WT 2003 04: TEST: CHOPARD L.U.C PRO ONE

TEST: CHOPARD L.U.C PRO ONE
TEST RESULTS
Chopard L.U.C Pro One
Wristband and clasp (max. 10 points): 8
Beautiful, well-crafted rubber strap with
pronged buckle.
Operation (5): 3
The displays can be easily set and adjusted via
the screwed-in crown, but this model doesn’t
have a stop-seconds function.
Case (10): 8
Solidly crafted, heavyweight steel
case with many interesting details and an
elaborately decorated, screw-in back.
Design (15): 13
Appealing, contemporary, Chopard design;
very beautiful dial.
Legibility (5): 5
The time is readily legible under
all conditions thanks to the high-contrast dial,
which is also optimally legible in the dark.
Wearing comfort (10): 8
A heavyweight watch, but nonetheless comfortable
on the wrist.
Movement (20): 17
Elaborately made and beautifully decorated
Chopard manufacture caliber L.U.C 4.97 with
double barrels and micro-rotor.
Rate results (10): 8
Well-balanced adjustment; the average was +/-
0 seconds per day, but there were relatively
large differences between the various positions
Overall value (15): 11
A good investment in a diver’s watch for some
one who wants something different from what
everybody else has. It has Chopard’s inimitable
elegance, style and name.
TOTAL: 81 points
The screw-down crown with lateral protection is both beautiful and built to last.
er surface, and the inner surface is marked with
a variety of useful information such as the
amount of weight the strap will bear before it
tears, how much heat it can withstand, and other
data about its creation. Those are extra features
that testify to the love for detail that went
into the birth of the Pro One. The clasp is big,
bold, and beautifully engraved. Rather than using
just a springbar or a single screw to attach
the strap to the case, Chopard’s designers opted
for two large screws on either side of the case,
thus giving the lugs a technical look that’s a
good match for the watch’s tough, no-frills
face. We shouldn’t forget to mention that the
Pro One is also optionally available with either a
leather wristband or a steel bracelet.
Safely ensconced inside the protective steel
case, a stalwart old friend, the 12-ligne L.U.C
caliber 4.96, does its admirable timekeeping
job. The power is supplied by two barrels which
are serially switched and situated one atop the
other. (Chopard’s own designation
for this item is L.U.C
‘Twin.“) The duo stores
enough power to keep the
Pro One running for up to 70
We field tested the Pro
One on the ski slopes and
during a snowball fight.
hours. A heavy-yet-agile micro-rotor made of
metal automatically winds the mainsprings inside
the barrels. The annular balance has three
spokes and oscillates at today’s more or less
standard rate of 28,800 beats per hour. The
seconds-hand is centrally axial, but the caliber
doesn’t support a stop-seconds function: a pity,
really, because its absence complicates the task
of setting the watch with to-the-second accuracy.
All of the bridges are beveled on their
edges and elaborately engraved with côtes de
Genève (Geneva Waves) decoration. The steel
components are polished and the heads of the
screws are polished flat. The caliber is embellished
with a variety of black engravings, including
the watch’s name prominently cut into its
rotor. A C.O.S.C. certificate rounds out the list
of attributes and definitively confirms that Chopard
has indeed done its homework. This caliber
debuted in 1996 and has been performing
virtually problem-free ever since. Some critics
initially whispered that the
micro-rotor could perform its
task of winding the mainsprings
with only moderate
success, but they’ve long
60 WatchTime August 2003