Chopard at Watches & Wonders 2026

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Chopard arrived at Watches & Wonders 2026 with a focused, coherent message: push the finishing standards of Lucent Steel to their absolute limit, deepen the jewellery DNA of the women’s collections, and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fleurier Manufacture with a reissue that collectors have quietly demanded for years. Across four references, the maison covers a wide register, from an ultra-thin sports watch to a full jewellery piece framing a raw stone dial: Alpine Eagle 41 XPS “Mountain Glow”, L.U.C 1860 in Lucent Steel “Areuse Blue”, Happy Sport Happy Hearts and L’Heure du Diamant Onyx Dial. Each model deserves a proper look.

Alpine Eagle 41 XPS “Mountain Glow”

The dial starts with a brass blank, stamped under a press to produce a fine radiating texture referencing the iris of an eagle. The “Mountain Glow” champagne colour arrives via a galvanic treatment, a process that deposits a controlled metallic layer directly onto the substrate, giving the surface a warm gradient that catches light differently from every angle. Applied ethical white gold hour markers and numerals carry Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®, Chopard‘s choice for maximum luminous intensity regardless of ambient conditions.

The movement is the L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L, a 176-component self-winding engine measuring 27.40mm in diameter and just 3.30mm thick. A 22-carat engraved yellow gold micro-rotor drives two stacked barrels in parallel via Chopard Twin Technology, delivering a 65-hour power reserve without compromising the slim profile. A swan’s-neck spring regulator paired with a Phillips terminal curve balance spring handles rate adjustment; frequency sits at 28,800 vph.

The bridges display Côtes de Genève stripes with polished, bevelled edges. The calibre holds both COSC chronometer certification and the Poinçon de Genève, a hallmark that demands assembly, adjustment, and casing within the Canton of Geneva. Achieving that level of surface finishing on Lucent Steel, which is harder than standard steel and requires considerably more time on each component, makes the distinction all the more meaningful.

The case runs 41mm across and exactly 8mm thick in Lucent Steel, an alloy Chopard produces via an advanced remelting process with an 80% recycling rate, yielding hardness superior to conventional steel alongside a brilliance comparable to precious metal. The case middle presents vertical satin-brushing with polished bevels; the eight-screw indexed bezel contrasts polished screw heads against the brushed carrier. Chopard redesigned the integrated bracelet for this edition: the first five links taper noticeably, and a newly engineered comfort system in the triple-folding clasp allows a 5mm extension via a single push-pull action. Water resistance reaches 100 metres. The exhibition caseback in glare-proofed sapphire crystal reveals the Poinçon de Genève emblem and the Geneva coat of arms, which discreetly echoes the Alpine Eagle theme.

Price: €27,600 / $29,100 – unconfirmed

L.U.C 1860 in Lucent Steel, “Areuse Blue”

This is an entirely different dial philosophy. Chopard cuts its 18-carat white gold dial blank by hand on vintage rose-engine lathes, some over 100 years old, without any digital assistance. The resulting sunburst guilloché in “Areuse Blue”, a hue inspired by the Areuse River flowing through Val-de-Travers, shows irregular depth across each ridge that no CNC machine can replicate. A satin-brushed chapter ring frames white gold chevron hour markers and polished Dauphine hands; the small seconds subdial at six o’clock carries a snailed surface for contrast. Notably, there is no date display. That decision preserves the dial’s symmetry and keeps the composition entirely legible.

The movement is again the L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L, the same 176-component, 3.30mm-thin engine as in the Alpine Eagle. It carries a 22-carat engraved ethical gold micro-rotor winding two stacked barrels via Chopard Twin Technology for a 65-hour power reserve. The swan’s-neck regulator, Phillips terminal curve balance spring, and 28,800 vph frequency are all present. Côtes de Genève-decorated bridges with polished bevels complete the visual standard; the calibre holds COSC certification and the Poinçon de Genève. Deploying this level of finishing in steel rather than gold is, as Chopard notes, a rarity in the industry: steel is an unforgiving substrate that exposes every imperfection immediately.

The case sits at 36.5mm by 8.20mm in Lucent Steel, with vertically satin-brushed flanks and polished bevels on the bezel and case-back surround. Both the front sapphire crystal and the exhibition caseback are glare-proofed on both sides. A notched 5mm crown in Lucent Steel carries an engraved L.U.C logo. The watch pairs with an anthracite grey grained calfskin strap with tone-on-tone stitching and a Lucent Steel pin buckle engraved with the L.U.C signature. Water resistance stands at 30 metres.

“The L.U.C 1860 is the most emblematic watch in the L.U.C collection. It marks the beginning of our journey into the heart of fine watchmaking, a path that has sometimes been challenging yet full of discoveries.”
— Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President, Chopard

Price: approx. $23,200–$23,700 – unconfirmed

Happy Sport Happy Hearts

The dial in white mother-of-pearl serves as a stage for kinematics. Two free-floating hearts in 18-carat ethical white gold, one in white mother-of-pearl, the other in a pink-purple gradient mother-of-pearl combining soft pink, vivid rose, mauve, and regal purple, move independently under the sapphire crystal alongside three brilliant-cut diamonds. Rhodium-plated conical hands and rhodium-plated hour markers keep readability clean against the opalescent ground. Navy blue transfer printing reinforces the denim strap pairing without crowding the dial surface.

The movement is the Chopard 09.01-C, a smaller and purpose-specific calibre measuring 20.40mm in diameter and 3.65mm thick. Its 148 components beat at 25,200 vph with 27 jewels, delivering a 42-hour power reserve. Chopard designs, develops, and assembles the entire calibre in-house. The case geometry at 33mm is directly dictated by the footprint of this movement, a proportion the maison describes as the golden ratio of the design.

The case measures 33mm across and 10.84mm thick in Lucent Steel. A facetted crown measures 5.50mm; the exhibition caseback carries the Happy Sport logo. Water resistance is 30 metres. The blue denim strap introduces an intentional contrast against the mother-of-pearl dial, reinforcing the sport-chic register the Happy Sport has occupied since 1993. A Lucent Steel pin buckle closes the ensemble. This is the most accessible entry point among the four novelties presented at Watches & Wonders 2025, sitting in the upper tier of the Happy Sport automatic range.

L’Heure du Diamant, Onyx Dial

The dial is a slab of natural onyx, a microcrystalline form of silicon dioxide (chalcedony) recognised for its dense, velvet-black surface. Because onyx forms in nature, no two slabs share the same micro-structure; consequently, each dial is a singular object. Four brilliant-cut diamond indexes mark 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, lending precise punctuation to the velvety ground. A refined novelty in this specific edition: the hour and minute hands in 18-carat ethical white gold carry brilliant-cut diamonds along their stems, introducing light into the act of reading the time rather than limiting the stone work to the bezel alone.

The movement is again the Chopard 09.01-C, sharing the same 148-component, 20.40mm architecture and 42-hour power reserve as the Happy Sport. At 25,200 vph and 27 jewels, it prioritises reliability and discretion within a jewellery case context. Chopard develops and produces it entirely in-house, which upholds the dual identity of the L’Heure du Diamant collection as both a jewellery object and a genuine timepiece.

The cushion-shaped case in 18-carat ethical white gold measures 30.50 x 30.50mm and 9.30mm thick. The bezel holds 4.40 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds set via Chopard‘s proprietary crown-setting technique, developed by Karl Scheufele III, which uses V-shaped prongs to maximise light penetration from directly above the stones. The crown in white gold carries a briolette-cut diamond at its tip and measures 4.50mm. A black alligator leather strap fastens with a diamond-set white gold buckle. Water resistance is 30 metres.

Price: approx. €69,000 – unconfirmed

Conclusion

Across all four novelties, Chopard’s Watches & Wonders 2026 presentation holds a single consistent thread: no compromises on finishing, a firm commitment to in-house movement production, and the continued use of Lucent Steel as a canvas for finishing standards previously reserved for precious metal. The L.U.C 1860 and Alpine Eagle share the same certified calibre but express opposite personalities, one pure and dressy, the other sporty and contemporary. The Happy Sport and L’Heure du Diamant anchor the women’s offering at opposite ends of the price range. Together, the four references demonstrate that Chopard’s breadth across watchmaking and jewellery is not a distraction. It is the point.