The newest rendition of the oversized Chopard L.U.C. model celebrates the upcoming Chinese Year of the Goat which will start on February 19, 2015. The new timepiece that welcomes the Year of the Goat perfectly combines Urushi, the traditional Japanese lacquer technique with a high level Swiss horological refinement.
Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat” Watch
Each year the luxury Swiss manufacturer brings out a special edition timepiece with the appropriate sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat” features an amazing entirely handcrafted dial decorated in Japanese lacquer. This amazing dial comprises a gentle goat on a bed of flowers beneath colorful stylized clouds.
This ancestral lacquerwork technique called Maki-e means that the skillful artist uses multiple layers of thin, semi-transparent lacquer to create radiant surfaces of sensual and mysterious depth. It consists of sprinkling the lacquer with gold dust in order to either create or accentuate a motif. The gold dust is applied with bamboo tubes or very tiny natural bristle brushes. The goat on the dial is painted with natural lacquer from the Chinese Urushi tree which is an extremely resistant lacquer with a honey-like consistency. Actually, the Urushi tree can be found in both China and Japan.
Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat” Watch Case
The L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Goat Watch is housed in an extremely harmonious proportioned 18-karat rose gold case which measures 39.5mm in diameter and 6.8mm in thickness. The ultra-thin case is attached to a black alligator leather strap, fitted with a pin buckle.
The beating heart of the new Chopard watch is the in-house manufactured L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L mechanical movement with an off-centered micro-rotor and two barrels. The self-winding movement boasts an extraordinary power reserve capacity and it is able to provide no less than 65 hours of power reserve. The mechanism is mounted on 29 jewels and it has the beating rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The L.U.C Caliber 96.17-L can be admired via the transparent case back which also offers a good view of its micro-rotor and the Côtes de Genève decoration of the bridges.
Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat” Watch Side
The watch is coated with sapphire crystals on both sides. The crystal also protects the movement from minor ingress of water, and it is rated as water resistant up to 30 meters (100 feet).
Besides the rose gold model (ref. 161902-5060), the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Goat is also available in an 18-karat white gold version (ref. 161902-1028).
Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Goat”is delivered in a beautiful black octagonal-shaped box decorated according to Urushi techniques, making this timepiece a perfectly presentable gift. The price is approximately $24,800.
