Chopard

kolosstt
1455

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition

Dear PuristSPro,

a couple of weeks ago, I turned from an passive follower of this community into a more active contributor. Joining in the wide-ranging topic of wrist watches that gave me so much joy since it sparked my enthusiasm around one year ago. Compared to some of your folks, it is still a young attraction but I am sure it will last because I now own one piece of the Chopard exclusivity.

Unluckily the trigger for my first thread was not a joyful occasion, because I had to bring my new watch to the service. I have not updated the results of this service, because there are no final outcomes yet, so please trust in my feedback once there is closure. Yet, in that particular thread I promised to unveil at a later stage the Chopard piece I call mine.

Today, the front page of PuristSPro.com encouraged me to write and contribute. Give a little bit back of so much I take from this site for what I thank you guys for. So I decided for today as the day to unveil my absolutely personal grail.

Eventually, I would like to share some my personal opinions and pictures of my 

Chopard Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition

So why don’t you take a break and few moments to go through it. I hope you enjoy and please let me know your thoughts.

   Why a quality watch?

I was planning for a more exclusive watch for a special anniversary of mine. As I dived deeper into the watch topic, I found more and more fascination in the accuracy, beauty and complexity that can be built into such a small item. That is me, somebody that once had lessons in mechanical engineering, being impressed what is possible with similar knowledge. At the same time, the whole watchmaking topic offers a lot of history to explore.

   Why a Chopard?

Actually, it is a family owned business driven by passions rather than shareholders returns. It sounds idealistic, but also after talking to their boutiques I still believe in it.

So, the Scheufele’s and the proximity to classic racing were certainly not the only reasons, as Chopard represents a lasting history, for which I hope that it continues its characteristic path. Keep the quality, innovations and part of the Swiss watchmaking world alive.

Last but not least, reports about changing the industry by following a path of increased variety on the market and independency from their well-known movement supplier.

   Why a Superfast?

It offered this Fleurier Ebauches movement and therefore more of Chopard, as I read that this chronograph movement 03.05-M had a lot of the technology of the L.U.C Chrono One 11CF. The 919 watch just looks amazing, sporty and offering quality work. Moreover, it is more in my range of affordable watches than any other comparable watch in precious metal.

All above sounds nice, but honestly, it would not have made me become a passionate Chopard fan. Then one day, I found news about the limited Superfast edition celebrating Porsches return to Le Mans with its model 919.  Each watch would be numbered. Wait a minute - quick thought – and it was clear that with the right edition number engraved, it could end up to a combination of my birthday figures. Though in an unusual format, but still I would wear a watch that would always be exclusively made for me by a brand like Chopard. How many others can say so? How many from here? - So I paid the regular price, which is in this case a fabulous deal for a tailor-made watch, I assume. J

   Why a purchase?

The first Chopard press releases about this model said something about acting quick in order to secure a piece. - If they say so, I act of course. Just a few days after, I sat in the Chopard boutique. They simply closed the deal with the availability of a regular Superfast to get a feeling, fabulous friendliness and most importantly their engagement in arranging “my number”. The experience was not rushing like the press release at all. Since it was the first time in the boutique, I learnt about the price, I had room to breathe and to make a decision at home. Looking back, I made this decision totally convinced and totally happy, which I am up until today.

   So what about it?

Dial - It is just marvellous!

The brushed dial shimmers in all its excellence and different silver colours, while the hands give me the contrast I wanted as they are black and red. On the one side looking closer, the black luminescent filled hands are mirroring excellently. An element that applies to the small seconds hand as well, and is found again around the luminescent marks at every 5mins location. On the other side, the red of the painted chronograph hands as well as the painted 919 logo, both just set right spots of attention. Moreover, Chopard found a dial design that remembers its relative’s back, which I appreciate adding to the difference to the regular Superfast line. Like the calibre reference proudly printed below the modern Chopard logo, the black on white date window at 4.30h is also indicating its Fleurier Ebauches heart. The other Superfasts have it at 6’ o clock. If you go really close, you notice its fine integration into the demanding horizontal and vertical lines of the 919 dial. All sub-dials have these circular guilloche style with each sub-dial having an additional word printed in it. Between the bold 12 and the bezel you find another white ring with grey and consistently double digits (05) for each five minutes. The seconds have black markers and each of the movement’s 4Hz heart beats is offered precise intermediate markers in red.

Overall, the dial and all its elements have excellent readability in the various light conditions. Usability is the one side, and by just looking how much I wrote about it, it offers so much more than a time indication.

Casing - Love for detail!

The casing offers structure and contrast. It is rather bold and bulky having more than 45mm in diameter. Yet, let’s pay attention to the stripes on the sides of the casings. They might make the quite high casing (ca. 15mm) appear slimmer, don’t you think? Moreover, the Superfast comes with those polished sides and brushed lugs adding to the contrasts. The bezel is mirror polished as well, with the black painted tachymeter with intermediate markers. The bolts, that apparently clamp the bezel and casing back around the casing, are also black, but as far as I remember they should be DLC coated instead. As the bezel and casing widen around the bolt heads, it adds to the watch’s uneven appearance (it is not just round).

It wears nicely on my rather slim wrist, comfortably without the lugs or the dimension raising my attention.

Movement - the true highlight!

Thankfully enough, the sapphire case back allows insights into a back side that is symbolic for true fascination. Why else would you make the materials undergo so much detail work cutting out line after line of the matt brushed bridges and plates? The decision to do so is just admirable. It is worth every second in the milling machine as owners like me can have many glimpses into the various elements. Enjoy the colour of the jewels, the contrast of the brass wheels one or two levels underneath and end up with the circular graining of the mainplate. You can try to let your eyes follow the speed of the polished balance wheel. Having spent some time with the magnifier I can say, that you can also see the hammer driving the movement. – Amazing! - Yet I have never made it to do so for the entire 60hours power reserve, which the movement offers. And most likely I will never achieve it – which is also ok. Next to those elements from above, more contrasts can be found in the polished screw heads as well as red painted movement and oscillating weight inscriptions. This should all be the same for the regular Superfast models. So for the 919 there are some specialities like the Porsche Motorsport print on the see-through crystal and an extended “Superfast 919” engraving at 6 o’clock. The true magic happens at 12, where THE NUMBER is engraved, which is set in brackets by ‘limited’ and ‘edition’. (Some friends of mine would say that I really am.)

I trust in the COSC but am not that kind of person that really measures it. The flyback function is something I would not like to miss for a chronograph, and it completes the watch with another complication. But most of all, it is just beautiful.

   What about downsides?

So far no word about the rubber strap, galvanized pushers and the well-known crown. The screw-down crown is the best of all. Nice look with its wheel and grip it offers. Sometimes I wish that its positions would be clearer, but that is just me being too sensitive. The polished clasp is robust and gives a very promising outlook for reliability. Now, what about the rubber strap and the pushers? The pushers are galvanized. I have little hope that this galvanization will really maintain its looks forever. Sometimes pushing with the edge of a fingernail will leave a mark for a while. Will it keep it matt look or become glossy? So here, I do have some doubts but nothing that a proper service couldn’t fix.  For the rubber bracelet, whose design I find really suitable for this type of watch, though I need to say that I would wish for its haptic to be closer to maybe the market leaders. I find the strap rather rigid and the edges are a bit sharp. Also for this aspect, this is really nothing you would notice when wearing the watch. For all others with such a bracelet, I would like to say that any white spots might just be residue. Once I rubbed them of my one, no more white stains.

Concluding, there is no real downside, yet there is possibly room for improvement. As anybody striving for excellence, maybe somebody wants to know about these potentials I personally see.

   What is next?

I still trust in the Chopard customer service that the reason for my first thread in this community can be resolved sustainably. I am in contact with them and confident that they will do so. So once that is done, maybe this forum is the right podium to call for a meeting of all 919 owners. Why not in Le Mans? I already met some other person with his lucky number, and saw one post of a wrist shot here. Only 916 others left…

@MTF: Do you know if Mark Webber has one? Thought I would have seen a 919 on his wrist on one of your pictures. That would make 915… lol…

Until then I will read and enjoy your stories like you maybe read mine. A big thank you goes out there and who knows how long it will take for my next grail.

Best regards,

Kolosstt

Site Info.