Since 1860, Chopard has been an “artisan of emotion.” The Maison has continued its heritage of artisanal skills through contemporary craft creations placing craftsmanship, creativity and ethics at the center.
In 2013, Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-presidents at Chopard, launched the “Journey to Sustainable Luxury” and in 2018, the Maison committed to using 100 percent ethical gold when producing all its watches and jewelry. The latest collection features the new L.U.C XPS Forest Green model, which embodies understated elegance and exclusively uses Chopard’s proprietary steel, Lucent Steel™. With a recycling rate of at least 80 percent, the steel aids the Maison’s goal to reduce its carbon footprint.
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Standouts from the latest collection include the more vibrantly hued blue Happy Sport, a limited-edition with only 250 pieces available. The women’s watch celebrates Chopard’s “Joie de Vivre” with its legendary “dancing diamonds” on the dial and is powered by mechanical movement.
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Here, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, talks to Fairchild Studio about the inspiration behind Chopard’s latest collection, its proprietary steel watches and upcoming milestone unveilings later this year at Cannes and the 1,000 Miglia race in Italy.
Fairchild Studio: Tell us about your latest collection. What was its inspiration and how does it reflect the evolution of Chopard within the industry?
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele: This year, we are expanding our portfolio with timepieces featuring colored dials, appealing to individuals who seek a touch of uniqueness. We offer various materials such as titanium, catering to those who appreciate its sporty appeal and lightweight properties. With the new mechanical movement, we now present small-diameter mechanical watches designed specifically for women. We also continue to enhance our expertise in the mastery of sound enriching our offer of minute repeaters.
The collection embodies Chopard’s creativity and testifies to the impressive concentration of skill that we have at our production facilities in Switzerland — from the dial to the case and bracelet, to the movement beating inside the watch — all the elements are crafted with utmost care by our “Artisans of Emotion” — watchmakers, gem-setters, polishers, but also designers and engineers who have been working hand in hand on this new collection.
Fairchild Studio: What different design and/or technical elements of Chopard set it apart within the luxury accessories market?
K.F.S.: As part of our program the “Journey to Sustainable Luxury,” we exclusively use our proprietary steel — Lucent Steel™ — to produce all our steel watches. Lucent Steel ™ is 50 percent harder, more luminous, and hypoallergenic, with a recycling rate of at least 80 percent, allowing Chopard to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, all our gold watches and jewelry are crafted from 100 percent ethical gold, smelted in our in-house gold foundry in Geneva.
We regard precision as the quintessential hallmark of watchmaking elegance; therefore, all movements within our L.U.C and Alpine Eagle collections must undergo and pass external certification by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.
The movements powering our watches are masterpieces. For example, each of the 172 components comprising the caliber of the new L.U.C XPS Forest Green model has been meticulously hand-finished to the highest degree. The ultra-thin L.U.C 06.12-1 movement of this watch is just 3.3mm thin, with a 22-karat gold micro-rotor, high frequency, and a long power reserve — this combination is still unparalleled in the watch industry.
Fairchild Studio: How do Chopard’s values and heritage influence the designs of the latest collection?
K.F.S.: Chopard is a family-run Maison spanning several generations. We value craftsmanship and create objects that will last through generations. Some of our designs from the past continue to inspire us today. For example, our Alpine Eagle watch is a modern interpretation of the Chopard St. Moritz model from the 1980s.
At that time, I was very keen on the idea of introducing a steel sport-chic watch with an integrated bracelet. Several decades later, my son Karl-Fritz proposed to revive the design with a contemporary look, using Lucent Steel™, which is at least 85 percent recycled. The Alpine Eagle has quickly become one of our most popular timepieces in just five years and for some of the models in this collection, the demand exceeds by far our production capacity.
Fairchild Studio: What are some standout pieces from the new collection?
K.F.S.: Speaking of our new timepieces, we continue to bring a touch of style and refinement to the L.U.C line with the XPS Forest Green model, featuring a sector dial that pays homage to the 1950s era. We infuse more sparkle and color into the Chopard Happy Sport, our iconic collection for women, celebrated for its distinctive design of mobile diamonds and powered by mechanical movement. For the first time, we are unveiling a grade 5 titanium model of the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono timepiece, featuring a new blue dial inspired by one of the Alps’ most famous rivers, the Rhône.
The Alpine Eagle Collection pieces were initially crafted in Lucent Steel ™ and have since expanded into other materials. This year, we wanted to imbue one of our largest sports timepieces with the lightweight and durable properties of titanium, making it an ideal choice for extreme sports enthusiasts. The watch is equipped with a complex movement whose design includes three patents. It is a fully integrated column-wheel chronograph, Chopard’s Caliber 03.05-C, featuring a flyback mechanism and a stop-second function.
Fairchild Studio: What’s next for Chopard?
K.F.S.: Two milestones are approaching. First, Chopard will shine at the International Cannes Film Festival in May as the proud partner and artisan of the Palme d’Or award. On this occasion, the Maison will unveil the new Red Carpet High Jewelry collection. The second milestone is the Mille Miglia. In June, Chopard will proudly return as the worldwide sponsor and official timekeeper of the historic 1,000 Miglia race in Italy. Having partnered with this exciting car race for over 35 years, we will unveil a new limited-edition Mille Miglia timepiece in honor of the occasion. Personally, I look forward to driving once again alongside “Mr. Le Mans” himself, the legendary race car driver Jacky Ickx — who is not only a Chopard ambassador but also a very dear friend of the family.