Platinum has exploded on me due to its psychological price. To begin with, you never really forget you are wearing a platinum watch. Its weight makes it considerably more “old school” as a luxury product when weight aided one measure the value of something. Thus, compared to a steel watch, you truly know that something different is in your wrist when wearing platinum (and there’s value in being reminded of that). Ironically, these days watchmakers are just as interested in creating watches lighter in fat (perhaps more curious) than making heavy silver or gold watches.Platinum is also more discreet than yellow gold, or the majority of other metals of gold. This implies that while you as the wearer understand you have something valuable, that reality is much less obvious for those seeing the watch on you. Wearing it means you need to be able to manage it, but it also means you are not yelling that reality to the world. Be aware that while the case is platinum, the crown is generated out of 18k white gold. That is probably because platinum is a harder-to-machine substance, and also the particulars in the crown probably make it much easier to create in gold.
Shaped like a tonneau, or barrel, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru is an unusual watch, having a form case matched with an exactly shaped form movement, and one that is beautifully constructed and finished at that.
Based on the cal. 96.01, the first L.U.C movement developed by Chopard and still one of the most refined self-winding movements on the market, the tonneau-shaped L.U.C 97.01-L is a thin movement that’s just 3.3mm high.
It’s wound via a 22k gold micro-rotor linked to a rocker, and has twin barrels for a 65-hour power reserve. Like most of Chopard’s top of the line movements, the L.U.C 97.01-L bears the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, hallmark and is recognisably well finished.
But the Grand Cru remains typical of the L.U.C line, which means it possesses an exceptionally sedate design. The dial is lacquered white with broad Roman numerals and tiny red accents for a wee bit of excitement.
The case is 18k rose gold and moderately sized at 38.5mm wide and 38.8m long, though it is a slim 7.74mm high.
Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
Price and availability
The L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru (ref. 162296-5001) is priced at US$25,090 or S$31,980.