Watches and Wonders 2024: Chopard Adds New L.U.C XPS Forest Green
Boasting a clean-cut design and certified precision, Watches and Wonders 2024 saw the debut of Chopard’s new L.U.C XPS Forest Green – an understated elegant beauty. Discover the rest of our Watches & Wonders 2024 coverage.
Traditionally, the Chopard L.U.C collection is a tribute to founder Louis-Ulysse himself, embodying the three core values he stood for: technical performance, aesthetic refinement and a commitment to certified watchmaking. Making its debut at Watches and Wonder 2024, the new L.U.C XPS Forest Green is no different.
Subtly exuding vintage charm with its sunburst satin-brushed dark green dial, the L.U.C XPS Forest Green is complemented by a hand-sewn brown calfskin leather strap with ecru stitching, and a 40-mm Lucent Steel ultra-thin case at 7.2mm. The latter is Chopard’s dedication to responsible production and considered materials. It is, after all, Chopard’s exclusive alloy that can be produced with at least an 80-percent recycling rate.
Recalling a favourite dial design from the 1930s to 1950s, and which was revived in popularity in recent years, the L.U.C XPS Forest Green adopts an enchanting time-only sector-dial layout. The design is fashioned after a fusion of the typical Art Deco movement of concentric circles and the functionality of Bauhaus movements. In the true style of a sector-type dial, there are two concentric rings. One that marks the minutes and another to symbolise the hours. Additionally, both markers have to be in the form of radial lines running between the inner and outer edges of the rings, thereby creating “sectors”. On the L.U.C XPS Forest Green, these are finished in a contrasting off-white to match the charming Forest Green dial.
The layout also sees a small circular seconds counter at the 6 o’clock position – a requirement by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) to evaluate the movements’ precision that it certifies. The high passing mark calls for an accuracy of the average daily rate of the watch to be between −4 and +6 seconds. Incidentally, the ‘S’ in the watch’s XPS acronym refers to the seconds counter. There is also a stop-seconds function.
Meanwhile, its testament of the maison’s modern watchmaking excellence lies visible through the caseback. At a closer look, one can admire the bridges that are exquisitely finished with a Côtes de Genève motif and bevelling. Powering the L.U.C XPS Forest Green is the ultra-thin calibre – at a mere 3.30-mm thick – L.U.C 96.12-L with a bidirectional 22-carat gold micro-rotor and twin stacked barrels (Chopard Twin Technology). To add, the watch delivers a generous 65-hour power reserve.
The design is refined further with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal case and the signature rhodium-plated Dauphine hands. It is a watch designed to be well-proportioned for an array of wrist sizes. At first glance, the “Chronometer” inscription immediately boasts proof of the COSC’s stringent accuracy tests. The L.U.C XPS Forest Green is a worthy tribute of all that the maison stands for since its inception.
