WT 2003 04: TEST: CHOPARD L.U.C PRO ONE
WT 2003 04: TEST: CHOPARD L.U.C PRO ONE WT 2003 04: TEST: CHOPARD L.U.C PRO ONE
The case’s solid, screw-in back is decorated with an elaborate engraving patterned after the eight-pointed star on a compass. Diver Chopard is starting to carve out a sizable niche in the highly competitive world of diver’s watches. But does the blue-blooded brand’s L.U.C Pro One have what it takes to handle the deep seas BY ALEXANDER LINZ August 2003 WatchTime 55
In addition to the word “Swiss,“ which is a given, the latest offering from the Chopard manufacture sports an elegant black dial crowded with the words: “Chopard,“ “Automatic,“ “Pro One,“ “Certified Chronometer,“ and “300 m/1,000 ft.“ Here in Fleurier, idyllically situated in the center of the Swiss Jura, and far from the hustle and bustle of Chopard’s Geneva headquarters, a closely knit and well-orchestrated team of designers, watchmakers, engineers, and specialists collaborates on the tasks of producing the watches in Chopard’s L.U.C collection. Their latest brainchild is a diver’s watch that strives for the heights...or rather, the depths...of excellence. The arena in which Chopard aims to position its Pro One is a hotly contested one, and the names of the competitors there number among the best known and most respected brands in the world: Rolex, Breitling, IWC, Omega, Panerai, and TAG Heuer are all heavyweight champions in the diver’s watch division. Many of the timekeepers made by these brands embody the 56 WatchTime August 2003 Screws rather than a springbar: the clasp is firmly anchored to the strap. The L.U.C 4.96 is a genuine Chopard manufacture caliber with two barrels and an off-center micro-rotor. very best of what can be achieved in the field of sports and diver’s watches. Can Chopard outshine its high-karat competitors Not likely, and perhaps that’s not even Chopard’s goal. The Pro One simply wants to be a good diver’s watch. The primary intention was to create a beautiful, valuable, elegant watch that would appeal to the firm’s discriminating clientele, and that’s exactly what Chopard has accomplished. As far as its physical attributes are concerned, the Pro One has all of the typical features that make good diver’s watches so coveted, whether or not you actually plan to wear one while diving. The Pro One’s designers drew up a to-do list and then methodically set out to “do“ each one. Consider each of the following characteristics found on the new Pro One: a muscular 42-mm case; a bezel that ro-
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- Page 5 and 6: DATA PAGE L.U.C Pro One Manufacture
- Page 7: Superluminova C1, a new luminous ma
The case’s solid, screw-in back is decorated<br />
with an elaborate engraving patterned<br />
after the eight-pointed star on a compass.<br />
Diver<br />
Chopard is starting to<br />
carve out a sizable niche in<br />
the highly competitive<br />
world of diver’s watches.<br />
But does the blue-blooded<br />
brand’s L.U.C Pro One<br />
have what it takes to<br />
handle the deep seas<br />
BY ALEXANDER LINZ<br />
August <strong>2003</strong> WatchTime 55
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