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More about Chopard Part 3 (L.U.C.eum)
MORE ABOUT CHOPARD PART 3 (L.U.C.eum)
Previous "More about Chopard" articles:
Part 1: www.watchprosite.com
Part 1.5: www.watchprosite.com
Part 2: www.watchprosite.com
Chopard celebrated the 10th anniversary of its L.U.C. brand with the opening of the
“L.U.CEUM – Traces of Time” Museum in the manufactory at Fleurier.
Chopard Establishes a Museum for Historical Timepieces
By producing manufactory movements, Chopard continues the tradition of Louis Ulysse Chopard, whose initials are immortalized by the L.U.C brand. The museum or “L.U.CEUM” established at the end of 2006 combines old and new exhibits under one roof. Visitors to the house of Chopard and the L.U.CEUM can see the history of the watchmaker's art so that L.U.C watch models can be appreciated in their historical context.
Photo: Chopard Manufactory Fleurier (2006) © L.U.CEUM
About the Name - “L.U.CEUM”
Fleurier proved to be the most appropriate venue because it was here that the Chopard established its manufactory in 1996. The Scheufele Family has made a long-cherished wish come true with this manufactory. Back in the 1960s, Karl Scheufele III was already pondering about producing watch movements in Switzerland. In 1963, Scheufele decided to purchase the Geneva-based company from Paul André Chopard (1898–1968), whose grandfather Louis Ulysse Chopard had founded in Sonvilier in 1860. The museum’s concept, its name “L.U.CEUM” and its “Traces of Time” represent a metaphorical bridge from the past to the present linking the generic term 'museum' with L.U.C.
The exhibition path through the L.U.CEUM
The artifacts on display at the L.U.CEUM were created in various eras and are arranged in nine thematic areas. Antique historical watches are juxtaposed with thematically related models from Chopard’s contemporary L.U.C collection. Walking through the museum is like strolling through history and following the traces of time.
Photo: Pocket Watch – Louis Ulysse Chopard (1860) © L.U.CEUM
The story begins with Louis Ulysse Chopard (L.U.C), whose surviving lifework consists of only one timepiece: the earliest Chopard watch.
Photo: Movement – Louis Ulysse Chopard (1860) © L.U.CEUM
Photo: Sand Glasses (18th Century) © L.U.CEUM
Theme: Elementary Clocks
To introduce visitors to the museum’s theme, the first section is devoted to sundials, sandglasses and oil-lamp clocks. An especially interesting artifact in this context is a pulpit clock with four glass vessels calibrated to measure intervals of 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes’ duration. Sandglasses of this kind were often affixed to the pulpits of churches so that preachers could keep track of the lengths of their sermons. Oh, but if only we had the same in today's churches
Photo: Tool Box (1920) © L.U.CEUM
Theme: Tools
Workbenches with watchmaker’s tools are displayed. Of particular interest is a toolbox with a comprehensive set of accessories for lathe work.
Watches for the Chinese Market
In the early 19th century, Fleurier was known for its watch production for the Chinese market. The Bovet Brothers from Fleurier were instrumental in bringing Swiss watchmaking to China. The enterprise flourished: in China, the name “Bovet” became synonymous with the Chinese word for “watch”, much like we use "Hoover" for vacumn cleaners – "I am going to hoover the carpet, dear".
The museum displays a number of timepieces from the Bovet workshop. A special item is a golden carriage clock, which (according to the lettering in its case) was made by Bovet for Breguet.
Photo: Coach Watch – Bovet / Breguet (1850) © L.U.CEUM
Breguet’s repair dockets record that his merchandise also included watches made by other watchmakers. Breguet usually reworked these watches to his own standards. It is possible that Abraham-Louis Breguet’s grandson – Louis-Clément Breguet – had admired this timepiece. He had probably received the ebauche from Bovet in Fleurier and subsequently completed and encased it at his own workshop in Paris.
Photo: Movement - Bovet / Breguet (1850) © L.U.CEUM
'L.U.CEUM – Traces of Time'
Address: Chopard Manufacture Fleurier, Switzerland
The museum exhibits timepieces made between the year 1500 and the present day
Opening hours: To schedule an appointment, please telephone +41. (32) 862 12 12
Copyright Melvyn Teillol-Foo, 2007.
Photos courtesy of Chopard L.U.C.eum.
More about Chopard Part 3 (L.U.C.eum)
