Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue

Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue Watch Review

The Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue is equipped with a sector dial, a style that came to prominence in the 1930s. This new 2026 model features a glorious inky blue dial, a slender 40 mm Lucent Steel case and a highly refined automatic, COSC-certified movement. Angus Davies explains what makes this watch special and why he’s tempted to break the rules.

Watch journalism – obeying the rules

From a young age, we are presented with instructions or rules: ‘Please fasten your seatbelt for landing’; ‘Please make sure you don’t stand on the top deck when the bus is moving’; and, for those visiting a public swimming pool, ‘No heavy petting’.

When it comes to writing about watches for a living, I always strive to be objective, focusing on those models with merit and setting aside those timepieces that don’t evoke emotion or are simply devoid of virtue. However, early in my career, I discovered another important rule: ‘Don’t buy every watch you fall in love with’; after all, you still need to eat and pay the rent.

Personally speaking, a six-figure price tag immediately quashes any notion of acquisition. But those watches that are on the cusp of affordability dwell in the danger zone and should be viewed with caution. These are the timepieces that have the capacity to seduce with just one look. Indeed, once smitten, you begin to strategise how you can secure said watch. Thoughts may involve selling a couple of seldom-worn timepieces, perhaps raiding a savings account, stress testing the credit card or dropping not too subtle hints to a kind-hearted elderly aunt.

Over the last 18 months, Chopard has released numerous watches, many of which have been reviewed on ESCAPEMENT. I make no excuses; with very few exceptions, I find much to like about most Chopard creations. The aesthetics, the precision (several are COSC-certified), the finishing (some models bear the Poinçon de Genève) and the impressive wearer comfort all deserve praise. However, it’s Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue, released at Watches and Wonders 2026, that is most likely to tempt me to break the rules. At this juncture, you may wonder, what makes this watch different? Allow me to elaborate.

Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue – dial

Art Deco, a visual style prevalent during the 1920s and 1930s, remains my favourite design movement. Geometric shapes, streamlined forms, sunray patterns and symmetry have influenced architecture, fashion, art, furniture, household appliances and, of course, timepieces. In its press material, Chopard explains that the design of the L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue was influenced by Art Deco as well as Bauhaus.

During the Art Deco period, several watch brands produced ‘sector dials’ comprising two concentric rings, creating a visual distinction between the hours and minutes. Sometimes termed ‘scientific dials’, they were often used in laboratories, optimised for legibility when precise read-off was essential. The geometric lines, bold colours and streamlined forms not only served a functional role but were also consistent with Art Deco movement of the time.

When appraising this latest model, Chopard devotees will recognise the Dauphine-fusée hour and minute hands, a style of hand the brand has employed on numerous occasions. Facetted and rhodium-plated, the hour and minute hands wonderfully engage with light, creating areas of brilliance and shade that swiftly change with a simple twist of the wrist.

The dial surface is dressed in ‘Prussian blue’ and enriched with a sunburst satin finish. Blue pigments were originally made from crushed lapis lazuli which, before the advent of synthetic blue pigments, was costlier than gold. In the early 18th century, Johann Jacob Diesbach created the first modern synthetic blue pigment which ultimately became known as ‘Prussian Blue’. While this pigment was more accessible, it still exuded a sense of luxury. Indeed, Prussian Blue was a feature of Picasso’s art during his ‘Blue Period’.

The inky blue dial epidermis on the L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue is marked with two concentric rings and a series of crisp white lines. A small seconds indication resides just above 6 o’clock. Its surface is circular-brushed, features four markings, arranged at 15-second intervals, and includes a faceted, rhodium-plated seconds hand.

Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue – case

Conspicuous consumption is a factor that drives many individuals to purchase goods, especially those items with prominent branding or Instagram kudos. However, maybe because of my character, age or profession, I prefer watches that proffer discreet luxury and softly-spoken excellence. Indeed, I don’t feel a need to flaunt how much I have spent on a watch, preferring to select a model for its intrinsic quality, precision, wearability and elegance; qualities that are manifest with the Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue.

Crafted in Lucent Steel, a proprietary alloy comprising 80% recycled steel, the model exhibits a notable brilliance, surpassing that of 316L or 904L. Having been smelted twice, the metal is hypoallergenic, 50% harder than 316L and offers superior scratch resistance.

While I love precious metals and have a fondness for Grade 5 titanium, I still find much to recommend steel. I appreciate its honesty, its understated looks and, relatively speaking, its affordability.

The L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue measures 40 mm in diameter and a mere 7.2 mm in thickness. These proportions are wonderfully judged. The 40 mm case diameter provides sufficient room for the dial indications to be easily read and when affixed to my wrist (19.0 cm circumference), it has presence without appearing unwieldy.

Where some brands, in the pursuit of newness, jettison what has gone before, Chopard tends to favour a strategy of subtle evolution. Close examination of the case reveals the polished surfaces throughout, save for the vertical flanks of the case and the spaces between the lugs which are satin-brushed. This tasteful juxtaposing of exuberance and restraint has been a feature of several Chopard L.U.C models over the years and it still looks wonderfully fresh.

The watch is presented on a hand-stitched brown calfskin strap, incorporating ecru stitching, and secures to the wrist with a Lucent Steel pin buckle.

Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue – L.U.C 96.12-L calibre

An exhibition caseback invites the discerning purist to explore the mechanical movement within. The automatic L.U.C 96.12-L calibre will be familiar to fellow Chopard obsessives. It shares a close resemblance to the first in-house movement crafted at the Manufacture, the L.U.C Calibre 1.96 (subsequently renamed 96-01-L). This latter movement was produced in 1996 and signalled to the watch collecting community that Chopard was very serious about Haute Horlogerie. Indeed, this inaugural movement, measuring just 3.3 mm in height, featured a micro-rotor, a swan neck regulator, a Philips terminal curve, Chopard Twin Technology, a 65-hour power reserve and was hallmarked with the Poinçon de Genève.

The L.U.C 96.12-L calibre lacks some of the desirable features found on the Calibre 1.96. For instance, the watch eschews the swan neck regulator, instead favouring a simpler index adjuster. Likewise, the balance spring forgoes the Philips terminal curve and employs a flat terminal curve. Lastly, this movement does not bear the highly desirable Poinçon de Genève. However, these differences have allowed Chopard to house what remains a beautiful movement within a far more accessibly priced model.

Some things have not changed. For instance, the L.U.C 96.12-L calibre remains meticulously finished with perlage and Côtes de Genève in evidence. It also includes a 22K gold micro-rotor, twin barrels and still measures just 3.3 mm in thickness.

By employing two barrels, one superimposed above the other, the L.U.C 96.12-L calibre will run autonomously for 65 hours, an impressive figure for a slender movement. But perhaps what is more impressive is the linear supply of power through the gear train to the escapement, aiding precision. Chopard has always placed much importance on chronometry, with each ‘L.U.C movement featuring a seconds indication being subjected to this protocol’ (COSC). Upholding this convention, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue is chronometer-certified by the COSC.

Closing remarks

Like many individuals who write about high-end watches professionally, I get excited about high complications, métiers d’art and finissage. However, a professional pitfall is that of becoming detached from the real world. To my shame, in the past, I have suggested that €100,000 for a tourbillon represents good value for money. Thankfully, sense prevails, and I remember that I’m a working-class lad from Lancashire, where €100,000 for a watch is considered a colossal sum.

Having written about watches for many years, I have grown to understand what makes me tick (sorry for the pun) and what characteristics I would always avoid. My colleague, Nina Scally, recently wrote about the Chopard L.U.C 1860 Chronometer, a watch released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the company opening its Manufacture. This model is equipped with the L.U.C Calibre 96.40L and features said Swan-neck ergualtor, Philips terminal curve and the Poinçon de Genève. A smidgen too small for my behemoth wrists, it otherwise ticks all the boxes.

However, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue would be my preferred choice. It is slightly larger, measuring 40 mm (the L.U.C 1860 measures 36.5 mm), is still housed in a Lucent steel case, features a prepossessing Art Deco sector dial in Prussian blue and is endowed with the L.U.C 96.12-L calibre. While lacking some of the refinements found on the L.U.C Calibre 96.40L, it remains utterly gorgeous and is significantly more affordable.

I’m currently looking to move house and I’m desperately trying to remain professional and reject the Prussian Blue’s seductive charms. Will I break the rules, squander money I can ill afford and dive into the Inky blue ocean? This is the closest I’ve been to serious temptation in a while. Perhaps I will treat Aunty to some nice flowers when I next pop around for a cup of tea ….