A compendium of traditional skills
Chopard honors traditional forms of craftsmanship by associating the charms of Urushi, an ancestral decorative technique, with the understated lines of its L.U.C XP: an extremely refined ultra-thin timepiece equipped with a mechanical self-winding movement, L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
The quintessence of the ancestral Japanese art of
Urushi, combined with the ultimate degree of Swiss horological refinement: such in a nutshell is the nature of the new
L.U.C XP 2014
“Year of the Horse”
special edition. Its entirely hand-painted dial honours Asia by
celebrating the year of the horse in the Chinese calendar using
Japanese-inspired traditional artistic techniques. It depicts a noble
prancing horse, adorned with lotus flowers – a plant symbolising
personal fulfilment due to its ability to rise unsullied from the muddy
waters where it is rooted, in order to blossom in the light. The horse,
the seventh sign of the Chinese calendar composed of 12 animals, loves
to travel towards new horizons. It is a free-spirited creature endowed
with a nomadic spirit. Ancestral wisdom credits it with a strong
attachment to defending family values and the cause of the weak.
Tradition thus holds that people born in the year of the horse are
generally characterised by their devotion, their energy and their
creativity.
Urushi – a time-honoured Japanese pictorial art
Urushi is a long-established lacquering art. The varnish is derived from the sap of the
Urushi tree, also called the “lacquer tree” or “Japanese varnish tree”, mainly found in Japan and China. Somewhat like rubber from the hevea brasiliensis tree, the resin can only be harvested once a year, and in very small quantities. Three to five years after it is collected, the resin is treated to transform it into an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. It is applied in very thin successive layers, traditionally on everyday objects such as bowls or boxes.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
Maki-e, a technique derived from the art of
Urushi, consists of sprinkling the lacquered coating with metal powder – in this case gold – in order to accentuate its outlines.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
The gold dust is applied using bamboo tubes and small natural-hair
brushes in order to trace extremely fine lines. This art requires a
degree of skill and meticulous care such as only a few experienced
Urushi specialists still master.
L.U.C, exceptional watchmaking expertise
Such exquisite works of art could not have been better showcased than by the refinement of the
L.U.C XP. A supremely elegant ultra-thin timepiece measuring 39.5 mm in diameter and 6.8 mm thick, it is the symbol of
Chopard’s horological mastery. Developing and producing a mechanical self-winding movement equipped with two barrels ensuring a 65-hour power reserve that can fit into such a slender case is an impressive achievement indeed.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
The watchmakers of
Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier have accomplished this feat thanks to the clever construction of the off-centred micro-rotor. Entirely hand decorated by the House artisans in accordance with the principles of traditional fine watchmaking,
L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L may be admired through the exhibition back of the 18-carat rose gold case.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
Fitted with a black alligator leather strap, the
L.U.C XP Urushi 2014 “Year of the Horse” special edition is delivered in a dedicated presentation box, also decorated using
Urushi
techniques. Black on the outside and Maki-e gold on the inside, it is
shaped like an octagon – the oriental symbol of gaiety – complete with a
silk fastening cord.
Watchmaking at Chopard
Chopard is a family-owned brand with a strongly independent corporate philosophy. The various stages in the making of
L.U.C watches are all conducted in-house at the group’s Meyrin and Fleurier production sites. Movement development; finished product design; gold casting; case stamping and machining; traditional hand-crafted decoration; surface treatments; polishing; assembly; adjustment and quality control: each
L.U.C watch undergoes this full range of watch production stages, all entirely mastered by
Chopard.
--------------------------------------
Technical details
Ref. 161902-5052
Specifications
INDICATION(S): hours and minutes
MOVEMENT: L.U.C 96.17-L
TYPE OF WINDING: self-winding mechanical movement
MOVEMENT DIMENSIONS: Ø 27.40 mm
MOVEMENT THICKNESS: 3.30 mm
POWER RESERVE: 65 hours,
L.U.C Twin Technology (two stacked barrels)
FREQUENCY: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour)
OSCILLATING WEIGHT: 22-carat gold
BALANCE WHEEL: with three spokes
BALANCE SPRING: flat
DECORATIONS ON MOVEMENT: bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève, circular-grained mainplate
JEWELS: 29
NUMBER OF MOVEMENT PARTS: 172
MATERIAL: 18-carat rose gold
CASE DIMENSION(S): Ø 39.50 mm
CASE THICKNESS: 6.98 mm
DIAL: Urushi dial with
Horse motif
FRONT GLASS: glareproofed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
CASE-BACK: see-through sapphire crystal
CROWN MATERIAL: 18-carat rose gold
WATER-RESISTANCE: 30 metres
STRAP: black alligator leather strap (matt) with hand sewn matching tones
BUCKLE MATERIAL: 18-carat rose gold
BUCKLE TYPE: pin buckle
-----------------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - Chopard
-------------------------------------------------------------
www.Сhopard.com
