Apart from its dashingly handsome looks, Chopard’s latest L.U.C XPS, first announced at this year’s Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Switzerland meets a lot of the non-negotiables for the perfect men’s dress watch.
At just 7.20 mm, it’s certainly thin enough so that it can fit neatly under the sleeve of a button-down shirt and jacket for that next cocktail party or formal dinner. The case, made from radiant Lucent Steel™ and at the perfect 40mm diameter, sits in that just right size and boasts an alluringly elegant forest green dial that emanates from the wrist.
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The Dauphine-style hour and minute hands are three-dimensional and rhodium-plated, jumping out in contrast against the dark green dial, whilst the seconds indicator, embedded in the smaller subdial that sits neatly at the 6, reflects a cool cross-hair aesthetic as a nod to this fames Swiss manufacture’s esteemed aviation pedigree.
Chopard has introduced a concentric dial to the L.U.C XPS, that is to say, a dial that features two rings, one to indicate minutes and the other for hours. A popular midcentury aesthetic, concentric dials were all the rage in the 50s and 60s, and were indicative of a time that was looking to innovative and unconventional design features in watchmaking.
On the underside, the case-back reveals a see-through sapphire crystal window into the Maison’s COSC-certified in-house self-winding mechanical movement, the L.U.C Calibre 96.12-L. Boasting a power reserve of up to 65 hours from L.U.C’s Twin Technology, it’s a testament to Chopard’s glowing reputation of producing beautiful looking watches that deliver.
Overall, Chopard’s 2024 release of the L.U.C XPS boast a simple luxury; a refined elegance. It’s not too flashy or adorned in crazy detailing, whilst simultaneously stylish and suitable for both formal and informal wear and at just shy of $19,000 AUD it’s an approachable price point for the ultimate men’s dress watch.
