Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green Watch Review
The Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green was unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024. Its sector-dial delineates the hour and minute tracks with crisply defined circlets and is dressed in the eponymous verdant hue. Housed in a 40mm case formed of Lucent Steel™️, the watch is fitted with the L.U.C 96.12-L Calibre automatic movement equipped with a micro-rotor. Once again, Chopard unites elegant design with ultra-refined finishing, a familiar L.U.C approach beloved by watch aficionados.
Chopard’s Green Period
Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) famously spent time in Arles, in the south of France, where over the course of two years, 1888 and 1889, he painted a total of five large canvases each depicting sunflowers in a vase. Each vibrant scene was beautifully painted using just three shades of yellow ‘and nothing else’.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), another artist of great renown, accomplished at working with an array of media, co-founded the Cubist movement. A prolific artist, he is known to have created over ‘20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and other items..’ Between 1900 and 1904, Picasso created monochromatic paintings in shades of blue, a body of work often referred to as ‘Picasso’s Blue Period’. The Spanish artist will forever be associated with the shrewd application of oils on canvas.
Chopard, under its L.U.C label, appears to have a penchant for green, masterfully applying the verdant hue to several of its models. For example, in 2022, the Maison released the Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Green Dial and last year, the Swiss marque unveiled the sublime Chopard L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph. This year, at Watches & Wonders, the Manufacture launched a new model executed in a shade of hunter green, or as they say in Fleurier, ‘Forest Green’.
Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green dial
Brand devotees will be familiar with the name ‘L.U.C XPS’, a model closely related to the L.U.C XP, but with the addition of a small seconds display at 6 o’clock. Both models have sired several offspring, embracing different dial and case finishes.
In this instance, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green is endowed with a sector-type dial, imbuing it with an appearance very different from its forebears. The term ‘sector-type dial’ refers to the use of concentric circles to delineate the hour track from the minute track. A detail that proved very popular in the 1930s, the sector-dial imparts information in bite-size chunks, aiding understanding.
Upholding Chopard L.U.C tradition, meaning is imparted with Dauphine-style hour and minute hands, executed in a rhodium-plated finish. The hours and minutes are denoted with crisp white markings. In addition, the double-digit Arabic numerals supplement the minute markers.
The small seconds display, framed with a crisp circlet, is executed in a circular satin-brushed finish and endowed with a silver-toned triangular seconds hand. In the upper half of the dial, the word ‘chronometer’ is proclaimed, a testament to the model’s notable accuracy, an attribute certified by COSC (see later).
The dial of the Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green encompasses a sunburst dial motif at the centre of the display and, as stated previously, circular satin-brushed finish on the small seconds indication. This juxtaposition of two contrasting finishes is a trait that is repeated again and again on this timepiece.
Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green case
While the dial embraces a style of yesteryear, the case is very much the product of cutting-edge know-how. In 2019, Chopard released a new collection of luxury sports watches, the Alpine Eagle line. Several of these timepieces were made of a premium steel, Lucent Steel™️. Smelted twice to enhance its purity, this highly refined metal confers an array of wearer benefits. Firstly, the metal is hypoallergenic and, due to its additional hardness, is less prone to scratching. Secondly. when contrasted with 316L stainless steel, the grade widely used within the watch industry, Lucent Steel™️ exhibits a much whiter appearance. Lastly, Lucent Steel™️ is formed of ‘at least 80% recycled steel’, an additional benefit that’s compatible with Chopard’s ethos of sustainability.
Measuring 40 mm in diameter with a case thickness of 7.20 mm, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green does not overwhelm the wrist with undue bulk. Its discreet dimensions are consistent with a gentlemen’s watch with its seemly mien and softly spoken elegance.
An endearing characteristic common to many Chopard L.U.C models is the consistently applied design language. For example, the case is predominantly polished but, like many of its forebears, the XPS Forest Green sports vertical satin-brush on its flanks and between the horns. This brushed motif tempers the flamboyance of the polished surfaces, imbuing the model with a genteel persona.
As previously stated, Chopard repeatedly plays with contrasts, both on the dial and the case; however, this contradistinction between styles also extends to the relationship between the case and the strap. While the case is formal, the brown calfskin strap looks a tad more casual. I would liken it to pairing a cocktail suit with an open neck shirt; as current fashion demonstrates, this dissimilarity works.
Chopard L.U.C 96.12-L Calibre
Back in 1996, Chopard crafted its first Manufacture movement, the L.U.C 96.01L Calibre. Remarkably, this self-winding movement featured a micro-rotor, a technically challenging approach to automatic winding that remains the preserve of just a few watch brands. The difficulty is harnessing sufficient energy from the motion of the wearer’s wrist using an oscillating weight that is much smaller than usual.
Contrasting the ubiquitous semi-circular oscillating mass with a micro-rotor, the latter offers two distinct benefits. As the micro-rotor sits flush with neighbouring bridges rather than sitting above them, it mitigates movement thickness. Moreover, given there is no rotor obstructing the view of the movement parts, the wearer is able to see more of the finishing.
The L.U.C 96.12-L Calibre, visible via an exhibition caseback, is fitted with a bi-directional 22-carat gold micro-rotor, culminating in a svelte profile that’s just 3.30 mm in height. In addition, the wearer can see a plethora of beautifully finished components, including Côtes de Genève motif, bevelling and perlage on the mainplate.
The movement also features Chopard’s ‘Twin Technology’, a term it uses to describe two stacked barrels. Assuming the mainsprings are fully tensioned, the watch will run autonomously for 65 hours. A further benefit of using two barrels, rather than one, to serve the escapement is that the force delivered to the escapement will be more linear.
As stated earlier, the watch has been subjected to the independent scrutiny of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), culminating in the watch being certified a ‘chronometer’. The watch has an average daily rate of between -4 and +6 seconds, meeting the COSC standard.
Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green – closing remarks
The Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green is unequivocally new, courtesy of its distinctive dial. It is sufficiently different to evoke excitement among brand disciples while still retaining some of the established L.U.C design elements, preventing former models from suddenly becoming outdated. Chopard judges the balance between new and old with notable aplomb, a design philosophy that’s compatible with the notion of luxury.
Another L.U.C attribute is that the Maison has an extraordinary understanding of microengineering, creating movements rich in mechanical virtue. Thereafter, these ticking marvels of watchmaking are refined using the deft skills of talented finisseurs. The L.U.C 96.12-L Calibre merely serves to reinforce my opinion that L.U.C watches stand comparison with some of the best timepieces on the market today.
I began this article by referring to the works of Van Gogh and Picasso. It may seem strange to associate Chopard with these esteemed artists; however, as any horophile will attest, the finest expressions of Haute Horlogerie wonderfully express meaning with colour, textures and form, skilfully manipulating light to impart joy. In my opinion, the becoming Forest Green dial of this latest masterpiece is worthy of any gallery wall or gentleman’s wrist.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green
- Reference: 168629-3001
- Case: Lucent Steel, diameter 40.0 mm, height 7.20 mm, sapphire crystal to front and exhibition case back
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, stop-seconds function
- Movement: L.U.C 96.12-L calibre, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 29 jewels, power reserve 65 hours, certified chronometer (COSC)
- Bracelet: hand-sewn brown alligator leather with ecru stitching. Pin buckle in Lucent Steel
- Price on application