DEPLOYANT – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles
Chopard L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru
“It’s the story you tell, not the product you sell”, or so the saying goes. Chopard’s new L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is served with a story about fine winemaking. You see, Mr. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the brand’s co-president is not only passionate about making watches, but also wine. The term ‘grand cru’ (literally ‘great growth’ in French) is used to classify a wine of the most superior grade, or the vineyard which produces it. The moniker perhaps serves as a reminder that Chopard’s manufacture and L.U.C timepieces belong in an equivalent classification. The L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru even has a case that is reminiscent of the traditional oak barrels that are used at Mr. Scheufele’s vineyards. But while Chopard’s latest tonneau-shaped watch is marketed with a story (one that is personal to the co-president), with the brand, it has always been about the product first. The Heritage Grand Cru continues to show the watchmaking world what the haut de gamme L.U.C line is all about and why it is not to be discounted. Here, we bring you the details and specifications, as well as our thoughts on the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru.
The case, dial and hands
This is not the first time a tonneau-shaped case has been used by Chopard – that honour goes to the L.U.C XP Tonneau – but the brand’s second attempt has resulted in added refinement. The L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru has softer curves and a rounder body. The case measures an elegant 38.5 mm wide and 38.8 mm long but because of it’s atypical shape, the watch will wear larger than a round watch with an equivalent diameter. True to its dressy design, the case is also delightfully thin at 7.75 mm, allowing the watch to slip under a tight dress cuff with ease. Its finishing is gorgeous; the vertical satin finish on the curved case middle along with the polished bezel offer a stunning contrast. The case is matched with a brown strap, alligator leather on the top and bottom: the luxurious way to do it.
The lugs on the brushed-polished case are short and downturn sharply to improve wearability.
The white dial is porcelain-like and printed with inky black Roman numerals to mark the hours. Inboard of the Roman numerals is the railway-style minute track which surrounds the company marquee and the seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. There is also a railway-style track for the seconds that is accented with red Arabic numerals at the 15, 45 and 60 second mark. The brand’s own dauphine-style hands (gilded) are used to indicate the hours, minutes and seconds. An aperture for the date is present at the bottom of the sub-dial, cutting through the railway track. The date window is a touchy subject in the watch community. On one hand, its functionality (being arguably the most useful complication one can have on a timepiece) is undeniable; on the other, it is likely to disrupt the design purity of a dial. This conundrum presents itself on […]
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Article from: DEPLOYANT – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles, by Frank Chuo
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