Chopard L.U.C GMT One Dual Time Watch

MTF introduces the Chopard L.U.C GMT One, a new dual-time zone watch launched in London, marking a significant addition to Chopard's L.U.C collection. This release celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Fleurier Manufacture, emphasizing ease of use and refined aesthetics for the modern globetrotter. The article highlights the watch's contemporary design and the integrated GMT function powered by the in-house L.U.C 01.10-L movement.

11 October 2016

#TRAVELINGINSTYLE

#THEGENTLEMANSWAY

#CHOPARDLUC
 

In addition to their first worldtime watches, Chopard also launched their L.U.C GMT One Collection in London today.

The new L.U.C GMT One allows a dual-time display powered by an in-house L.U.C 01.10-L movement with integrated GMT function.

Less complicated than their worldtime cousins, the L.U.C GMT One collection is for gentleman globetrotters with ease of use as an attribute.

A modern design and finely crafted finishes make it a perfect travelling companion for peregrinations around the world.

L.U.C GMT One steel: £7450 GBP

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of its Manufacture in Fleurier, Chopard is launching the first L.U.C watch to feature a dual-time function built into the movement.

The L.U.C GMT One adds an ideal finishing touch to the attire of a gentleman traveller when crisscrossing the globe.

Its GMT function serves to display a second time zone and tells the time in any place and every circumstance.

When travelling, the timepiece adjusts to local time while keeping track of home time as experienced by friends and family.

L.U.C GMT One steel

Today, we look at the contemporary stainless steel version with sunburst black dial, rimmed by slate grey disc to show the 24 hours of a day.

The daytime hours are shown in white numerals and the nocturnal counterparts are in orange numerals.

The rose gold version with brown sunburst satin-brushed dial and bi-coloured 24-Hour disc (silver-tone or brown) is dressier but we will leave that for another day.

How easy is it to use?

L.U.C GMT One steel

The L.U.C GMT One has the usual three hands in white metal showing Local Time hours, minutes and seconds.

The extra "GMT" hand with white arrow head can be adjusted to show either the GMT hour or Home Time. As I live in the UK, they are the one and the same.

A first crown positioned at 2 o’clock serves to adjust the date and local time, while the second crown at 4 o’clock controls the GMT arrow hand that points to the second time zone.

The latter is orange for the L.U.C GMT One in steel and gilt for the 18K rose gold version. The date window is at 6 o’clock, the characteristic position for L.U.C watches.

A finely crafted integrated GMT calibre

This complication is based on the new Chopard Manufacture self-winding Calibre L.U.C 01.10-L endowed with a 60-hour power reserve.

The ideally proportioned L.U.C GMT function is smoothly integrated into this finely crafted movement.

L.U.C GMT One steel case back and movement

In accordance with the stringent quality standards upheld by Chopard Manufacture, the movement finishes meet the highest aesthetic norms.

Chopard has decided to apply to it the finishing criteria of the most prestigious watch industry certifications. Its components are all chamfered and its bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève. This meticulous finishing is visible through a transparent sapphire crystal case-back. Like all L.U.C watches equipped with a function indicating the seconds, the L.U.C GMT One is chronometer-certified by the COSC.

This approach stems from the determination of Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, a passionate devotee of fine watchmaking who devotes great importance to the independent certification of chronometric precision and has chosen to make the latter one of the fundamental principles of L.U.C. watches ever since the creation of Chopard Manufacture in 1996.

Technical details

Case:
- Stainless steel
- Total diameter: 42 mm
- Thickness: 11.71 mm
- Water resistance: 50 metres
- 2 partly satin-brushed stainless steel crowns with L.U.C logo and globe 6.50 mm
- Vertical satin-brushed case middle
- Polished bezel and case-back
- Exhibition back with glareproofed sapphire crystal

Movement:
- Mechanical self-winding  L.U.C 01.10-L
- Number of components 291
- Total diameter: 31.90 mm
- Thickness: 5.95 mm
- Number of jewels: 31
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve:      60 hours
- Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève
- Chronometer-certified (COSC)

Dial and hands:
- Black sunburst satin-brushed dial
- Snailed chapter ring
- Hour-markers and Arabic numerals painted with Super-LumiNova
- Circular satin-brushed GMT function disc, slate-grey coloured between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm; and black between 6.30 pm and 6.30 am; white transfers
- Rhodiumed Dauphine-type hours and minutes hands
- Orange baton-type hand for the GMT function, arrow painted with Super-LumiNova
- Rhodiumed baton-type central seconds hand
- Railway track minute circle

Functions and displays:
- Central display of the hours, minutes and seconds
- Date display at 6 o’clock
- GMT function displayed on the outer dial disc
- 2 o’clock crown serving to adjust the date and time
- 4 o’clock time serving to adjust the second time zone – GMT function

Strap and buckle:
- Alligator leather strap with alligator leather lining
- Stainless steel pin buckle

Ref. 168579-3001 – in stainless steel

At only £7450 GBP, the L.U.C GMT One in steel is at an affordable price point for a really useful complication.