Chopard L.U.C Watch Replica Review L.U.C 1937 42 MM AUTOMATIC STAINLESS STEEL 168558-3001

The new Chopard LUC 1860 in Lucent steel

It was on this day that Chopard consolidated its place in modern fine watchmaking with the launch of the LUC 1860 and the now revered LUC collection. The original LUC 1860 was critically acclaimed in its day and remains a legend today. Since then, the LUC line has grown to include models like the Full Strike, which won the coveted Golden Pin award in 2017, and the super-complex All-in-One, which launched in early 2010.

In 2023, Chopard decided to reinterpret the first LUC timepiece. Re-issuing old masterpieces can be a risky business, as the pressure to live up to expectations is very real. The risk seems to have paid off, because—dare we say it—the new LUC 1860 is at least as gorgeous as the old one (and maybe even better). While the design of the new LUC 1860 remains somewhat unchanged, the manufacturer did not hesitate to modernize the model and made changes in areas where improvement could be made. Here we bring you details and thoughts on the new LUC 1860 with Lucent steel salmon dial.

Case, Dial and Hands
The new 1860 is the first LUC watch made of Chopard's own Lucent steel alloy. It's not a precious metal, but Chopard's Lucent steel does look precious because of its bright brilliance. With a diameter of only 36.5 mm, the new LUC 1860 is faithful to the dimensions of the original case. This ensures that the reissued watch retains its identity as a true dress watch like its predecessor. While Chopard has chosen to keep the original dimensions, there are subtle but significant differences in the case design that set the watch apart and bring it into the 21st century, the most obvious of which appear in the middle of the case. In the original LUC 1860, the entire watch was polished, which is typical of vintage dress watches; this is not the case with the re-edition, as here the case has a brushed middle.

While the dress case in Lucent steel is intriguing and original, the dial of the new LUC 1860 is an eye-catcher. The dial is made of solid gold, but that's not what gives it its rich salmon color. Instead, the salmon hue is obtained through a galvanic treatment. The pairing of white metal and salmon dials has been around for decades and is an almost universal favorite among watch connoisseurs. It’s no surprise, then, that the current version of the original LUC 1860 is available in white gold with a salmon-coloured dial. Not surprisingly, it's one of the best-selling versions of the watch. But we digress. Other similarities between the old and new guards include herringbone hour markers, dauphine hands, and the hand-guilloché radial pattern on the central badge.

While the similarities are important, there are also some notable differences, enough to give the new LUC 1860 its own identity. The aforementioned guilloché motif on the dial is derived from the historic Chopard emblem at 12 o'clock on the 2023 model, whereas in the original it radiated from the central hands. Both iterations look stunning, but maybe the old execution is superior simply because it looks more balanced. From the beginning, the dials of the LUC 1860 (both new and old) were manufactured by dial specialist Metalem. If you think these dials look familiar, that's because Metalem also made dials for Philippe Dufour's Simplicity watches, some of which feature the familiar "center badge with radial guilloché pattern" design. But perhaps the most important difference between the old and new LU C 1860 is the complete lack of date display on the latter. If the combination of steel and salmon dials didn’t win you over to begin with, the clean look of the new LUC 1860, which omits the date window, certainly will.

At the risk of sparking an uproar, the reissue looks slightly better. In this case, sacrificing the practicality of the date display is worth it, and the dial looks cleaner.

sports
Driving the LUC 1860 is the LUC 96.40-L movement in Lucent steel, composed of 176 parts and 29 jewels. Equipped with dual mainspring barrels stacked according to Chopard's dual technology, the movement has a power reserve of 65 hours while running at a modern 4 Hz frequency. Like the Caliber 1.96 that powered the original LUC 1860, the twin mainspring barrels in the Caliber LUC 96.40-L are wound by an off-centre micro-rotor. The movement is certified by the Swiss Official Observatory (COSC).

When Caliber 1.96 was launched in 1996, it was hailed as the best thing since sliced bread - one of the best self-winding movements at the time, able to compete with the likes of Patek Philippe and Patek Philippe. Watchmaking giants go head-to-head. Vacheron Constantin. The same goes for the new LUC 96.40-L caliber, which looks almost identical to the 1.96 caliber. Standards certainly haven’t dropped, as the movement is as gorgeous as ever and has received the Hallmark of Geneva certification, which goes some way to ensuring that the movement’s construction, finish and function meet exacting standards. In fact, everything can be seen through the sapphire crystal case back: the beveled and polished edges, the Côtes de Genève across the bridges, the mirror-polished screw heads and swan-neck regulators on the pearl-patterned main plate, etc.

The Chopard LUC 1860 in Lucent steel is arguably one of the greatest chronographs of the modern era. It gets mixed up with Dufour Simplicity watches and Patek Philippe's best Calatravas watches. It's a pity that the LUC 1860 lacks the fame of Dufour or Patek Philippe watches, as it definitely deserves widespread recognition. The silver lining is that this keeps the price in check, which is great news for those looking to add the LUC 1860 to their collection.