Chopard — The L.U.C. movement maker.

History

Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company in 1860 in Sonvilier, a village in the Bernese Jura, at age 24. The original Chopard workshop produced pocket watches and chronometers — supplying the Swiss railway system, the Russian Imperial court, and various European royal families with precision timepieces. The brand survived the early 20th century but struggled through the post-WWI era and the Great Depression.

Karl Scheufele III — a fourth-generation watchmaker from Pforzheim, Germany — acquired Chopard in 1963 from the descendants of Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Scheufele was 38 and brought the company to Geneva. The Scheufele acquisition is the modern Chopard origin point — everything that defines the contemporary brand began under Scheufele leadership.

The technical record across the Scheufele era:

• 1976 — Happy Diamonds collection released, featuring free-floating diamonds between two sapphire crystals
• 1988 — Mille Miglia partnership begins; Chopard becomes the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia historic race in Italy
• 1996 — Fleurier manufacture established; L.U.C. line launched with the first in-house Chopard movement (Caliber L.U.C. 1.96)
• 2003 — L.U.C. Quattro (four-barrel movement, nine-day power reserve)
• 2006 — Mille Miglia GMT chronograph
• 2017 — Alpine Eagle integrated-bracelet sport-luxury watch released
• 2018 — Lucent Steel A223 (a recycled-content steel alloy used across the catalog)

The 2017 Alpine Eagle launch was significant. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele's son Karl-Fritz Scheufele had grown up wearing his father's 1980 St. Moritz integrated-bracelet sport watch and convinced his father to relaunch the design. The Alpine Eagle entered the integrated-bracelet sport-luxury category that Royal Oak and Nautilus had dominated for 50 years and was generally well-received critically. Steel Alpine Eagle pricing ($14,400) sits between Royal Oak and Tudor Black Bay.

Signature collections

L.U.C. (haute horlogerie)

The Scheufele family's personal pride. L.U.C. XPS ($21,500) — 40mm dress watch, in-house L.U.C. 96 movement, finished to Geneva Seal. L.U.C. Perpetual Twin ($46,000) — perpetual calendar variant. L.U.C. Tourbillon ($156,000+). L.U.C. Strike One ($165,000) — minute repeater. L.U.C. movements are widely considered comparable to Patek and Vacheron at the top end of finishing quality.

Mille Miglia

The motorsport chronograph collection. Mille Miglia GTS Automatic ($5,800), Mille Miglia GTS Chrono ($7,400), Mille Miglia 2024 limited edition ($6,200-$10,400). Dunlop-racing-tire-tread inspired rubber strap. Annual limited editions tied to specific Mille Miglia race years. The Mille Miglia partnership has run continuously since 1988 — one of the longest motorsport-watchmaking partnerships in the industry.

Alpine Eagle

The integrated-bracelet sport-luxury collection. Alpine Eagle 41 ($14,400 in Lucent Steel, $20,000 in gold), Alpine Eagle 36 ($13,200), Alpine Eagle Chrono XL ($23,000), Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF ($26,000, high-frequency variant). Alpine Eagle's positioning between Royal Oak and Tudor in price and styling makes it a notable competitor in the integrated-bracelet sport-luxury category.

Happy Sport / Happy Diamonds

The free-floating diamond collection. Happy Sport ($5,500-$10,000) — sport-watch case with free-floating diamonds between sapphire crystals. Happy Diamonds High Jewelry pieces ($30,000-$200,000). The collection that established Chopard's jewelry-house identity.

Imperiale

The classical dress collection. Imperiale ($4,800-$15,000). Roman numerals, classical proportions, often with diamond bezels. Particularly popular among female buyers; the most accessible Chopard dress watch family.

Price tiers

• Entry — Imperiale ($4,800-$8,000), Mille Miglia GTS Automatic ($5,800), Happy Sport ($5,500-$8,500)
• Mid — Mille Miglia GTS Chrono ($7,400), Happy Sport Chrono ($9,800), Alpine Eagle 36 ($13,200)
• Flagship — Alpine Eagle 41 in steel ($14,400), Alpine Eagle Chrono XL ($23,000), Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF ($26,000)
• L.U.C. haute horlogerie — L.U.C. XPS ($21,500), L.U.C. Perpetual Twin ($46,000), L.U.C. Tourbillon ($156,000), L.U.C. Strike One ($165,000), L.U.C. Full Strike Sapphire ($300,000+)
• High jewelry — $30K-$10M+ across one-off and Haute Joaillerie pieces

What's worth knowing

The L.U.C. line is one of the most underrated achievements in modern Swiss watchmaking. L.U.C. movements receive Geneva Seal certification (some receive both Geneva Seal and Poinçon de Genève) — finishing standards comparable to Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. The Fleurier manufacture, where L.U.C. movements are produced, is one of the most refined movement-making facilities in the industry. Among collectors who specifically follow movement work, L.U.C. ranks alongside Trinity makers in finishing quality, but at lower prices.

Chopard's family ownership is structurally significant. As one of the few remaining major independent Swiss watchmakers (alongside Patek, AP, F.P. Journe, and a handful of independents), Chopard is not constrained by quarterly conglomerate reporting cycles. Long-term R&D investments — like the L.U.C. movement program, the Fleurier manufacture, and the Lucent Steel alloy — are possible because no shareholder demands quarterly returns.

The Mille Miglia 2014 (one specific limited edition) sold for $26 million in 2014 — remarkable for a watch in this price tier. The piece featured an unusually high diamond setting count. While this was a one-off jewelry-watch, the price point demonstrates how Chopard's jewelry-house identity can produce extraordinary one-off pieces. The brand's typical commercial production sits at much more accessible price points.

Read next

• Patek Philippe — Heirlooms in the Making
• Audemars Piguet — The Royal Oak Legacy
• Vacheron Constantin — The Oldest Continuously Operating Manufacturer
• A Guide to the Best Swiss Watches and Brands