Chopard

MTF
[PuristS]
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Chopard is too modest

Actually, Chopard Manufacture has NEVER claimed to have the best contemporary minute repeater; it's NOT their style to boast.

They only listed all the technical "improvements' incorporated or patent pending....and let us make our own conclusions.

Fellow collectors and journalists made those positive comments during the launch and afterwards in private conversations.

I have not heard any modern Audemars Piguet striking watches since a factory visit...

Audemars Piguet Resonance Box




Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater




Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater




Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater




Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater

Our "mutual friend" wore two Audemars Piguet Grande Complication watches to a PuristS GTG and I heard a $1 Million watch "ding-dong".

I think the 'reference' watches for collectors (no particular ranking) were:

• Girard Perregaux Opera II
• Patek Philippe 3939H
• Patek Philippe 5016
• Patek Philippe 5029
• Vacheron Constantin Simple Minute Repeater

More people preferred the sound of the PP 5029 in a blind listening from that list although it did not come first to everyone's taste.

Those classic striking watches were made before modern materials and technology like crystal gongs and fancy magnesium-titanium-steel alloy cases.

Sound Generation

For the L.U.C Full Strike, they did not go crazy with fancy case alloys because they identified key factors as the sound generator and amplifier.

They even combined both in a monocoque construction for maximal transmission.

Musicality

Chopard worked with musicologists at Lyon University (France) to refine the chimes.

The L.U.C FULL STRIKE has a unique sound signature.

By definition, the sound is not metallic, cold nor abrupt.  It is full-bodied and truly crystal-clear with two pure notes: C and F. (+/- 12Hz)

Their chime lingers pleasingly, with a very low sound-deadening factor. The tonal richness enjoys amazing amplitude because this is the first time that sapphire is used as a tone generator. Sapphire is also the acoustic amplifier.  The intensity of chime is the lasting impression. Although the goal was primarily sound quality, the bonus intensity was a gift of the sonic gods. It takes 16 seconds for the watch to strike 12:59. It chimes in a uniform manner, the perfect horological accomplishment and you are never left guessing if the sequence has faltered or stopped.

Silence is Golden

The musical boffins determined that in music, silence is as important as the notes themselves.

For a minute repeater, silence is equally important and Chopard developed the L.U.C Full Strike with this in mind.

The rotations of the strike governor determine the rhythm of the strikes. This vital component is ideally silent but visible at 8 o'clock position on the dial.

Noting that in some minute repeaters, the governor may sometimes emit a humming sound, Chopard ensured that the inertia wheel drum of calibre L.U.C 08.01-L is entirely inaudible. While the striking mechanism sometimes make a clicking sound at the end of the tune, the L.U.C Full Strike does not. Finally, it eliminates one of the most disturbing problems faced by a minute repeater: the silence between the last hours stroke and the first quarters stroke, which may vary in duration according to the specific quarter-hour to be struck.

In the past, minute repeater sequence comprises one time-window for the hours, another for the quarter-hours and a third for the minutes. Traditional chime sequences were punctuated by long silences, during which the user was left wondering if the watch was still working. They were tempted to activate the request slider or button again that resulted in damage.

The structure of calibre L.U.C 08.01-L enables it to skip these silences automatically. Its hours, quarters and minutes gear trains are superimposed and mutually drive each other. When one has completed its task, it automatically triggers the next, maintaining a constant cadence however many strokes are needed.

Read the previous article: LIVE REPORT: New L.U.C FULL STRIKE minute repeater watch

Regards,

MTF