The Chopard L.U.C Full Strike, Now In Blue Sapphire

Six years ago, the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike was awarded the Aiguille d’Or prize at the GPHG, thus becoming the proud bearer of the best watch of the year title. Introduced in 2016, the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike was the first minute repeater produced by the manufacture, and it was a timepiece worthy of the highest praise, for it was a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, exhibiting exceptional construction, decoration, and a crystal-clear sound. Recently, L.U.C Full Strike became available in a new exclusive limited edition – in a blue sapphire case.

The new Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Blue Sapphire is the evolution of the watch that the brand revealed last year, the L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire, with the 42.5 mm case, and crown with its integrated minute repeater pusher made of sapphire. The previous editions were available in cases crafted from ethical Fairmined 18k rose gold (2016) and ethical Fairmined 18k white gold (2018), and all these watches, the most recent edition included, share the proportions and technology – sapphire crystal gongs, with the gongs and watch glass machined together from a single sapphire block, an extraordinary feature indeed, and one among a few other equally stunning developments and solutions of the watch. Like the energy management and silent and fast striking mechanism – we talked about it here.

To make the case, bezel, caseband, crown, case-back and rear glass of the L.U.C Full Strike Blue Sapphire, Chopard called on specialised artisans, masters of the sapphire technology. Chopard ascertained a painstaking process to get it uniform in structure and colour, with no air trapped or obscuration, which also followed strict sustainable development rules from start to finish. To get the needed blue colour block of sapphire, chromium and rare earth elements were added to the usual composition of corundum crystal.

The dial is made of sapphire, too, with the movement in full view. For easy reading, the railway-type minutes track was engraved and painted on the crystal, and eight rhodium-plated, shaped hour markers, positioned from 12 to 7 o’clock, were applied to make the chapter ring. On the dial, you find a small seconds indicator at 6 o’clock. At 2, there is a concentric power-reserve indicator with two hands, one to indicate the power remaining in the barrel for the movement and one to show the energy level that can be supplied to the minute repeater by a separate, dedicated barrel wound by the crown. When there is insufficient energy to power the minute repeater, a safety mechanism prevents its release.

The L.U.C 08.01-L hand-wound movement is COSC certified and bears the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. It comprises 533 parts, beats to the frequency of 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 60 hours. The Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Blue Sapphire is offered on a blue alligator leather strap; the model is a limited edition of five pieces. Price is upon request. For more information, please visit www.chopard.com.