Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 161977-5009

The Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 (Ref. 161977-5009) presents a fresh take on the original design. Its 40mm case draws inspiration from a hunter-style pocket watch created by the brand's founder, blending traditional and modern aesthetics. Crafted from 18K rose gold—sourced in alignment with Chopard’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility—the case features a luxurious dual finish: polished surfaces on the bezel and case back contrast with a vertical satin-brushed finish on the case flanks.

The highlight of the timepiece is undoubtedly the dial, which features straw marquetry—a unique craft employed here for the first time in the L.U.C collection. Rye straw from Burgundy, France, is dyed a distinctive blue-green hue; individual stalks are then split by hand using a fingernail and flattened with specialized tools. Precision-cut into hexagons using a scalpel, these pieces are applied to an 18K rose gold base. The straws—varying in thickness, texture, and tone—are arranged in an interlocking pattern to recreate the brand’s signature honeycomb motif. Finally, a layer of wood wax is applied to the dial to impart a lustrous sheen to the design. The honeycomb motif holds historical significance for Chopard; the founder used honey and honeycomb symbols on the brand's early stationery, and these elements were subsequently incorporated into the brand's visual identity.

As the brand's first "jumping-hour" timepiece, the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 features a minimalist dial displaying only a single gold-plated rhodium *dauphine* minute hand. The hour aperture is positioned at 6 o'clock to ensure the minute hand does not obscure the display during the instantaneous hour jump.

The exhibition case back reveals the L.U.C 98.06-L manual-winding movement. Measuring just 4.85mm thick and bearing the prestigious *Poinçon de Genève* (Geneva Seal), the movement features a balance spring with a Phillips terminal curve for precise regulation. Additionally, a swan-neck regulator allows for fine-tuning the active length of the hairspring—and thus the oscillation frequency of the balance wheel—to ensure accurate timekeeping. Through the exhibition case back, one can see the upper bridge of the movement decorated with extensive Geneva stripes, while the lower bridge is finished with perlage; the component edges are beveled, and a gold-plated rhodium baton-style hand at the 12 o'clock position indicates the power reserve.