Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox
The Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox is rich with artisanal crafts, including Urushi lacquer and Maki-e. Moreover, the Calibre L.U.C 96-17L, visible via an exhibition caseback, also illustrates the brand’s remarkable mechanical artistry. The first Chopard L.U.C model was unveiled in 1997 and the firm continues to impress discerning individuals around the globe.
Chopard opened its Manufacture in 1996 and released its inaugural L.U.C model, the 1860, the following year. At the heart of this latter watch was the L.U.C Calibre 96.01L (formerly named the L.U.C 1.96). By equipping this movement with a micro-rotor, the watch delivered the convenience of automatic winding while remaining notably slim. Each square millimetre of the movement was refined to the nth degree. Indeed, the Côtes de Genève motif, anglage and circular graining were comparable with Haute Horlogerie’s finest.
The original 1860 measured 37mm in diameter and featured a small seconds display and date aperture at 6 o’clock. In 2016, the Maison released an evolution of the watch, the L.U.C XPS 1860. The diameter of this newer model was greater, measuring 40mm, but the appearance remained virtually identical to its 1997 antecedent.
The L.U.C XP shares much in common with the L.U.C 1860, except it eschews the small seconds display and date aperture. The resultant dial proves very clean, with an uncluttered area for displaying the hours and minutes. Moreover, the expansive dial area provides the perfect canvas for artistic expression.
For several years, Chopard has utilised said expansive dial area and suffused it with Urushi lacquer and Maki-e to depict scenes from nature. The sap of the Urushi tree, often grown in China and Japan, is harvested and filtered. The slow-drying lacquer is applied to the dial blank, thereafter metal powder, in this case gold, is sprinkled onto the lacquer. This application of gold is usually done using bamboo tubes and brushes made of rat hair.
As its name suggests, the Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox celebrates the forthcoming Year of the Ox. In order to produce an Ox-themed scene, Chopard turned to the Japanese firm, Yamada Heiando and entrusted them with creating the Urushi dial.
While the dial of the Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox is rich with detail, it remains reassuringly tasteful. Moreover, at the heart of the watch is the Calibre L.U.C 96-17L which upholds the revered standards synonymous with Chopard L.U.C and is arguably another form of artistic expression.
The brand’s press release
Each year since 2013, Chopard has dedicated a L.U.C Haute Horlogerie timepiece to the concurrent symbol in the Chinese zodiac. The concept is invariably developed on the basis of the ultra-thin L.U.C XP watches; graced with a dial featuring the Urushi technique of Maki-e combining lacquer and gold powder; always features a highly symbolic setting; and always produced as an 88-piece limited series. In 2021, this commitment is embodied in an exceptional creation made of ethical 18-carat rose gold, the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox.
A highly symbolic timepiece
The Year of the Ox will begin on February 12th 2021 and end on January 31st 2022. An Earth sign, symbol of the twelfth lunar month, the ox represents a period conducive to both nature and agriculture. This benevolent animal ensures the prosperity of the soil and the crops, the success of which depend on a peaceful climate.
The year is a time of appeasement and thus of wisdom, optimism, restraint and dialogue. It is also based on recognising the value of manual labour in the broadest sense of the term, an auspice that Chopard has seized upon to deliver one of its most artistic achievements.
The result of meticulous Artisanship
Faithful to the tradition of watches related to the Chinese zodiac, Chopard has worked right from the start with the best Japanese lacquer artisans who craft dials using the traditional Urushi lacquer technique. The 88 dials of the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox timepiece were produced by the workshops of the century-old Yamada Heiando company and were made by Master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi.
As the Maki-e technique requires, captured between the layers of lacquer drawn from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree, gold flakes illuminate a background that features a golden ox with straight horns and an abundant coat, harnessed to a wagon. Made of gold, mother-of-pearl and coloured lacquer, it conveys both agricultural symbolism and the more subtle imagery of the Emperor.
Extreme technical finesse
The case of the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox timepiece is entirely sculpted from a block of 18-carat rose gold sourced from an ethical supply chain pioneered by Chopard. It measures 39.5 mm in diameter and its slim bezel enables a broad dial opening. Featuring a graceful design and refined ornamentation, the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox is also an ultra-thin timepiece measuring a mere 6.80 mm thick.
Mechanical performance
This slimness is enabled by the use of the 3.30 mm thick L.U.C 96.17-L in-house calibre. Despite this extremely diminutive size, this movement offers automatic winding via a micro-rotor. This small ethical 22-carat gold off-centre oscillating weight incorporated into the calibre boasts high inertia enabling it to wind the two barrels efficiently. The latter are stacked in accordance with the Chopard Twin Technology and are capable of storing the energy necessary for the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Ox to offer a total 65-hour power reserve. Once off the wrist, it will remain on time and accurate for more than two and a half days, the duration of a long weekend.
Chopard’s in-house approach to Haute Horlogerie
Chopard is a Family Maison with a strongly ingrained philosophy of independence. The manufacturing stages of L.U.C timepieces are carried out in-house at its production sites in Geneva and Fleurier.
Movement development, finished product design, gold casting, stamping and cases machining, movement parts and bracelets, as well as traditional handcrafted finishes, surface treatments, polishing, assembly, adjustments and quality controls: such is the comprehensive range of watch production operations fully mastered by Chopard and involved in the making of each creation in the L.U.C collection.
The result of meticulous craftsmanship, Chopard’s exceptional L.U.C timepieces meet the aspirations of today’s gentleman, speaking to him without the slightest artifice or pretention, and unequivocally conveying an ideal blend of artisanal skill and emotions.
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