Back in October, we reported how the Chopard LUC 8HF Titanium had been acclaimed as the winner of the European Watch of the Year category in the prestigious 2013 European Watch of the Year awards. Earlier this month, the luxury watch and jewellery brand name has built upon this success by climbing to the top of the poll to decide the WATCHPRO Mechanical Watch of the Year. This UK watch magazine is a leading contributor in the field of horological news and, once again, the spotlight was attained by a one of the coveted Chopard LUC watches.
The timepiece in question is the Chopard LUC Perpetual T, and when one looks at the qualifications of this remarkable watch, the level of approbation is not difficult to understand. The LUC Perpetual T has been equipped with one of the most technologically advanced combinations in the world of watchmaking; namely a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon. This former innovation allows the complete date to be displayed at all times, and also takes into full account the challenging considerations needed to incorporate variable lengths of month and even leap years. Making all of this information evident would ordinarily result in the unseemly cluttering of a watch dial; however Chopard have proved to be more than up to the task when it comes to aesthetic management.
At 9 o’clock, the first date aperture conveys both the day of the week and also indicates day or night. At 3 o’clock, the months are resplendently communicated in a circular form that surrounds the leap-year cycle. With the date proudly enthroned at the centre of the hand-decorated grey dial, this threefold method of displaying the date manages to become a triumph rather than a hindrance. In the same manner, the tourbillion of the timepiece, rather than overloading the dial, succeeds in completing it with a consummate flourish from its situation at 6 o’clock.
The word ‘tourbillon’ translates as ‘whirlwind’ in French, and is fundamentally a small cage around the mechanical escapement of a timepiece. This rotating augmentation moves seamlessly around its axis to negate the otherwise problematic effects of gravity. Each Chopard tourbillion has also successfully navigated the trials of the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute to reach the status of a fully fledged chronometer. With such engineering excellence housed within its stunning form, it is little wonder that the Chopard LUC Perpetual T has won such an accolade, and this feat is made all the more notable by it not being a limited edition.
LUC watches are named in honour of the Chopard founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard, and they have always represented the pinnacle of horological expertise. At Banks Lyon we stock a range of these timepieces alongside a variety of other eminently desirable Chopard watches. Of course, Chopard has not only made its name as a result of its wristwatches, but also as a consequence of the quality of its jewellery . With Christmas soon approaching, our collection of luxury Chopard jewellery is an ideal consideration to take into account, as we supply a vast array of designs to suit each and every preference. Call us on 01524 38 48 58 and we will be pleased to furnish you with additional information.
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