Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

1 0 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T he 15th edition of the prestigious Middle East Watch & Jewellery of the Year Awards was held on November 17th in Dubai and was once again a vibrant evening that honoured the very finest in craftsmanship in the field of high watchmaking – celebrating watch and jewellery companies and their creations. Now that haute horlogerie is widely respected in the region, the event builds upon the appreciation of watch and jewellery culture across the Middle East and drew focus to the region’s standing as a prominent global hub for the industry. Brands were recognised for their achievements across 24 different categories and taking the prize in the category of Best Men’sWatch was Chopard’s L.U.CXPS Twist QF. Chopard is a family Maison with a formidable philosophy of independence and the Maison prides itself on proprietary movements, and the Mechanical self-winding L.U.C 96.26-L is a remarkable calibre based on the Calibre 96.01-L but offset by 30 degrees. Like the original movement, it is distinguished by its slim 3.3mm size, which in turn meant this new model could be housed in an exceptionally thin case. Its self-winding mechanism is powered by an engraved 22-carat gold micro-rotor, the high inertia of which enables optimal efficiency. Calibre 96.26-L powers two stacked barrels based on Chopard’s patented Twin structure. This Two barrels –Twin® technology allows for an impressive power reserve of 65 hours. Gold is a notable L.U.C signature here, since the L.U.C XPS Twist QF is crafted from a block of ethically certified “Fairmined” gold. The brand says, “It is responsibly sourced from artisanal mining cooperatives, where both the environment and miners are treated correctly, and to which Chopard pays a premium to be reinvested in community projects. Chopard is currently the main global purchaser of “Fairmined” gold, which the Manufacture reserves for the production of its Grand Complication watch creations – such as the L.U.C XPS Twist QF timepiece – as well as some of its Haute Joaillerie models. Since July 2018, the Maison has been using 100% Ethical gold for the production of all its watches and jewellery.” In the Geneva and Fleurier production sites Chopard houses everything from movement development, product design, gold smelting, case stamping and machining through to calibre components, traditional hand-crafted finishes, surface treatments, polishing, assembly, adjustments and quality controls. The highly respected Maison has mastered the full range of watch production operations and meticulously applies them all to every single L.U.C watch. The result is “exceptional timepieces stemming from meticulous workmanship that meet the aspirations of the modern- day gentleman. They speak to him without artifice or pretention, through a subtle blend of artisanal expertise, distinction and emotions.” CHOPARD L . U . C X P S T W I S T Q F