Simply Abu Dhabi XXVIII

1 1 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I t has been a triumphant year for the House of Chopard. There have been a batch of awards, including the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike taking the GPHG 2017 Aiguille D’or Grand Prix and the Chopard Lotus Blanc taking the jewellery watch prize. The number of retailers worldwide is over 1000 but only 350 points of sale carry the exclusive L.U.C range of Chopard watches. The L.U.CCollection is a tribute to Louis-Ulysse Chopard, watchmaker from the Swiss village of Sonvilier who founded Chopard in 1860. Each part of these exceptional timepieces is a masterpiece its own right, designed to spotlight the craftsmanship of the past for the distinguished contemporary gentleman of today. The L.U.C Haute Horlogerie Collection is crafted with the attention to detail expected of the finest Swiss watchmaking excellence, to satisfy the most discerning of wearers. Karl Friedrich Scheufele, co-owner and CEO of Chopard, says of the L.U.C collection: “We don’t aim to make 10,000 pieces; instead, our ambition is to focus solely on quality and innovation rather than think about howmany watches we can sell tomorrow. It’s supposed to remain exclusive and represent the pinnacle of Chopard in terms of watchmaking expertise.” One of the latest additions to this fine family of timepieces is the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Chinese Zodiac. This one-off watch honours a millennium of culture with 12 hand-engraved animal motifs of the Chinese Zodiac on the pink gold midcase, marking the milestones of high horology and traditional Chinese arts. The 12 signs are individually represented using the champlevé engraving technique. This requires meticulous patience from the Chopard craftsman in order to etch little cavities which are then filled with black patina. The engraver devoted 200 hours to creating this tribute to the richness of Chinese culture. The artisan’s expert hands deftly formed the 12 animals ordered chronologically and symbolising the Chinese calendar. The tiger’s head is perched on the crown while his body fits the case. A dragon and a snake are coiled between the lugs. An incredible accomplishment both in technical and aesthetic terms, the watch includes a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and a one-week power reserve ensured by the four barrels of the Quattro system. Naturally rare by its sheer complexity and the work involved in its making, as well as by the mastery of artistic crafts it entails, the L.U.C Perpetual T – Spirit of the Chinese Zodiac is a limited edition of just one piece.