Chopard

Chopard Manufacture Visit Part 2(b) - Visit to the Independent Fleurier Quality Foundation

 

Fleurier is really tranquil and the air is really fresh!

The view from the top of Chapeau de Napoleon is breathtaking.  It is cooler too. 

Chapeau de Napoleon is a hotel-cum-restaurant was built around 1894 and situated 960m
above sea level overseeing the whole valley. 

The place was name as Chapeau de Napoleon as from the foothill, it looks like  the famous
crooked hat of the Emperor of the French, Napoléon Bonaparte.




Here a look from one of the Chopard labs ... any resemblance of the hat?



Now the views (from the opposite end) while waiting for the food ....



Can you spot Chopard Manufacture?


Here's ...


An even closer view..




A view on the right side



Entrance to Chapeau de Napoleon






The interior... Patrick helping himself to a healthy salad.


The kitchen, the bar-counter and some inspirational Green Fairies



Our lunches ...






We were done in less than an hour replenishing energy...



Does it look like the painting?


Driving away ...



Descending ...


Chopard Manufacture, the building view from another side of the road.  A building of two eras.



During lunch time, the town was still peaceful.  Only a handful of cars ...


Patrick said this building is our next destination, a hotel??  ... before that to another nice place...


After a couple of minute drive, we arrived ...



The venue, Rue du Temple 1, was used for the celebration of L.U.C's 10th anniversary in 2006.  It belongs to Chopard.


It was really nice huge place ... could be a new venue for the "Chopard Technologies", the R & D department.

Initial thoughts from Mr. Karl Friedrich Scheufele, this location is more suitable for the R&D related work.  The tranquility
environment is conducive for the team to think and focus.


Walk one big round ...











Patrick standing beside the work of the renowned Belgian artist, Jean-Michel Folon .


A Cadran Solaire circa 1808.


We left after 15 minutes ....




Now to the Fondation Qualité Fleurier (Fleurier Quality Foundation or for short  'FQF') ...


The building FQF is housed ...


The plaque on the house beside FQF building... what's the significance?





It was the house of Mr.Charles-Edouard Guillaume.  One of the most important people in the horological world.

A physicist and a Nobel Prize winner in 1920.  He discovered the nickel-steel alloys, invar and elinvar which has low thermal expansion properties (used for making of spirals/hairsprings) that enable the making of more accurate and stable mechanical timepieces. This was before Nivarox.

For mechanical watch-lovers, we must know this gentleman.
Please click here to know more about  Mr Charles-Edouard Guillaume.




The Fondation Qualité Fleurier plaque with the launched date.

Fondation Qualité Fleurier was founded in year 5 June 2001 by the Chopard, Parmigiani Fleurier and
Bovet Fleurier brands, as well as the Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier.



Housed inside this building....the signage is on the ceiling!



Patrick leading the way....




Entering the FQF Test Centre...


A short note about Fleurier Quality Foundation (FQF) Haute Horlogerie Quality Ceritification.

To be able to attain the FQF certification,

1. The movement must be COSC-certified
2. The movement must have passed the CHRONOFIABLE test
3. The movement must attain an exclusive aesthetic quality of finish
4. The running of the finished watch must pass the FLEURITEST machine in its final form (movement encased) and after the 24-hour operational test on the Fleuritest machine, the precision of the watch must fall within the range of 0 to +5 seconds per day.
   

Once quoted  by Philippe Dufour (in the August 25, 2006 The Business Times-Singapore) :

"... the most serious one is the Fleurier seal, it is the most logical quality stamp, it tests the watch and not just the movement alone."


This certification is not location-centric per the Geneva Seal.  The certification is open to any Swiss or European brands.  To summarize, it is a certification which not only certifies the aesthetic quality but also the logical functional of a high horology time-piece as worn on the wrist.


For more information about FQF, please visit (www.fleurier-quality.com)





A gentleman in lab-coat  surrounded by the 3 machines... it is the Fleuritest machines!

A look at the FQF test centre  ...



3 Fleuritest Machines ...




A look at the opposite end of the room...looking towards the meeting room.



Mr Oliver Wieers, the person-in-charge of the FQF Test Centre.



So what does the Fleuritest machine do?

The Fleuritest machine simulates the movement of a human being for 24 hours.  It is scientifically known as the nycthemeral cycle, alternating between active, extremely active and calmer phases. The movement that the machine is simulating, is shown on the left windows of the monitor. 

Below is the list of realistic programmed motions simulated by the machine over 24 hours :






Machine about to start...


The watch-heads were already loaded onto the machine (will show more later).
From the screen, the machine is simulating the wearing of clothes.

On the bottom right corner, the watch under test was shown.  The machine vision system will capture the timing at regular
interval programmed and then compute the variations in rate.



A picture of the Fleuritest machine.

On the wall is the picture of the L.U.C Qualite Fleurier caseback with the FQF logo.
(If you are interested to see more of the L.U.C QF Ref: 161896, please click here )


Now it  the machine was simulating a person exercising ...








A short video (25 secs)  of how the Fleuritest machine works.
Please wait for the video to load (may take about 30 seconds, depending on your connection speed).



Next is the documentation...

Results of testing and certificates were filed securely...




This is for the Criteria #3 (Extracted from FQF's website) :

THE MOVEMENT MUST HAVE A FINISH OF EXCLUSIVE AESTHETIC QUALITY

Specifications define the level of finish required for the movement and its decoration. These were discussed and approved by a group of experts that united specialists in research, teaching and production. Compliance with them takes the form of a preliminary examination at the stage when the piece consists of a kit of parts.

Materials :

Metal, traditional ceramics, precious or avant-garde materials must be used.
The use of plastic materials is prohibited.
    
Exclusive finishing :

A decorative motif must be visible on the maximum thickness of the plate or the visible part of the bridge, by a process of selecting the zone to be decorated, as well as in the main recesses. The parts must not show any rough sharp angles and the sinks must be polished. No visible burrs must be present and the functional zones of the steel parts must be polished.
The screw-heads must be flat and polished, beveled on the slot and the rim.
The shaped parts must be beveled, polished, and where possible have lines drawn out with file strokes.

Some reference diagrams of acceptable & unacceptable finishing :












Means :

Manufacturing procedures for decorations may be either mechanical or manual.
Operations carried out in bulk only are not tolerated.

Surface treatment :

The galvanic plating of parts is not mandatory; if it is applied, it must enhance the technical or aesthetic characteristics of the movement. Nickel-plating alone is not permitted, but is authorised on steel parts requiring protection against oxidation.

A referencing set which is approved by FQF is kept as a standard reference or guideline for inspection of future pieces.
The above picture showed the L.U.C Calibre 9.96 for the L.U.C Qualite Fleurier.

Each components was housed neatly in a container...
On the top left hand corner, is a specimen of the FQF certificate.

An example of a finely finished bridge.

Above showed the container with a bottom plate.


Back to the Fleuritest Machine, now to see it closer ....

Each Fleuritest machine is backup by the Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS) to ensure the testing is not disrupted and
no data loss in case of any power outage.




One of the machines was free, so we can have a more detailed look... firstly, lower the protective screen ...




Then unscrewed the watch-holding unit ...




With the watch-holding unit removed, the camera was exposed...

A closer shot ... the camera with the perimeter illumination (white frame) ...

The diffused perimeter illumination ensures sufficient light for the camera to capture the dial and hands without any reflection.

The watch-holding unit ...

The fixture to hold the L.U.C QF Ref 161896 ...

The watch-holding unit mounted back to the camera unit.... ready to go!

Each Fleuritest machine only have 3 camera units.

A full shot of the Fleuritest machine.

One more pic of our nice host - Mr Oliver Wieers before leaving.

A shot of the house of Mr. Charles-Edouard Guillaume.



Now rushing back to Chopard Manufacture to visit the LUCEUM before the working day ending soon.

Please stay tune for Part 2(C).

Thank you for reading.


Kong


To Part 2(c)-Time Travel with L.U.CEUM :
chopard.watchprosite.com

This message has been edited by Kong on 2009-09-04 01:04:58
Repair video link.

This message has been edited by Kong on 2010-05-07 04:18:31

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