On the occasion of Chopard Manufacture’s thirtieth anniversary, the L.U.C Grand Strike emerges as an extraordinary tribute to the house’s horological ambition and evolved technical artistry. This timepiece, the most complicated chiming watch in Chopard’s history, traces the arc of three decades of innovation under the stewardship of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, culminating in a chiming opus with a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and minute repeater, all served by sapphire crystal gongs, entirely devised in Fleurier.
The dial of the L.U.C Grand Strike is a symphony of mechanical exhibitionism, with no unnecessary ornamentation to eclipse the true stars: the calibre L.U.C 08.03-L and its expressive mechanics. The absence of a conventional dial exposes a harmonious choreography of 686 components. German silver plates and bridges set a muted, sophisticated palette, complemented by hand-finished surfaces and mirror-polished elements. The open architecture offers an unobstructed view of the movement and complications, with the lower register hosting the tourbillon and small seconds, and the upper quadrant orchestrating concentric displays for the timekeeping and sonnerie power reserves at two o’clock.
Understated white gold dauphine and fusée hands, reserved for indications, bring subtle warmth against the technical hues, while an engraved railway minutes track on the sapphire crystal accentuates the precision and delicacy of the construction. Colour is used sparingly, with the natural tones of metal and crystal radiating clarity and depth; the highlight is the play of light, revealing the hand-finishing, the lively steel hammers at ten o’clock, and the signature Côtes de Genève motif. It is a dial that does not preach, but reveals, inviting the wearer into haute horlogerie’s inner sanctum.
Turning to the movement, one encounters a truly ambitious technical orchestra: calibre L.U.C 08.03-L, hand-wound, with dual barrels devoted respectively to timekeeping and chiming functions. Designed, developed, and finished in-house, this 37.20-millimetre mechanism fuses eleven thousand hours of research and ten patents, five of which debut with this watch. The movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), a sports-watch beat frequency that is rare for such complex mechanisms and guarantees optimal chronometric consistency. Two barrels independently feed the timekeeping and sonnerie complications. The sonnerie barrel affords up to twelve hours of grand strike chiming, while the main barrel delivers up to seventy hours of running autonomy.
The heart of the watch, its chiming system, is nothing short of revolutionary. Instead of traditional steel, the gongs and crystal are machined as a unibody from synthetic monocrystalline aluminium oxide, sapphire crystal. This approach channels acoustic energy unimpeded, resulting in a bell-like purity and resonance. Unlike the rounded profiles of customary gongs, the sapphire variant adopts a square orthogonal cross-section, increasing the hammers’ striking area and refining the modal vibration for a chime of uncommon texture. The chiming mechanism itself, activated manually via the integrated pusher-crown or automatically in sonnerie modes through a polished sliding selector, unleashes a mechanical ballet: thirty-four components, braced by twenty-two blade springs, ready themselves in three hundredths of a second, securing the watch’s reliability and awe-inspiring performance.
The tourbillon, visible at six, is both a statement of advanced chronometry and an aesthetic focal point, its bridge finished in mirror-polished steel. The movement is doubly certified: Poinçon de Genève for finishing and technical standards, and Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres for precision.
The sixteen patents (ten filed and/or granted, five new for this watch) protect functions ranging from the striking hammers’ anti-shock geometry to advanced security mechanisms and energy-efficient innovations, ensuring not just technical accomplishment but daily usability.
The case of the L.U.C Grand Strike is both a vessel and a frame for the watch’s animated heart. Crafted in 18-carat ethical white gold, it presents a compact and dignified profile: 43 millimetres in diameter and 14.08 millimetres in height. The vertical satin-brushed caseband contrasts with the polished bezel and engraved caseback, while a bassiné curvature subtly rounds the form, allowing the watch to sit fluidly on the wrist. The sliding mode selector and pusher-crown, both in matching gold and engraved with the L.U.C logo, stand as tactile invitations to interact with the complications within. The exhibition back, sealed with sapphire, assures visibility of the movement from both sides and adds a modern dimension to the refined finishing.
Straps are supplied in hand-sewn alligator leather, grey and deep blue, each boasting matching lining and finished with a folding clasp in polished and satin-brushed ethical white gold.
The L.U.C Grand Strike compels admiration not just for its technical bravura but for its synthesis of form, function and intention. From the sapphire gongs to its energy-optimised movement engineering, every facet bespeaks a philosophy rooted in innovation and informed by tradition. Chopard’s journey, from the seminal calibre 96.01-L to the present, has led to a watch that dialogues with both music and mathematics, with every chime and measure resonating from within. Its proportions and finishes return always to the wristwear experience, while its acoustic and mechanical marvels honour the legacy and future of Fleurier’s master-watchmakers. The L.U.C Grand Strike is is the audible and visible narrative of Chopard’s thirty-year pursuit of the sublime.
