Love at First Sight, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green

Most days, you’ll catch me wearing a dive watch or a classic chronograph. This is what I most enjoy as a watch collector (yes, we are first and foremost watch fans at MONO). I like to wear watches that I don’t have to worry about, and I love a timepiece with some heft. Not necessarily a large watch (41mm would usually be my maximum), but a watch with a feeling of robustness, most of the time on a metal bracelet. With this in mind, you can imagine that the classic, thin dress watch isn’t an object that I often strap around my wrist. I enjoy seeing them worn, but not on my wrist. Except that, I might just have found the one watch that changes everything. 

When: Watches and Wonders 2024, 9 April 2024. Where: Chopard’s booth, press room. What: the freshly presented Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green. Reaction: wow, just wow. I know it sounds like one of those lines to generate enthusiasm. Well, it’s not. What I’m relating here is a genuine moment of excitement. Love at first sight. “I have to have it” was the thought that kept resonating in my head. It might have been followed by, “OK, order it now, go for it, Brice!” before realising that even if its price is genuinely reasonable, it is an insane amount of money for anyone on this planet. Anyway, back to the L.U.C XPS Forest Green.

It’s hard to know where to start because there are so many things to discuss. It might look like yet another fancy dress watch, but its movement alone deserves an in-depth story. It’s a good thing we covered it already because that’ll save us a bit of time here. Then there’s its look, its dial, its supreme elegance mixed with modern casualness. To understand why it is so appealing, it should be compared with two other recent L.U.C models.

So, let me start here by adding two other fantastic watches to the equation. In the right corner, we have a small watch that punches way above its category, the 36.5mm Chopard L.U.C 1860. On the other side of the ring is the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier. The first is an absolute collector’s dream, with a compact steel case, a salmon guilloché dial and a superbly finished Geneva Seal movement (all three watches share the same base calibre), but also a rather hefty price and very limited availability. The second is a modern take on the concept, discreet and monochromatic, housed in a stunningly refined case, with a movement certified by the ultra-demanding Qualité Fleurier.

The L.U.C XPS Forest Green sits lower in the catalogue. It is less refined when you compare the specifications. That being said, a watch is far more than the sum of cold numbers (thankfully), and it also competes in a different price league. So, in all fairness, we’re not comparing oranges and apples here, but you get the idea. And this is also why this XPS Forest Green, besides its stunning looks and mechanical pedigree, is so attractive. It is fairly priced, at least for what it is.

The dimensions of this L.U.C XPS Forest Green are typical of contemporary dress watches. At 40mm in diameter, I have found this watch wears extremely well while fulfilling my usual need for a bit of presence. I know that this diameter isn’t going to please everybody, as some might rightfully argue that a dress watch should be sub-38mm, but as this XPS isn’t meant to be a formal tuxedo-style piece, I believe this diameter is fine. What’s sure to please everyone is the thickness, measuring a mere 7.20mm – perfect, end of story.

Then comes the fairly traditional design of the case with a bit of a Calatrava vibe. Some details make it far more appealing than its apparent simplicity would suggest. First, I’ve always loved Chopard’s vertical brushed flanks, specifically in the context of an ultra-thin watch. Second, this watch is made of Lucent Steel. While the whole “recycled” part of the pitch doesn’t speak to me much, what matters about this proprietary alloy is its brilliance. There’s a unique sheen to this alloy. It shines brightly, with a cold, glossy surface and an almost mineral, synthetic way of reflecting the environment. It’s quite hard to describe, but believe me, it truly adds to the appeal of this watch.

The dial is what really caught my attention. I am a fan of sector dials, but not all are born equal. What’s interesting about Chopard’s vision of such a display is the combination of a certain austerity with the inherent warmth of the green colour. While there’s no hard and fast dictionary definition, the brand explains that a true sector-type dial should feature two concentric rings, one for the minutes and another for the hours. The hours and minutes markers should be radial lines running between the inner and outer edges of the rings – creating the sectors. Popular from the 1930s to the 1950s, it fell into oblivion before making a comeback recently.

Despite being a time-only watch with a small seconds counter and no applied markers, the XPS Forest Green is not empty or flat. The strict symmetry of this dial harks back to the glorious days of precision chronometers, and, as a watch enthusiast, this speaks to me. However, Chopard has compensated for this austerity by using a rich, warm tone of green with off-white markers – no faux patina, just a touch of beige.

And the dial, in the end, has a relaxed flair, an undeniable elegance combined with the daily casualness we want today – I rarely wear a suit, and this watch would be a great match with a pair of jeans, a nice jacket and relaxed loafers. This feeling is even reinforced by the use of a camel-brown smooth leather that pairs perfectly with the dial… It is rare enough to be mentioned, but this strap is just spot on – how many times have we seen a brilliant watch ruined by an uninspired black alligator strap? Winning combo!

And let’s now talk about the movement, the calibre L.U.C 96.12-L. The base is one of the most emblematic ultra-thin calibres of modern watchmaking, a movement we consider one of the best-kept secrets of the collecting world. This engine, once known as the 96.01, was launched in 1996 as Chopard’s first in-house automatic movement, designed to establish Chopard as a serious watchmaker. Mission accomplished. Conceived with Michel Parmigiani, this movement is thin (3.30mm), modern (4Hz frequency, stop-seconds) and powerful (65h power reserve), with twin stacked barrels. And inside the XPS Forest Green, it’s even chronometer-certified by COSC.

Above: the movement of the 1860 Salmon dial with Geneva Seal (left) and the movement of the XPS Forest Green (right)

This XPS version (S for small seconds) is also highly decorated, even though not to the level of the QF model or the 1860 watch. The latter, with Geneva Seal, is even more refined, which you can compare by looking at this article. The differences between the “standard” movement of the XPS and the 1860 are in the fine details, such as the more detailed lettering, the more refined bevelling or striping, the black polished steel parts absent on the XPS, the decoration of the screws and wheels… Does this make the calibre L.U.C 96.12-L less attractive? Absolutely not. It is still a truly handsome movement, with a high level of finishing – just not as high as the Qaulité Fleurier or the Poinçon de Genève.

Conclusion

What a watch! Yes, I’m saying it again, but this might well be my favourite Chopard ever and one of my all-time favourite dress watches. At EUR 12,700 or USD 11,800, I even think it is worth every penny (not something we say often). It is a lot of money, but nevertheless fully justified. And that also makes it the most attainable L.U.C watch currently in production.

I could continue by saying that, in a way, it doesn’t have the same charm as the 36.5mm Chopard L.U.C 1860, nor the same movement finishing. The same goes for the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier. But these are respectively priced at EUR 27,000 and EUR 21,800. And I do believe that, even with some light concessions on the finest details of the movement, the XPS Forest Green delivers at least 90% of the pleasure, if not more, for basically half of the price. And on a personal note, this green dial is my favourite anyway.