Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon Watch Review
The Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon reinterprets the firm’s jumping hour watch first released in 2021. Offered in three variants, the model draws on the extraordinary talents of the Maison’s craftspeople and watchmakers to deliver a wonderful marriage of artistic crafts and mechanical virtue. Mark McArthur-Christie, a self-confessed horophile and car obsessive reveals these two passions as he waxes lyrical about this latest creation.
Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-0001
Cars and watches
If you appraise a Venn diagram comprising two overlapping circles, one for horophiles and the other for car obsessives, you will note they almost totally overlap. The two groups share much in common. This leads one, inevitably, to draw comparisons between carmakers and watchmakers. There are the easy – perhaps even lazy ones – like Grand Seiko and Lexus, Rolls Royce and Rolex. But where does Chopard, and particularly the Quattro Spirit 25, fit? The short answer is that it probably doesn’t, at least not with any modern manufacturer. And that choice of word – manufacturer – is deliberate. Modern manufacturers, despite the root of the word and its link to handcraft, tend to be focused more on bottom lines than coachlines. Why add that swage line to a flank when a simple steel pressing would be cheaper?
Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-1002
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 (2021) – white Grand Feu dial
If Chopard were any car maker, they’d be Bristol during the ‘69-’76 glory days of the 411; handmade and understated but absolutely functional with serious modern tech. Back in 2021, Chopard sent their 411 equivalent L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Jumping Hour out into the world. Like the 411, the bodywork gives very little away about the watchmaking that’s inside; a four-barrel movement with 8 days’ running capacity. That’s basically a Chrysler V8 with a Poinçon de Genève on the rocker covers.
Like the 411, the first Spirit 25 was distinctly understated. At a quick glance you might think they were pared-back single-handers, but that aperture at 6 o’clock is a jumping hour display. The rest of the white Grand Feu enamel dial does little more than give you black enamel numerals, a railroad minute track and the maker’s name.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 (2024) – black Grand Feu dial
Earlier this year, at Watches & Wonders 2024, the Geneva-based Maison unveiled a new L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 in 18-carat ethical white gold paired with a rich, lustrous black Grand Feu dialscape. Executing a dial in this latter hue is especially challenging as the colour accentuates the smallest inclusion. By default, a high number of dials that fail to pass muster are set aside, considered unworthy for an L.U.C creation.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – three variants
Now Chopard has unveiled three Spirit of the Dragon variants based on the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 but with a notable difference. Where the previously mentioned models embraced a minimalist approach, the Spirit of the Dragon sits at the other end of the decoration scale. Despite the complexity of making the original Grand Feu enamel dials, these new watches are far more challenging to realise.
There are three references to choose from; a hand-engraved dragon dial in an 18 ct rose gold case, a painted Grand Feu enamel dial in an 18 ct white gold case and, finally, a Grand Feu enamel dial with enamel painting and marquetry.
More of those dials later; first, the movement.
Chopard L.U.C 98.06-L
Because this is a jump hour watch, where the hour hand is replaced with a disc that jumps a 12th of its circumference every hour, power is everything. The movement designer needs to find a way to store and impart the torque needed to move the hour disc precisely each hour and control it. Think of the difference between a gear train and power source that happily turns minute by minute throughout each hour and one that has to handle a single, explosive impulse. Going back to our Bristol analogy, it’s the difference between gently squeezing the throttle from a standard start and stamping it to the floor.
Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-5007
To hold, control and impart the force needed, Chopard has built a 42 jewel, hand-wound movement – the L.U.C 98.06-L – with four mainspring barrels putting out almost enough torque to pull the Queen Mary 2.
Inside the four barrels sits nearly two metres of coiled mainspring, quite the feat in a movement that measures just under 5 mm thick. This also has the effect of evenly feeding their force to the escapement, so improving isochronism – you get a more accurate watch because the power delivery through the gear train and escapement is more linear. And, thoughtfully, there’s a handy mechanical eight day power indicator on the movement bridge that even runs in its own jewelled bearing.
Accuracy is further helped along with a Phillips terminal curve on the balance spring. By reducing the curvature of the outer coil of the balance spring, the Philips terminal curve helps the balance spring ‘develop’ or breathe more concentrically. By default, as the balance wheel oscillates to and fro, the Philips terminal curve enhances isochronism. Add in a swan-neck regulator and you can fine tune the balance to your watchmaking heart’s content. Swan-neck regulators also look downright gorgeous too.
When you want to change the hour there’s a neat bit of watchmaking ready to help. Rather than having to twirl the crown, pleasant as it is, through eleven other hours before reaching your hour of choice, you can simply turn it whichever way is easiest. The any-way-you-like hour change is taken care of by a snail-shaped cam running in a closed, heart-shaped lever. As you’d expect, both are mirror-finish polished.
Now the engineers are happy, what about the Haute Horlogerie finishing addicts?
Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-1002
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – finissage
You get a sense of how obsessively-made these watches are when you look at the bridge finishing underneath the mainspring barrel stacks. This is somewhere only Chopard’s watchmakers and the Almighty will ever see, yet it is adorned with perlage as horological etiquette dictates. Bridges are bevelled and polished, as are the jewel seats. Screws are mirror polished with their circumferences and slots chamfered. And the two movement bridges and balance cock are Geneva striped with infilled gold lettering. In addition, the model bears the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, providing independent assurance of its no-compromise creation.
Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-0001
The movement is a triumph for watchmaking. It is not Chopard’s first in-house designed and produced movement, but it is the Maison’s first jumping hour calibre.
But the finishing on the movement, as fab as it is, is far from all these three limited edition Year of the Dragon watches have to offer. Chopard has taken the theme of the Year of the Dragon and gone to town with three dials, each produced in-house. For the craftspeople involved, the fact there are only (a very lucky) eight examples of each may be a relief. This is not your average dial finishing.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-1002
The first option is the 18-carat white gold cased edition with a Grand Feu enamel dial. This is a technique where the smart atelier apprentice can make a buck or two very rapidly indeed. Simply suggest, a month or two before work commences, the installation of a swear jar in the workshop. Once the expletives begin to flow, it won’t take long before you have enough to fund a couple of weeks in Mauritius. This is because Grand Feu almost seems to have a mind of its own. You can mix your silica and coloured oxides to perfection, apply them to the dial blank with a neurosurgeon’s care, place them in the firing oven at just the right temperature and still end up with a useless warped, cracked or bubbled dial. Every time you fire the dial – and you need to build up layers – there is an inherent risk of disaster. It’s only with years of experience, swearing and skill that a serious enameller will be able to feel and sense the right time to remove the dial from the oven.
This is, of course, assuming you’re only planning on a pretty standard dial. Add in a hand-painted blue dragon with individual scales, claws and red flame highlights and you’ve just made your life a lot more complicated (and your apprentice’s beach holiday is a dead cert).
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-5007
You might prefer the hand-engraved dial in the 18 ct rose gold-cased watch. There’s about two weeks’ work of hand-craftsmanship in each dial alone. To get a sense of how challenging something like this is, draw yourself a 40 mm circle on a piece of paper. OK, that’s slightly larger than the dial but we’ll give you a head start. Now try to draw a perfectly detailed dragon, face-on, complete with scales, horns and beard, surrounded by waves, all within that confined space. Every scale needs to be defined – and there are a few hundred of them. Imagine trying to engrave, not draw, that with tiny burnishers and chisels on a dial blank less than 1 mm thick. You can’t erase your mistakes and start again or decide you got the ‘L. U. Chopard’ name slightly off-centre and go back. Then, once completed, you need to give the whole thing an antiqued finish.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-0001
Not for you? How about the third option of an 18 ct yellow gold case and an even more complicated set of techniques? Start with a grand feu enamel base again but this time you’re going to use laser ablation to create your dragon in relief. Then, once you’ve done that, paint the detailed scales, claws and body with enamel. Engrave the gold mane and moustache (who knew dragons had ‘taches?) by hand. Add tiny wooden pieces, comprising six different types of wood, that you’d need a micrometer to measure, to make the horns. Finally, add a mother-of-pearl bead for your dragon to clutch in his claws and mother of pearl clouds.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – closing remarks
So, to summarise, not only do you get an in-house, one of a kind movement, you get your choice of cases and dial craftsmanship. The L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon may be designed for the Chinese market, but each version stands on its own merits, delivering excellence in movement engineering, dialmaking and watchmaking; attributes that are relevant anywhere. And, at 86,000 CHF **, they’ll actually cost you less than a good 411.
** Note: the price for Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon Reference 161977-5007 submitted for the Artistic Crafts category in the Grand Prix d’Haute Horlogerie (GPHG) 2024.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon
- Reference: 161977-1002
- Case: Ethical 18-carat white gold, diameter 40 mm, height 10.30 mm, sapphire crystal to front and exhibition case back
- Functions: Instantaneous hours display in a 6 o’clock aperture, central display of the minutes, power-reserve indicator on the back of the watch, balance-stop function enabling accurate adjustments
- Movement: Calibre L.U.C 98.06-L, hand-wound movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 42 jewels; power reserve 192 hours (8 days)
- Strap: hand-sewn strap in blue salmon leather paired with a polished and satin-brushed pin buckle in ethical 18-carat white gold
- Price on application
- Limited Edition: 8 pieces
- Model: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon
- Reference: 161977-5007
- Case: Ethical 18-carat rose gold, diameter 40 mm, height 10.30 mm, sapphire crystal to front and exhibition case back
- Functions: Instantaneous hours display in a 6 o’clock aperture, central display of the minutes, power-reserve indicator on the back of the watch, balance-stop function enabling accurate adjustments
- Movement: Calibre L.U.C 98.06-L, hand-wound movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 42 jewels; power reserve 192 hours (8 days)
- Strap: hand-sewn strap in burgindy salmon leather paired with a polished and satin-brushed pin buckle in ethical 18-carat rose gold
- Price: CHF 86,000 (RRP as of 21.7.2024)
- Limited Edition: 8 pieces
- Model: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon
- Reference: 161977-0001
- Case: Ethical 18-carat yellow gold, diameter 40 mm, height 10.30 mm, sapphire crystal to front and exhibition case back
- Functions: Instantaneous hours display in a 6 o’clock aperture, central display of the minutes, power-reserve indicator on the back of the watch, balance-stop function enabling accurate adjustments
- Movement: Calibre L.U.C 98.06-L, hand-wound movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 42 jewels; power reserve 192 hours (8 days)
- Strap: hand-sewn strap in grey salmon leather paired with a polished and satin-brushed pin buckle in ethical 18-carat yellow gold
- Price on application
- Limited Edition: 8 pieces
