After living abroad for the last 14 years, I returned home to the UK, resigned to a desert for watches. It was not made easier receiving condolences from my watch-buddies before, during and after the move!
Even amanico tendered his Gallic sympathies; when 'Vlad" says he is sorry for you...it is the pits.
I was surprised to discover that in 2014 - London has 72 residents whose fortunes exceed 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion). That is well ahead of Moscow (48), New York (43), San Francisco (42), Los Angeles (38) or Hong Kong (34). The Sunday Times newspaper reported that Great Britain has more billionaires per capita than any other country - with one billionaire for every 607,000 Britons versus one for every 1 million or so Americans. As the country that invented chronometric watchmaking, maybe Great Britain is the future of luxury spending , after all?
Then, I was invited by Chopard to QP Salon for the first time; they had a surprise in store. For the first time, the LUC 1963 Chrono HW PuristS Edition would be shown at a public exhibition. The watch was announced at Baselworld 2014 but was shown only to select few media representatives, then.
Previously, the watch had appeared in London and Hong Kong to VIPs and PuristS at private events.
CLICK the following URL links for previous reports.
London Private PuristS Premiere:
chopard.watchprosite.com
Hong Kong Private PuristS Premiere:
chopard.watchprosite.com
Chopard UK General Manager Jean-Baptiste Maillard (Left) and LUC Product Manager Vincent Lapaire at the LUC display.
Now, the full force of the Chopard marketing machinery can come into play and the boutique managers can talk about the PuristS chronograph with their keenest collectors. In fact, at the Opening Cocktails, two of the earliest adopters in the UK were present; quietly sipping champagne and listening-in to the enthusiastic comments of the other guests.
There was a cohesion with the other watches in the LUC 1963 range as seen in this display unit.
The current Mrs MTF made an uncharacteristic appearance at a watch exhibition and declared her admiration for two more Chopard watches on show.
1) LUC 1963 Chronometer in platinum
The LUC 1963 Chronometer (right) caught her eye and we agreed that after the PuristS Chronograph, the pocket watch movement in a platinum case would be our favourite. We were also rather surprised by the reasonable price as the platinum watch is only a little bit more than our steel PuristS chronograph. That's amazing value for a haute horlogerie Chopard watch.
LUC 1963 Chronometer in platinum
Some commentators have moaned about the dial not being Grand Feu enamel but there is a reason for that. The watch is big because it houses the pocket watch movement that Chopard designed for the Geneva School of Watchmaking. Students need bigger movements to practise with.
A large traditional fired enamel dial would suffer from warping and eventually micro-fractures and cracks with time. This tribute to the 50 years of Scheufele stewardship of the Chopard company has to remain beautiful "forever" so they used modern enamel.
Chopard cal. 63.01-L pocket watch movement
The latest Version 2 of the LUC Lunar One (left) was also shown to tempt the punters but I still prefer Version 1 as seen below.
2) LUChopard 8Hz Chronometer
Limited Edition LUChopard 8Hz Chronometer DLC
Surprisingly, the LUC Tech 8Hz Chronometer was the current Mrs MTF's choice too. She prefers the original limited edition with black DLC finishing. Of course, if that edition is sold out in your part of the world, the current production model below, is also attractive with its high-technology, fast-paced silicium components and style.
Chopard High Frequency Escapement
LUChopard 8Hz Chronometer
Chopard for Ladies
We expect Chopard Ladies' watches to sparkle with gem stones but were pleased to see a couple of high-mech models well appointed inside with superb automatic or tourbillon movements to match their jewellery prowess.
Chopard Chopard; so good they showed it twice at QP Salon
Chopard had the biggest presence at the exhibition because they showed their LUC and Ladies haute horlogerie ranges in one hall but also highlighted their motorsports lines in another room.
There, we got to see the classic Porsche 550A Spyder that epitomises the spirit of Chopard Classic Racing watches.
Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Watch Range in titanium and rose gold
Chopard and Motorsports
In celebration of Chopard's new partnership with Porsche Motorsport in their FIA Endurance Racing campaign, the eponymous Chopard Porsche 919 watch red-lined the display here.
Christmas is coming to town.................
Chopard's exhibition reminded us of gift ideas for the season to come......
1) Which of the Chopard product lines would you consider for your set?
2) Do you think of the QP salon is overkill with watch and jewellery shows in Geneva, Basel, Paris, Hong Kong, Belgium and Kuala Lumpur already in the calendar?
Regards,
MTF