To mark the 20th anniversary of its first watch bearing the Qualité Fleurier seal, Chopard is launching the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition, limited to 20 pieces.
Beauty, as the saying goes, is always in the eye of the beholder. On the other hand, there are fixed parameters for the quality of a timepiece. In the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition, both come together: The not-so-subjective refinement of a timeless design, as well as a watchmaking excellence that has impressed collectors for two decades now. This new limited edition of just twenty pieces celebrates the anniversary of a model series that has characterised the Maison of Chopard.
As great as the success of the sporty Alpine Eagle collection may be, it is the models in the L.U.C collection that have shaped Chopard’s image as a watch manufacturer. Describing models such as this anniversary novelty simply as a “dress watch” therefore hardly does justice to the reference and its siblings in the collection: although they cultivate a classic aesthetic, they are versatile and reveal a beauty at second and third glance that can be combined with more than just a suit or jacket.
The new L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary has a yellow gold case with a diameter of 39 millimetres. The brass dial is gold-plated to match, with a satin-finished centre and a brown printed outer ring, as well as a circularly decorated small seconds dial at six o’clock. The syringe-shaped hour and minute hands are gold-plated and covered with Superluminova, as are the applied hour markers.
Visually, the timepiece echoes the design of the first Qualité Fleurier from 2005 and, with its extended lugs, it is a precious metal version of the L.U.C made of anti-allergenic “Lucent steel” presented last year. The choice of metal and colour gives the L.U.C a nostalgic, warm appearance without appearing old-fashioned and retro – a design that does justice to the occasion. After all, we are celebrating two decades of quality from Fleurier.
As is so often the case in the world of fine watchmaking, the real eye-catcher of this timepiece can only be seen through the sapphire crystal on the back. The L.U.C 96.09-L manufacture movement is part of a tradition that began in 2005: Back then, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele launched the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier in rose gold. It was the first model to bear the Fleurier seal of quality. This is awarded by a foundation that was set up shortly before, in 2004, by Chopard itself and other manufacturers such as Parmigiani Fleurier, Bovet and the Vaucher movement manufacturer. Its aim: to define its own quality standards for watches from the region and to give the models awarded the label a competitive edge by setting particularly high standards. The seal requires that every component is manufactured in Switzerland and that the accuracy of the watch has already been certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). In addition, the finished watches are subjected to a stress test that simulates everyday use and must achieve a maximum deviation of 0 to +5 seconds per day. Decorative elements such as perlage, bevelled edges and Côtes de Genève are also prerequisites for the award. The ‘Qualité Fleurier’ (QF) therefore combines both high standards of precision and aesthetics in a watch – and this combination has placed it at the top of the quality seal league.
The very first watch with this distinction was equipped with the now highly renowned Calibre 96 in 2005, and the anniversary edition is of course also equipped with the latest version, the 96.09-L, which is made from 172 components and has a 65-hour power reserve.
Between these two models, various variants have been presented over the years, sometimes with an openworked dial (2009), sometimes with a tourbillon (2014) or in an ultra-flat version with an asymmetrical design (2017 and 2019). Due to the mostly consistent limitation of the timepieces in editions ranging from 250 to just 20 pieces for the latest “QF”, the models are highly coveted by Chopard collectors.
The L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary is quite unique in every respect. Because as demanding as the quality control is, the foundation behind it is now dedicated exclusively to the control of Chopard timepieces: Only the Scheufele family’s company still goes to the trouble of obtaining certification; the partners from the early days have since abandoned the “QF” standard for a variety of reasons, many of them strategic. This circumstance makes the yellow and gold anniversary model shine even brighter.
At this point, it is also worth mentioning the use of materials that have been manufactured in compliance with verifiable environmental and social standards, in this case primarily the case made of ethical yellow gold.
All in all, this “QF” model continues what was already evident at the presentations of the Chopard novelties at Watches & Wonders in Geneva: the L.U.C models – named after the initials of company founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard – have defined a class of their own over the decades, both in terms of the design quality of the cases and the quality of the dials and movements, and have developed a style that makes them stand out. The classic three-hand L.U.C models have thus earned themselves a firm place in the watch quartet of Patek Philippe Calatrava, Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle and A. Lange & Söhne 1815 – and the “QF” seal is still an extra trump card.
