Chopard's Manufacture in Fleurier turns thirty this year, and to mark the occasion, the maison has released a new edition of the L.U.C 1860—the reference that effectively announced the birth of the L.U.C line in 1996. Rather than a nostalgia exercise, this is a considered continuation: same 36.5 mm case, same austere clarity of layout, but now rendered in Lucent Steel and cloaked in a dial color the brand calls "Areuse Blue," named after the river that runs alongside the Val-de-Travers manufacture. The result is one of the more quietly compelling pieces to come out of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026. This watch seems simple, but at times, as Mies van der Rohe would say, “less is more.”
Things to Know About the Watch
The 36.5 mm Lucent Steel case measures 8.20 mm thick and carries 30-meter water resistance. The dial is made of 18K white gold, hand guilloché with a sunburst pattern on a vintage lathe operated by in-house artisans, with additional guilloché rings that add structural depth.
Polished white gold chevron hour markers and Dauphine hands maintain classical legibility, while a small seconds subdial sits at 6 o'clock. There is no date, a deliberate choice to preserve the dial's symmetry and purity. The watch is delivered on a light grey grained calfskin strap and a stainless steel pin buckle. It is a Chopard boutique exclusive.
The Movement
The L.U.C calibre 96.40-L is a direct descendant of the manufacture's very first calibre from 1996. Self-winding via a 22K gold micro-rotor, the movement uses Chopard's Twin Technology with two coaxial stacked barrels in order to deliver a 65-hour power reserve from a movement just 3.30mm thick.
The movement beats at 28,800 vph—4 Hz—, incorporates a stop-seconds function and a swan's neck regulator for fine adjustment, and carries both COSC chronometer certification and the Poinçon de Genève hallmark. The latter is particularly notable in steel, where the finishing requirements are substantially more demanding than in precious metals.
On the Wrist & Price
At 36.5 mm, the L.U.C 1860 ref. 168860-3005 is a watch for collectors who understand that presence and size are not synonymous. In this case, the watch actually wears more like a 38 mm watch on a 7.25” wrist. The blue dial renders differently across lighting conditions, just like a chameleon—cool and restrained indoors, almost luminous in natural light—and the guilloché ensures there is always something to look at up close. A refined, purposeful anniversary piece.
Sticker Price USD 29,700. For more info on Chopard, click here.
