With a silver vertical satin-brushed finished dial reminiscent of the incredible dial on the Patek Philippe Regulator ref. 5235 we reviewed here, the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition ref. 161926-5004 is an exceptional timepiece made of 18K fairmined rose gold —this type of gold originates from community-based artisanal and small-scale mining organizations developed under the Alliance for Responsible Mining. Featuring an exquisitely finished case measuring 43 mm in diameter, the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro ref. 161926-5004 is by far one of the best looking watches from this manufacture. Elegant and very contemporary thanks to its brushed dial, the blued hands and blued numerals provide the perfect amount of contrast.
The Dial
With its unique dial finish, a power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock and a running seconds subdial with integrated date indicator, the dial on the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition is pure fire. With applied blued Arabic numerals at 9 and 3, blued markers and skeletonized hands, the dial plays harmoniously with the warm tones of the case.
Regardless of this harmony, we do feel that the date indication is slightly busy and the running seconds could've been left out for a much cleaner look offering better readability. While this is not a deal breaker, it is something that definitely should be taken into consideration.
The Case
With a relatively slender case in 18K rose gold, the Chopard L.U.C Quattro features a satin-brushed finish on its case band and a highly polished bezel and lugs. Unlike most watches with this type of look and feel, the L.U.C XPS Twist comes with its winding crown located at 4 o'clock instead of the traditional 3 o'clock position. Yet another nice touch that adds to the refinement and classy design of this timepiece.
The Movement
Powering the Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition timepiece is the manual wound L.U.C Calibre 98.01-L. This movement which is COSC and bears the Poinçon de Genève hallmark, is the world's first hand-wound movement comprising four barrels composed of two sets of coupled or stacked barrels, each containing a spring measuring 47 cm long with a total sum of their lengths of 1.88 meters. The four coupled barrels store enough energy to power this 39-jewel movement for 9 days.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition wears true to its size and with extreme elegance. A perfectly suited watch for formal or casual wear. Delivered on a dark blue alligator leather strap —with pin buckle— that matches the blued hands, markers and numerals, the watch is really good looking. While the movement in itself is a work of art with outstanding power reserve, the price tag on this watch seems a little steep for a Chopard. However, like we've said it before Chopard's gold pieces are typically priced quite high when compared to other solid gold watches in the market. This new watch is available in a limited edition of only 51 pieces.
Sticker Price CHF 25,000 Swiss Francs —approximately $26,000 USD. For more info on Chopard click here.
