Chopard L.U.C Louis Ulysse Tribute Convertible Watch

Chopard will produce the L.U.C Louis-Ulysse The Tribute timepiece in a limited edition of 150 pieces to symbolically honor the years that have passed since the house was founded in 1860. The luxurious hand-stitched strap is crafted from alligator leather and it features an 18K white gold buckle bearing the engraved Chopard insignia. A chain is also supplied, so owners can wear The Tribute in pocket watch fashion, if desired. Water resistance of this model is rated for 30 meters.
The idea of taking a wrist watch and transforming it into a pocket is less common than the other way around. Having a piece that can go back and forth between wrist watch and pocket watch is much rarer still. Sure it is a novelty, but I think it is one that Chopard executes rather nicely in the case of their new L.U.C Louis Ulysse watch. L.U.C (I am just going to write LUC for brevity) labeled watches in the Chopard line as those that have their in-house made movements. At least this is my understanding. LUC might even stand for Louis Ulysse Chopard, not 100% clear on this. Well nevertheless, this piece is a direct tribute to the man.
The watch begins with a new manually wound pocket watch movement. The movement design is actually apparently further intended to be used by watch making students at the Geneva Watchmaking school. The idea is that for the student's final projects, they will make one of these movement. Nothing created by mere students has been fitted into any of the 150 pieces of the LUC Louis Ulysse Tribute watch. This of these as "master copies." While the movement is pretty simple in form and function, it is COSC Chronometer certified (meaning that it is accurate), and has the prestigious Seal of Geneva placed on it - indicating that it was made within the Caton of Geneva and with certain decor standards.You can see the movement at all times through the sapphire caseback window of the watch.
At over 49mm wide, the watch is pretty big (but then again it is supposed to be a pocket watch as well. The case is done in 18k white gold and polished and satin finished. The design of the case is not exactly vintage, but not exactly modern either. It has some semblances of the art deco, but I don't think it is that. Perhaps there is an addition style option that I am not familiar with. Though regardless, I like the angle crown guard, thin bezel, and wide sized dial. The face is probably enamel, with beautiful hour indicators and a dash of red. It really looks like a vintage instrument dial. Chopard opted to go with a very interesting choice of hands. They appear a bit similiar to other Chopard pieces, but on nothing this classic looking.
When the pocket watch is removed from its frame, the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback shows off the charming L.U.C EHG mechanical movement. Constructed and decorated in the finest traditions of Genevoise haute horlogerie, it displays gracefully shaped bridges with Cotes de Geneve patterns, a balance cock with a beveled swan neck fine adjustment, and an escape wheel bridge with cover plate in black-polished steel. The caliber--which bears both the prestigious Geneva Seal hallmark and COSC chronometer certification--was created by Chopard especially for the top-tier students of Geneva's esteemed School of Watchmaking (Ecole d'Horlogerie de Geneve). Power reserve is 80 hours when the mainspring is fully wound.
In honor of founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard, Swiss house Chopard introduces an elegant convertible timepiece that can be worn as either a wristwatch, or a pocket watch. This model, appropriately named "The Tribute", can take on these two guises because of a special case frame with a crocodile leather strap and cradle-type lugs which holds the pocket watch securely in place. The L.U.C Tribute watch is also noteworthy for housing a newly developed and particularly beautiful handwound Chopard manufacture movement.
At just under 50mm, the 18-karat white gold case of the Chopard L.U.C Louis-Ulysse The Tribute watch creates a statement of tasteful grandeur on even the broadest wrist. A precise and pleasing quarter turn motion--discreetly illustrated with an engraved arrow on the backside--secures or releases it from the white gold frame component. The dial is a classical creation with bold Roman numeral hour markers on a surface of lacquered ceramic; the red "LUC" legend in the seconds subdial and the L.U. Chopard 1860 signature below the 12 o'clock marker are intended to provide a connection with early Chopard triumphs in fine watchmaking. Modern advances are revealed in the material the curved crystal is made from; unlike the glass crystals in pocket watches of yesteryear, synthetic sapphire is all but impervious to scratches and scuffing.