The Discreet Luxury of the Chopard L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s dream of mechanical independence materialised in 1996 with the presentation of Chopard‘s first in-house movement known as calibre 1.96. Produced in Chopard’s Fleurier manufacture, the calibre was fitted inside the first L.U.C 1860 watch, writing a new chapter in the brand’s high-end watchmaking journey. Recognised as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor automatic movements produced in Switzerland, calibre 1.96 has spawned a generation of sophisticated movements like the flying tourbillon introduced in 2019. The latest reference, powered by the tourbillon calibre L.U.C 96.24-L, is the epitome of a dress watch flaunting perfect proportions, a gorgeous hand-guilloché dial, a hinged, hunter-style caseback revealing the superlative in-house movement. A limited edition of 10 pieces, the L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon is a proponent of quiet luxury, a product that whispers rather than shouts luxury.

Although the first model to feature the ultra-thin flying tourbillon movement was the 40mm L.U.C Flying Twin with a thickness of just 7.2mm, this watch will remind our readers of another model powered by the same movement resulting from a collaboration with Revolution Watch in 2021. One of the requests formulated by Revolution was to reduce the diameter. Thanks to the compact dimensions of calibre L.U.C 96.24-L – 27.4mm x 3.3mm – the flying tourbillon whittled its diameter to 36.5mm but experienced a slight increase of 1mm to its waistline.

Sharing identical specifications with the Revolution watch, the latest L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon has a 36.5mm diameter and a thickness of 8.2mm, perfect proportions for many collectors who prefer lithe, compact cases. Chopard points out that the diameter of the case makes it the smallest flying tourbillon watch on the market, which isn’t too hard to believe.

As a brand committed to using ethical gold since 2018, the case is made of 18k Fairmined yellow gold. The round, discreet case is polished throughout and features a hinged hunter-style caseback that can be lifted using a small button to reveal the mechanics. The inside of the hunter caseback is engraved with a beehive and a random swarm of bees, a trademark used initially by founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard on his pocket watch movements and caseback covers. The bees are randomly engraved, and word has it that a frequent topic among collectors is to compare the number and position of the bees featured on their watch.

Chromatic harmony is achieved with the gold dial made from the same 18k yellow gold as the case. Like the first L.U.C 1860 model of 1996, the central medallion is decorated with a refined hand-guilloché pattern. Here, the guilloché pattern imitates a basket-weave texture that emanates from the centre and expands in size as it reaches the chapter ring. The faceted rhodium-plated hour markers are applied to the satin-brushed chapter ring, with double indices at noon and smaller ones at 5 and 7 o’clock to accommodate the flying tourbillon. The peripheral minutes track has a subtle block-shaped guilloché frame that echoes the external ring of the medallion and is repeated on the aperture of the tourbillon. Matching the hour markers, the Dauphine hour and minute hands are also faceted and rhodium-plated.

Alfred Helwig invented the flying tourbillon in 1920, an aesthetic upgrade to showcase the tourbillon’s gyrations without the presence of an upper bridge. Supported from below, the lack of a bridge means an unimpeded view of the tourbillon’s one-minute revolutions. The L.U.C 1860’s flying tourbillon is fitted with a small, arrow-shaped white hand to indicate the seconds, a requirement for obtaining the COSC chronometer certification.

Lifting the hinged caseback reveals the mechanics of the 3mm-thin calibre 96.24-L. Wound by the 22k gold micro-rotor, Chopard’s Twin Technology (stacked dual barrels) ensures a robust power reserve of 65 hours. Developed, produced and assembled in Geneva, the watch is decorated with high-end finishings to secure the Poinçon de Genève certification. Moreover, the flying tourbillon, beating at a frequency of 3.5Hz, is the only Poinçon de Genève watch to receive COSC chronometer certification.

Availability & Price

The Chopard L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon comes with a green-black alligator leather strap and an ethical yellow gold pin buckle. It is a limited edition of 10 pieces and retails for EUR 144,000. For more information, please consult chopard.com.