Discover the world of Chopard by exploring this interactive post. Take a behind the scenes tour of the Chopard Manufacture and Gold Foundry. Learn about Fleurier Ebauches and Chopard’s outstanding workmanship via these three exquisite Chopard watches; the Happy Sport, Mille Miglia GTS and the L.U.C.
The exceptional Chopard watch manufacture is nestled in the quaint watchmaking town of Fleurier, in the Val-de-Traveres region of Switzerland. The manufacture covers over 3,000 square meters. Various departments such as research and development, polishing, decoration, micro-mechanics, quality control and of course watchmaking reside in this building.
Well established as a pocket watch and chronometer maker in Switzerland since 1860, Chopard was purchased by the Scheufele family in 1963 and soon expanded its product range and in-house expertise to include jewelry and jewelry making. The Scheufeles famously expanded Chopard’s modern watchmaking capabilities starting in the 1970s as its Happy Diamonds ladies timepieces became an emblematic design that genuinely linked its watchmaking past to its newer role as a jeweler.
The crowning horological achievement occurred when, in 1996, Chopard opened its Fleurier-based manufacturing facility that so perfectly complemented its Geneva-based jewelry making, gem-setting and bracelet-manufacturing facilities. Chopard several years ago expanded the brand’s movement-making capabilities even further with Fleurier Ébauches. Many of the movements and timepieces made at these two manufacturing locations are sent to its Geneva facility to be finished and then marked with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. The Geneva facility also boasts one of the few watch-industry gold foundries and is where Chopard makes its own gold cases and bracelets.
The L.U.C. Collection
Behind these walls, the haute horology collection, L.U.C., is crafted honoring the Swiss watchmaker Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Of the 80,000 pieces produced by Chopard, only 4,000 belong to the exclusive L.U.C collection.
L.U.Ceum – Traces of Time
Chopard’s dedicated museum to the Scheufele collection of timepieces is also located in Fleurier. The exhibit includes art and mechanics relating to time and is displayed in 12 dedicated categories such as clocks, pocket watches, regulators and tourbillons. One section is devoted to Ferdinand Berthoud, a famed Swiss watchmaker from Val-de-Travers.
One of the most special pieces in the collection is the first pocket watch Karl Schuefele received from the Chopard family. The collection also includes timepieces made by Louis Ulysse Chopard from his workshop in Sonvilier located in the Jura valley of Switzerland.
Foundation Qualité Fleurier
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, CO-President of Chopard, and Michele Parmigiani, watchmaker and founder of Parmigiani, created the Foundation Qualité to establish an independent certification in watchmaking.
To qualify for the Fleurier Quality Foundation certification (FQF) the watch must meet five strict criteria.
First, all timepieces must be 100 percent manufactured in Switzerland and undergo a in-depth procedure to guarantee that the concept, production, assembly and testing of the non-cased watch and its components have been performed in Switzerland.
Then the movement must have the top of the line finished and be in compliance of the stringent standards.
Next, the movement must be COSC-certified to the ISO-3159, which defines a wrist chronometer with an oscillating spring and test the uncased movement for 15 days in five different positions and three temperatures.
The fourth criteria is the chronofiable test. This process takes the watch through the aging cycle testing parts like the stem, pushers or bezels, as well as testing reactions to magnetic fields and shock and a water-resistance.
The final test and the one unique to the FQF certification is the Fleuritest, a 24-hour test cycling through active, extremely active and calm movements that simulate human conditions.
The test is conducted by a computerized and patented machine complete with cameras to observe every detail of the testing. At the end of the process, the precision of a watch must fall within the range of 0 to +5 seconds per day.
Learn more about Chopard’s elaborate manufactures by scrolling over the interactive image above.
The post Inside Chopard’s Elaborate Manufactures appeared first on iW International Watch Magazine.