For over 150 years, the Chopard brand has stood as a symbol of ingenuity and excellence in watchmaking. Traditionally specializing in pocket watches and chronometers, Chopard has since expanded its offerings to include watches for both ladies and gentlemen, as well as highly fashionable jewelry. Find amazing deals on authentic Chopard timepieces and jewelry online at Luxury Bazaar.
Chopard History
Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who learned the artisanal watchmaking trade at a very young age, founded his own company in Switzerland in 1860. He quickly built a reputation for excellence by securing prestigious commissions, including one from the Swiss Railways. Chopard set his sights on the market in Eastern Europe, and eventually became the supplier of watches and chronographs to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
Chopard’s son took over the company following his death in 1915 and moved his company’s center of operations to Geneva, which allowed his watches to be certified with the Geneva Seal for watch movements. Chopard’s grandson took charge in 1943, but since his sons were not interested in taking over, he sought out someone to buy the company who not only appreciated the level of craftsmanship and artistry that went into each Chopard timepiece but also possessed the necessary skills to head a company of this magnitude. He found such a buyer in Karl Scheufele III, who owned a watch and jewelry company in Germany at the time. The Scheufele family has proudly continued the Chopard tradition since 1963.
For over 150 years, the Chopard brand has stood as a symbol of ingenuity and excellence when it comes to creating beautiful watches, accessories, and jewelry, including Chopardrings, earrings, and bracelets. Traditionally specializing in pocket watches and chronometers, Chopard has since expanded its offerings to include watches and jewelry for both ladies and gentlemen, as well as highly fashionable accessories.
Popular Chopard Watches
From the acquisition by the Scheufele family, the Chopard maison has manufactured an essential part of its collection in ladies’ watches. Collections like the Happy Diamonds and the Happy Sports have become an icon of luxury watchmaking for ladies.
Also, the company has created some well-endowed, complicated calibers which have become the core of its men’s references, the classic L.U.C. collection of dress watches and the Mille Miglia, dedicated to the luxury sports fans.
Alpine Eagle
The Alpine Eagle is effectively Chopard’s answer to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. It’s their luxury sports watch, and the finishing is excellent.
Chopard Alpine Eagle
L.U.C.
Chopard L.U.C. Image: Chopard
The L.U.C. collection is the most traditional of the company. It offers a wide variety of great-looking luxury dress models, from the most elegant extra-flat two-hand models to the most complicated timepieces (up to 14 complications for the top reference of the maison, the L.U.C. All-in-One).
Extensive attention to detail characterizes the production: the dials are a work of art in themselves, with beautiful finishes and delicate guilloche engravings, and the materials, like gold, are sourced from the most cherry-picked suppliers that meet specific environmental and ethical standards.
Mille Miglia
Chopard Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia collection is a somewhat accessible watch line dedicated to the iconic car race of the same name – and the company releases a new limited edition dedicated to this race for every edition of the Mille Miglia. The sports racing design elements become style features inside the watches belonging to this collection, with its distinctive 1960s look that is so en-vogue today.
The collection is composed of two main niches: the traditional Mille Miglia, which remains pretty similar to the first release of this watch in 1988, and the Mille Miglia Gran Turismo, which interprets the model with a more modern twist. Of course, the main focus of the collection is on luxury sports timepieces.
Happy Diamonds
Chopard Happy Diamonds
The Happy Diamonds collection is an exquisite watch line that represents a sort of cross-over between the best Swiss watchmaking and the suggestions of high-end jewelry. The iconic element of these beautiful ladies’ watches is a set of diamonds that move around the dial, between two panes of sapphire glass.
The collection comes from the intuition of Karl Scheufele (and possibly, his wife Karin Ruf), and through the years, it has represented a massive success for the maison. A real attention-getter from this line is the Happy Diamonds 32, where the diamonds move freely around an outer case section of the watch, seemingly floating in mid-air.
Happy Sports
Chopard Happy Sports. Image: Chopard
The Happy Sports line takes the concept of the Happy Diamonds and applies it to a collection of luxury sports watches for ladies. The effect is of a light-hearted luxury that suits itself for maximum flexibility.
While in the Happy Diamonds collection, the result is more jewelry-like, the Happy Sport becomes a sort of perfectly-balanced daily beater that you can wear for any occasion, elegant or more casual. The style of the watch, with its distinctive lugs displaying a sort of protruding button, create a sort of frame where the loose diamonds move freely.
How Much Does a Chopard Watch Cost?
Chopard’s wheelhouse is roughly $10,000. That’s about how much a secondhand steel Alpine Eagle will cost, although they make some models that are considerably more expensive than that. Used steel chronograph models can be found from $2,000-$5,000 and older quartz models can be even cheaper than that.
The top of the line is the Happy Sport Tourbillon Joaillerie, in white gold and paved with diamonds. This dazzling watch costs around $450,000.
There is also a very interesting model available: a ladies diver watch called Happy Ocean. It features a 300 meters water resistance and everything you expect from a “real” diving watch, plus the customary free-floating diamonds. You can find it for around $5,000.
Noteworthy Wearers of Chopard Watches
Julia Roberts is Chopard’s most notable ambassador. But Chopard watches have also been seen on the wrists of the likes of Rihanna and Zhu Yilong. Naomi Campbell and Zhang Yuqi have also conspicuously worn gem-covered Chopard Red Carpet Collection watches to events.