Chopard Watches
Founded by 24-year-old Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860, Chopard watches are renowned for their exquisite designs and technological prowess. The brand’s reputation has been enhanced further thanks to collaborations with the likes of the Cannes Film Festival and the Mille Miglia motor race. Their striking timepieces take inspiration from all areas, including motorsport and the Alps.
The History of Chopard Watches
In the early years, Chopard primarily focused on creating railway watches, making both the movements and complete timepieces. Founded in Sonvilier in Switzerland, the company would relocate several times following Louis-Ulysse Chopard’s death as it continued to outgrow its surroundings. The factory was first moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds and then to Geneva, enabling the firm to create Geneva Seal watches.
The company was sold to Karl Scheufele in 1963, after being in the Chopard family for three generations. Since the Scheufele family also had an illustrious background in fine jewellery, Chopard also began creating jewellery as well as watches. Sometimes the two overlapped, such as in 1976’s iconic Happy Diamonds series. Other collections that bear the “Happy” moniker includes 1993’s Happy Sports, supported by a campaign featuring legendary actress Julia Roberts, and the Happy Spirit Series.
A decade later, the brand’s enduring automotive-themed sports watches first came to the market. In 1988, Chopard went into partnership with the Mille Miglia, an Italian endurance rally that involves classic cars made before 1957. The Mille Miglia series featured an aesthetic that imitated dashboard instruments and rubber bracelets that resembled tyre treads. Each year, Chopard will develop a new Mille Miglia model each and every year, known as Participants Pieces. They have the word ‘participant’ engraved on the back and are numbered 1-375. To go alongside this, the company will make limited edition collections of each participants’ watch, with the quantity that is released corresponding to the year of production. For example, the 2005 collection had 2,005 pieces. Other notable inclusions in the Mille Miglia series included 2015’s Jacky Ickx edition and 2018’s Racing Colours series. The former is dedicated to the legendary race car driver of the same name, while the latter is expressly designed as an homage to automobile sports.
Chopard’s next important milestone came in 1996, with the L.U.C series, named in homage to the company’s founder. This collection of timepieces focused on high-end in-house calibres that placed the brand’s traditional watchmaking prowess at front and centre. Such was its success that the L.U.C 1860 was named Watch of the Year in 1997. Although it varies from model to model, many L.U.C watches received prestigious qualifications, such as the COSC chronometer verification, the Geneva Seal, and Fleurier Quality certification. Other timepieces in the L.U.C collection include 1999’s Sports 2000, while the following year, the brand launched the Quattro collection. This was followed by the Pro One in 2002 and 2003’s Tourbillon. In 2005, Chopard once again received the distinction of Watch of the Year, thanks to its high-precision Regulateur timepiece.
Second Hand Chopard Watches from Blowers Jewellers
If you are looking for pre-owned Chopard watches, you can rely on Blowers Jewellers to help. We are dedicated to helping our clients find the perfect wristwatch or other item of luxury jewellery to suit their requirements and tastes. It is this commitment to delivering a high quality service that sees people return to us time and again.
We stock a range of second hand Chopard watches, either in a used or unused condition. Each model has been hand chosen by a member of our expert team, so you can be totally confident that you are dealing with timepieces that are of the highest quality. In addition, all of our pre-owned watches come with a warranty of twelve months up to five years. If you would like to view our collection in person, you can do so at our boutique in Kingston Upon Hull or by appointment at our office in London’s Mayfair.
As part of our commitment to delivering a truly holistic service, we are even able to assist if you are looking to part with your timepiece. We have a generous part exchange system, and can purchase your watch outright if you would prefer. Whichever option you choose, simply provide us with a few details and we will respond with what we believe is the best possible price within 48 hours.
We believe that purchasing your ideal item of jewellery is an extremely personal experience. This is why we will take the time to understand your tastes and requirements before recommending what we think is the best option for you.
To find out more about how Blowers Jewellers can help, visit us in store or contact a member of our team today.