

Case: 45mm in grade 5 titanium; titanium crown with L.U.C logo 8.50 mm; titanium pushers; vertical satin-brushed case middle; polished bezel and caseback; exhibition case-back; water resistant to 30 metres

Dial and hands: Black rhodium-toned and hand-guilloché solid gold dial, with beams radiating from the date – snailed silver-toned inner bezel ring – red and black transfers; rhodium-plated hour-markers; chronograph and perpetual calendar function counters obtained by black rhodium-based galvanic treatment and ruthenium-treated appliques; snailed-finish day/night and leap-year counters obtained by black rhodium-based galvanic treatment; rhodium-plated Dauphine fusée-type hours and minutes; rhodium-plated Dauphine-type hands for the small seconds as well as the day and month calendar indications; rhodium-plated triangular-shaped hands for the day/night and leap-year calendar indications; rhodium-plated red-tipped Dauphine-type hands for the chronograph hours and minutes counters; baton-type red-tipped sweep-seconds hand; minutes track with white and red details

Strap & Buckle: Hand-sewn grey nubuck calfskin strap with nubuck lining and tone-on-tone stitching; folding clasp in grade 5 titanium

---

L.U.C QF Jubilee

Before we get into the watch, it’s important to understand what that initials QF stand for in the name of the watch in question. QF, stands for Qualité Fleurier, an independent foundation established by the quartet of Bovet, Chopard, Parmigiani, and Vaucher, in 2004, with the intention of providing a standardized certification that validates that a timepiece is 1) 100% made in Switzerland, 2) the watch must meet a set of exacting finishing standards, 3) it must be COSC certified, 4) the watch must have passed the Chronofiable test, which in essence serves to benchmark how the watch will wear over time, and 5) the watch in its final form must past a set of tests within the Fleuritest simulator, which puts the watch through 24 hours of scrutiny.  It is only when all five points of the validation criteria are met, that a watch is entitled: “FQF, La Haute Horlogerie certifiée“. You can read more about the Qualité Fleurier certification here: fleurier-quality.com

The 39mm 2021 L.U.C QF Jubilee is the first timepiece from the L.U.C brand that will feature in stainless steel. Created as part of Chopard Manufacture’s 25th anniversary, the watch has a silver-toned, sunburst satin-brushed sector dial paired with a blue chapter ring and ‘LP’ grooved subdial. Chevron-type rhodium-plated hour markers are used at 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 o’clock, while 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock are Super-LumiNova® filled pointed baton markers. Great looking watch aside, the serious stuff is of course to do with the 22-carat gold micro-rotor equipped L.U.C 96.09-L automatic movement, which is both COSC and Qualité Fleurier certified.

Tech Specs

L.U.C QF Jubilee – Ref. 168613-3001: in stainless steel; numbered 25-piece limited edition

Movement: Mechanical movement with automatic winding L.U.C 96.09-L; micro-rotor in 22-carat gold; two stacked barrels – Chopard Twin technology; Chronometer certification (COSC); Fleurier Quality Foundation certification (QF); power reserve: 65 hours

Case: 39.00 mm in stainless steel; thickness: 8.92 mm; steel crown with L.U.C logo; polished case middle, bezel, inter-horn space and case-back; Exhibition case-back with glare-proofed sapphire crystal; water resistance to 30 metres

Dial and hands: Dial with sectors in a silver-toned colour achieved by galvanic treatment – sunburst satin-brushed finishing; chapter ring in a blue colour achieved by galvanic treatment; chevron-type rhodium-plated hour-markers at 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 o’clock; rhodium-plated hour-markers painted with Super-LumiNova® at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock; spear-shaped rhodium-plated hours and minutes hands painted with Super-LumiNova®; spear-shaped rhodium-plated small seconds hand; black transferred railway-track minutes scale

Strap & Buckle: Brown calfskin strap with blue lining, tone-on-tone stitching and blue bridle stitches; stainless steel pin buckle