DonCorson's 2009 'Purists on Tour' report offers an exclusive glimpse into Chopard's manufacturing facilities in Fleurier and Geneva, providing a detailed visual journey through the intricate process of watchmaking. His focus on the production process, from raw materials to decorated components, illuminates the meticulous craftsmanship behind Chopard's L.U.C. collection. This article is invaluable for enthusiasts seeking to understand the 'manufacture' aspect of luxury watch production.
The Purists on Tour 2009, we visit Chopard in Fleurier
As is the custom at this time of year a group of Purists have found a way of stilling their hunger for knowledge. A trip to see with their own eyes the work of the watchmakers that make those objects they so love.
This year our trek brings us to visit the Chopard workshops in Geneva and Fleurier. Chopard has a long history as watchmakers in Geneva since 1860. In 1963 the third generation of the watchmakers Chopard realised that they had no successors and their activities were sold to the German watch and jewelry makers Scheufele from Pforzheim. The company with workshops in Geneva, Fleurier and Pforzheim is now headed by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. We had the opportunity to visit the Chopard watchmaking activities in Fleurier and Geneva as well as the jewellery making activities in Geneva. At Chopard we were guided by Mr. Patrick Wehrli who, a watchmaker himself, proved to be a very knowledgeable and engaged helper, enabling us to appreciate the Chopard L.U.C. collection to the fullest.
In the following I will be showing you my pictures of these visits with my particular vision of things skewed toward the production process. Look forward to Kong’s reports which I am sure will be much more complete.
What is the first step in the production of a watch?
Of course, making the parts, so that is where we start. The first picture shows a movement plate being worked on a CNC milling machine. Believe me.
Below we see the steps from a raw brass blank to the completely milled plate.
Other pieces such as these below are cut from flat steel stock using an electro-erosion machine.
Of course the necessary means for measuring and controlling the produced pieces are found right next to the production machines.
Directly after milling the parts are decorated. Even the surfaces that will never be seen except by watchmakers when the movement is disassembled are decorated. These pieces are the plates of the L.U.C. 96QP perpetual calendar.
This perlage is all done by hand.
Here the beveling of a bridge is being polished.
Chopard uses 2 color plating to accentuate the engraving on the bridges. After the engraving the bridges are gold plated. Then the engraved parts, the lettering, are filled with a special wax and the decoration of the bridge is completed. Then the bridge is rhodium plated after which the wax protecting the gold plating in the engraving is removed. Because of the wax in the engraving those portions were not plated with rhodium but remain gold, giving the two color plating. Below we see a chronograph bridge after gold plating with the black wax in the engraving.
Here we see the engraving being done. Note the interesting method of holding the pieces for engraving. The pieces are frozen on the table of the engraving machine using a peletier element and a few drops of water.
Here we see the galvanic room where the plating is done. Each bath has the chemicals for plating a different metal with rinsing baths in the front.
Now we come to the watchmakers shops. All the L.U.C. calibres that don’t have a Geneva Seal are completed here in Fleurier. The Geneva Seal watches are assembled from parts made here in Fleurier in the watchmakers shop in Geneva that we will see tomorrow.
The depth of watchmaking skill is quite impressive, even the Breguet overcoils on the hairsprings are formed to shape here in this shop. This is very specialised knowledge and Chopard is making sure that there will be a new generation of watchmakers with this skill as two young watchmakers are now in training. The overcoil allows the hairspring to expand and contract over its full amplitude without changing its center of gravity. This is to great advantage in maintaining the rate stable in all positions. An example of a spiral with Breguet overcoil formed in this shop is shown below.
In this shop the final casing up is done taking a movement made here and a case made in Geneva to form a complete watch head. This is a clean room and is under pressure so that no dust or other particles can find their way in.
Following our visit in the workshops we visited the L.U.C. museum which is also in this building in Fleurier. This museum shows the personal collection of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele which spans the entire history of timekeeping devices grouped around 12 themes.
After our museum visit we had time to handle the entire Chopard L.U.C. colletion. Below I will show you my two personal favorites.
The L.U.C. Tonneau in platinum. Note the COSC certified form calibre 3.97 with its barrel shape to fit the case shape, the version with a platinum case also having a platinum automatic rotor. The platinum version also sports the Poinçon de Genève quality seal as can be seen on the movement pictures.
And finally the L.U.C. Tourbillon Classic with the Calibre 4TF movement with 8 day power reserve. Note that all the Chopard L.U.C. tourbillons are among very few in the industry that have the COSC chronometer certification
From the Chopard factory in Fleurier we continued on to visit just a short distance away at the Fleurier Quality Foundation. Before leaving the Chopard site however a shot was made of the Chopard watches being worn by the Purists on visit.
The Fleurier Quality Foundation certification was formed by the companies Bovet, Chopard and Parmigiani along with local and federal Swiss authorities. To be certified a watches quality of finishing must be made to the highest standards, the movement must pass the COSC chronometer certification and the cased up watch must pass the “Fleuritest” on the Fleuritest machine which simulates a watch being worn over a 24 hour cycle. Below we see one of the Fleuritest machines, each of which tests 3 watches at a time.
During the 24 hour test the watches are observed to ensure that they maintain their rate under all wear conditions. Two of the Purists on the trip were wearing their own QF certified watches during the visit.
At this time we returned to Geneva to continue our visit the next day there. As we drove down the mountain from Fleurier we passed this rainbow, a certain indication that our visit was under a “good star”.
See you again soon for my report on our second day with Chopard in Geneva.
Don
This message has been edited by PuristSPro on 2009-10-19 15:27:59 This message has been edited by Kong on 2009-11-04 13:06:35 
