Kong celebrates Chopard's 20th anniversary of the Happy Sport collection with an in-depth look at the Happy Sport Diamantissimo. This article highlights the exceptional craftsmanship and high jewelry expertise involved in creating this masterpiece, offering collectors a detailed view of Chopard's dual strengths in watchmaking and gem-setting.
For 20 years, Happy Sport watches by Chopard have been appealing to women with a taste for daring, contemporary and original timepieces. To mark this anniversary, the iconic collection is being enriched with a new Happy Sport, a unique creation that is an authentic work of art encapsulating the jewellery and watchmaking skills cultivated by the House of Chopard.
It was in 1993 that Caroline Scheufele created one of the icons of the House of Chopard, the Happy Sport watch. Ever since, it has been recurrently reinterpreted in occasionally humour and consistently elegant ways. It has appeared under a number of evocative identities, including Happy Beach, La Vie en Rose, Happy Spirit, Mystery Pink...
The finest expression of Chopard’s two fields of expertise
Today, in celebrating the magical twentieth birthday of its diamonds dancing freely just a few millimetres above exquisite watch dials, Chopard unveils an exceptional Happy Sport. An 18-carat white gold masterpiece, set with 958 baguette-cut diamonds and 1,978 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 65 carats in all, and driven by a Chopard Manufacture L.U.C 96.17-L movement, the Happy Sport Diamantissimo epitomises the very best of Chopard’s two fields of expertise: High Jewellery and Fine Watchmaking.
Invisible setting This jewellery watch is a precious tour de force that called for no less than 4,500 hours of work – of which 1,700 for the gemsetting alone – patiently lavished upon it by the various artisans and specialists involved in its crafting. The dial, case and bracelet links are embellished using the so-called “invisible” setting technique that is particularly hard to master. This involves each stone being perfectly cut and adjusted to create a seamless diamond-studded surface showing no spaces and no setting prongs. The visual effect of such a technique is truly striking, giving the distinct impression that the diamonds are simply juxtaposed without any gold to hold them together.
Technical DetailsCase · 18ct white gold· Total diameter 43.00 mm· Thickness 14.20 mm· Water resistance 30 metres· Facetted glare-proofed sapphire crystal· 18ct white gold crown set with brilliant-cut diamonds· Lugs set with 4 cabochon-cut amethysts· Exhibition back with transferred anniversary inscriptionMovement · Mechanical self-winding L.U.C 96.17-L· Diameter 27.40 mm· Thickness 3.30 mm· Number of jewels 29· Frequency 28,800 vph· Power reserve 65 hours· 2 barrels, Twin® technology· Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève· With diamond-set platinum micro-rotorDial and hands · Diamond-set white dial (invisible setting)· 3 moving elements in diamond-set 18ct white gold· Rhodium-plated 18ct white gold hour-markers· Rhodium-plated hour and minute hands
Functions and displays · Central display of the hours and minutes
Bracelet and buckle · 18ct white gold bracelet entirely set with baguette-cut diamonds· 18ct white gold folding clasp set with diamonds
Ref. 274496-1001 – in 18ct white gold Press Release
This message has been edited by Kong on 2013-05-07 10:17:29 
