Alpine Eagle 41 XPS in Lucent Steel™
A new model with small seconds indication, double chronometer and Poinçon de Genève certification
With Alpine Eagle, Chopard has created a contemporary sporty-chic collection featuring a pure design paired with a sophisticated mechanism. Following a flyback chronograph movement, a high-frequency calibre and a flying tourbillon, Alpine Eagle is extending its range with an ultra-thin model featuring a small seconds indication.
Measuring just 3.30 mm thick, the L.U.C 96.40-L movement is just one of the feats achieved by the watchmaking artisans of Chopard Manufacture. Its advanced features enable the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS to beat with chronometer-certified accuracy, while guaranteeing 65 hours of power reserve thanks to Chopard Twin technology.
The Alpine Eagle 41 XPS with its 41 mm-diameter case and integrated bracelet is entirely crafted in the Maison’s workshops from Lucent Steel™: an exclusive, ultra-resistant and remarkably shiny alloy made from 80% recycled materials. Its optimal proportions and textured “Monte Rosa Pink” dial endow this model with undeniable elegance and distinction; while its finishes, reflecting the highest Haute Horlogerie standards, have earned it recognition by the coveted Poinçon de Genève.
Inspired by a historic Chopard model reinterpreted by three generations of men from the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection has been constantly enriched by new achievements since its launch. The latest of these is a signature movement from Chopard Manufacture, developed thanks to the watchmaking expertise steadily acquired by its workshops since 1996 – and to which the introduction of the L.U.C 96.40-L movement with small seconds indication within a watch in the Alpine Eagle collection bears vibrant testimony.
Greatly appreciated by watch enthusiasts, the small seconds display made its collection debut with the 2022 release of the Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon model. It now once again embodies the horological roots of this collection comprising timepieces powered by in-house movements with chronometer-certified precision, meticulously decorated and equipped with key innovations from the Manufacture, such as the gold micro-rotor and Chopard Twin technology.
With the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS, Chopard orchestrates an encounter between the finest Chopard Manufacture movements and the sporty elegance of the Alpine Eagle collection.
A precision-certified movement
The main immediately identifiable characteristic of the L.U.C 96.40-L movement is its extreme thinness: resulting from the development of the first Chopard Manufacture calibre (the L.U.C 96.01-L presented in 1997), it measures just 3.30 mm thick. To facilitate precise time-setting, it is equipped with a stop-seconds function. It also features a swan’s neck enabling finer adjustment of the oscillating frequency – and thus the rate of the watch – by helping to modify the active hairspring length. In addition to its technical interest, the swan’s neck endows the calibre with a more elaborate aesthetic.
The precision of this movement, which also powers a small seconds dial display, is certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, as evidenced by the “Chronometer” inscription on the dial below the logo. This demand for accuracy embedded in the DNA of Swiss watchmaking lies at the very core of the philosophy upheld by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (Co-President of the Maison) and drives the entire creative process of the Manufacture.
Thanks to its two stacked barrels based on Chopard Twin technology, the L.U.C 96.40-L movement guarantees a 65-hour power reserve, and its automatic winding system operates via a 22-carat gold off-centre micro-rotor whose density contributes to the movement’s slenderness. Recalling the attention to detail cultivated by the artisans of emotions, each bridge is adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif and all other movement components are finished in compliance with the Poinçon de Genève criteria.
Sophisticated aesthetics
The thin movement has contributed to optimising the proportions of the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS watch: the case is only 8 mm thick, while the sides and bezel have been trimmed compared to a classic Alpine Eagle Large model, resulting in a wider dial. These well balanced proportions that have always characterised the collection imbue this timepiece with a gracefully elegant appearance.
Drawing inspiration from the power of Nature, the Alpine Eagle collection clearly reflects Chopard’s creative richness and visionary spirit. The Alpine Eagle 41 XPS remains true to this aesthetic: a round case with stylised flanks, a crown engraved with a compass rose, a bezel with eight functional screws set at a tangent, a stamped dial with intense colours, luminescent indications and an eminently wearable metal bracelet.
Lucent Steel™: an innovative metal
Demonstrating Chopard’s commitment to the use of raw materials combining performance and responsible origins, the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS timepiece is made of Lucent Steel™, an innovative alloy composed of 80% recycled materials, developed by Chopard for its anti-allergenic virtues, its robustness and its incomparable brilliance achieved through a meticulous recasting process.
An unprecedented “Monte Rosa Pink” dial colour
The dial is textured on a brass base according to a pattern inspired by the eagle’s iris. It is adorned with gold hands, enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova® – which is 60% more luminous than traditional LumiNova and more resistant to ageing.
A new colour is making its debut on the dial of this new model: like Aletsch Blue, Bernina Grey or Pink Dawn, “Monte Rosa Pink” is inspired by the palette of natural colours composing the beauty of the Alpine landscape. This novel hue that is sure to stoke the desire of collectors, evokes the pinkish shimmer after which the second highest mountain range in the Alps is named. The Dufourspitze/Punta Dufour located there is also the highest Swiss peak.
Poinçon de Genève: a guarantee of fine craftsmanship
Vertically integrated throughout its production process, Chopard makes and assembles all the components of its Alpine Eagle collection in-house, from movement to case to bracelet. The entire timepiece is thus certified by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. The latter guarantees the impeccable quality and smooth functioning of the timepieces assembled in the Canton. Stamped on the back of the watch and on the main movement bridge, it represents the coat-of-arms of the city of Geneva composed of a gold key and above all an eagle: a symbol recalling the original inspiration for the Alpine Eagle collection. After the Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon, the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS is the second watch in the collection to earn recognition by this prestigious label of excellence.
Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF in titanium
A top-flight high-frequency calibre
An eagle eye and high-frequency watchmaking. The comfort of titanium and the strength of an elegant chronometer. Chopard combines precision, style and sportiness in the second high-frequency model within the Alpine Eagle collection. Featuring a Pitch Black dial with subtle orange accents, this exceptional new 41 mm-diameter timepiece houses one of the most advanced movements from Chopard’s workshops.
Indeed, the chronometer-certified Chopard Calibre 01.12-C featuring a high-frequency escapement reaches its cruising altitude at 57,600 vibrations per hour (8 Hz).
Since its launch in 2019, the Alpine Eagle collection has exceeded all expectations. Chopard is now enriching it with a new Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF model: a 41 mm-diameter watch that is a modest 9.75 mm thick, very light, extremely robust thanks to the use of titanium and equipped with an outstanding calibre. It beats at the exceptional frequency of 8 Hertz, meaning twice as fast as a standard automatic movement.
This performance is not a mere technical detail but instead an essential attribute, as this high frequency is used to achieve maximum precision, without sacrificing any of its comfort attributes. In addition to its light weight, the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF features a comfortable and practical 60-hour power reserve, as well as ‘Chronometer’ certification issued by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
Essential details
Although it’s hard at first glance to tell the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF model from an Alpine Eagle 41 in Lucent Steel™, there are in fact many clues. While Alpine Eagle watches are traditionally made of Lucent Steel™, of ethical gold, or a combination of the two, the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF models are all-titanium. Whereas Lucent Steel™ is shiny, hard and particularly comfortable to touch, titanium is distinguished by its even lighter weight and darker colour.
The Alpine Eagle design codes remain present. The bezel, case middle and wide bracelet links are satin-brushed. The central cap of these links is polished, as are the case bevels while the eight screws featuring slots are set at a tangent to the bezel circle.
The dial of the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF is marked with the so-called “eagle iris” pattern, a direct tribute to the piercing vision of the majestic birds of prey that inspired the collection. Its Pitch Black colour is inspired by the intense blackness of mountain nights when wild Nature reclaims its rights. The orange arrow-shaped sweep-seconds hand with its eagle’s feather-shaped counterweight, as well as the matching railway-track minutes circle, bring an elegant contrast and even sportier touch to the dial.
In addition, the minutes track has been pared down to just baton-type hour-markers and 12 o’clock in Roman numerals. Above all, the dial bears two unique inscriptions: “8 HZ Chronometer” appearing beneath the Chopard name; and a lower-positioned dynamic orange arrow-shaped logo, the unique signature of Chopard high-frequency watches. This exceptional property is also highlighted on the transparent sapphire crystal caseback revealing the movement beating at a rate of 57,600 vibrations per hour.
The rare performance of a high-frequency movement
High frequency improves chronometry, a theme particularly dear to Chopard’s Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. While impacts are part of the life of a watch, they nonetheless disturb the oscillations of the balance. Due to a statistical effect however, the faster it beats, the less effect each impact has on the average rate. This high frequency is also high speed, thus implying rapid recovery of the isochronous rate.
In 2012, Chopard was a pioneer in marketing an entire series of watches with a chronometer-certified high-frequency movement. Thanks to the stature of Chopard Manufacture as a veritable watchmaking laboratory, the L.U.C collection was enhanced with the L.U.C 01.06-L calibre equipping an experimental series of 100 L.U.C 8HF timepieces in titanium, a model that has become a genuine collector’s item.
Since then, the calibre – whose complex construction only allows for a few limited series – has been produced as a second exclusive edition with the L.U.C 8HF Power Control black ceramic and titanium Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) timepiece powered by the L.U.C 01.09-L movement, before being used in a Superfast Power Control Porsche 919 HF watch edition equipped with the 01.11-M movement.
After disseminating its precision in the L.U.C Haute Horlogerie collections and the sporty Superfast lines, Chopard’s high-frequency movement evolved in 2021 to power a new version that took its place within the Alpine Eagle collection, thanks to Chopard Calibre 01.12-C, a mechanical self-winding movement with a central rotor. More technical and more complex to produce than a movement with a conventional escapement, it will now exclusively equip the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF models. Like its predecessors, its exceptional precision is certified by the COSC.
The feat and the material
Chopard uses the properties of monocrystalline silicon to make the most of this 8 Hertz frequency. This light and self-lubricating material is used for the pallet-lever, the escape-wheel and the impulse-pin: in other words, all the components that are subject to high friction, which is thus reduced to a minimum. It thereby eliminates the need for traditional watchmaking lubricants, in turn guaranteeing the movement’s longevity.
The lightness of silicon, its tribological properties and the freedom offered by its manufacturing technology have enabled Chopard to develop an escapement dedicated to high frequencies without resulting in increased energy consumption.
Chopard Calibre 01.12-C has a 60-hour power reserve, a remarkable degree of autonomy generally incompatible with high frequencies. The development endeavours undertaken in the Manufacture’s watchmaking workshops, several patents and the technologies employed have made it possible to reconcile apparently contractionary objectives: chronometry, autonomy and reliability. Now interpreted in the inimitable casual chic Alpine Eagle style, this high-frequency watch enters a select circle of exceptional chronometers.
The Alpine Eagle collection: reinterpreting an icon
Devised by three generations of gentlemen in the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection is a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first horological creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the late 1970s. With its pure and assertive design, Alpine Eagle enriches this heritage with powerful inspiration drawn from Nature. A round case with stylised flanks; a crown engraved with a compass rose; a bezel with eight functional indexed screws; a textured dial with deep hues and luminescent indications; as well as a sweep-seconds hand with an eagle’s feather-shaped counterweight : Alpine Eagle embodies impeccable elegance expressed in a resolutely contemporary manner.
L.U.C 1860 In Lucent Steel™
The spirit of the first L.U.C timepiece revisited in a new Lucent Steel™ creation bearing the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark
In a creative gesture imbued with the innate elegance of the L.U.C collection, Chopard Manufacture draws inspiration from the first timepiece in the collection, presented in 1997, by combining the sophistication of a guilloché dial in salmon-coloured solid gold, a 36.5 mm case made of Chopard’s exclusive Lucent Steel™ alloy, as well as a finely crafted chronometer-certified movement.
L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L is wound by a gold micro-rotor and equipped with the two barrels based on Chopard Twin technology. Eagerly awaited by Haute Horlogerie collectors, this model is as colourful as it is elegant, while celebrating the Manufacture’s skills expressed through meticulous finishing duly recognised by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark.
The L.U.C collection has once again demonstrated its refined nature by offering a bold reissue of its very first timepiece: the L.U.C 1860, named “Watch of the Year” by Swiss magazine Montres Passion (Uhrenwelt) right from its launch in 1997. Today, a new version in Lucent Steel™ and a salmon-coloured guilloché gold dial continues the Manufacture’s approach of combining respect for watchmaking tradition with innovation.
Lucent Steel™: the alchemist’s quest
For the first time in its history, the L.U.C collection draws on the luminous brilliance, resistance and purity that are key assets of Lucent Steel™, an exclusive alloy through which Chopard has chosen to treat steel as a precious metal. Resulting from four years of research and development, this steel endowed with properties comparable to those of surgical steel, entered the watchmaking world with the 2019 launch of the Alpine Eagle collection.
Today, the use of this material – 80% composed of recycled elements – in the Maison’s other collections bears witness to Chopard’s ongoing commitment to responsible luxury.
The aesthetic harmony of elegant contrasts
At the heart of the 36.50 mm Lucent Steel™ case nestles an elegant two-tone dial. Made of solid gold, it features a subtle salmon hue obtained by galvanic treatment and contrasting with the white gold touches of the chevron hour-markers – whose herringbone shape echoes that of the slender, facetted Dauphine-type hands – as well as by the finely guilloched rings marking off the minutes scale, the central zone and the small seconds counter.
The dial centre is meticulously hand-guilloched in a radiating pattern surrounding the historical Chopard logo – housed in a cartouche at 12 o’clock – while the chapter ring is satin-brushed. The snailed small seconds counter is positioned at 6 o’clock in a beautiful balance of symmetry and proportions, further accentuated by the absence of date aperture which also contributes to the pared-down design. The anthracite grey grained calfskin leather strap, with its tone-on-tone stitching, complements the refined colours and textures skilfully orchestrated by the workshops.
Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark: a guarantee of fine craftsmanship
Combining their vertically integrated approach with the validation of independent authorities, the workshops have submitted this timepiece to the scrutiny of the prestigious Poinçon de Genève. The latter guarantees the quality and smooth functioning of watches assembled in the Canton. The L.U.C 1860 takes this label of excellence to new heights, as it is rarely applied to a steel watch.
However, the rendering of Lucent Steel™, the delicacy of the dial colour and the finesse of its motifs, along with the precision rating of the movement, transcend conventions, placing this model firmly in the upper echelons of contemporary watchmaking.
Certified mechanical performance
The L.U.C 1860 timepiece is equipped with the L.U.C 96.40-L movement, whose refinement is all the more remarkable given its mere 3.30 mm thickness. This movement is a variation on the very first L.U.C calibre, which marked the creation of the Chopard Manufacture watchmaking workshops in 1996. It is equipped with an off-centre micro-rotor in 22-carat gold, whose high inertia enables the efficient winding of two barrels. Stacked in accordance with Chopard Twin technology, these barrels store the energy required for a total 65-hour power reserve.
The L.U.C 96.40-L movement drives a small seconds indication, a prerequisite for chronometer certification by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. Reflecting the L.U.C collection’s innate sophistication, it is also equipped with a stop-second function and a swan’s-neck index assembly. The latter serves to carefully calibrate the active length of the balance-spring, thus enabling finer adjustment of the oscillating frequency and hence of the movement’s rate. Finally, all the bridges are carefully chamfered and adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif.
L.U.C collection: horological fine craftsmanship
The L.U.C 1860 timepiece is part of a continuing story that began more than a quarter of a century ago when, under Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s leadership, Chopard established the L.U.C collection, devoted to the art and traditions of Haute Horlogerie. Since the first L.U.C 1860 timepiece was introduced in 1997, the collection has been enriched over the years with exquisite, often highly original complications in watches designed, developed, assembled, decorated and certified according to the finest traditions of Swiss watchmaking in Chopard’s Fleurier and Geneva workshops. The re-edition of a L.U.C 1860 timepiece demonstrates Chopard’s exceptional capacity for reinvention and for springing new surprises.
L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph
Numbered 25-piece limited edition in Lucent Steel™
Tradition meets innovation in an exclusive interpretation of this chronometer-certified chronograph bearing the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark
Aesthetic refinement and mechanical performance. This is the world that has given life to the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph: an exclusive, numbered 25-piece limited edition reaffirming Chopard Manufacture’s attachment to the noble values of Haute Horlogerie. This new hand-wound flyback chronograph features a 42 mm case in Lucent Steel™ – Chopard’s exclusive steel endowed with superior properties – along with an English-green dial and L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L delivering chronometer-certified precision. The latter is in itself a mechanical work of art offering outstanding functionality. An ageless timepiece embodying the very essence of the traditional chronograph, the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph is honoured by the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark.
Rich details
While the chronograph is one of the most demanding horological specialities, Chopard Manufacture has nevertheless raised its L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L to the top of this high-flying universe thanks to a multitude of functional details dedicated to user friendliness. The movement is housed in a case made of Lucent Steel™: Chopard’s exclusive steel alloy composed of 80% recycled elements, acknowledged for its superior resistance to standard steels, as well as its luminosity and its dermo-compatibility. Accentuating the watch’s sporty appearance, two mushroom-shaped pushers protrude from the traditionally designed, round and supple 42 mm-diameter case. The brown calfskin strap with its contrasting lining is bridle-stitched with green thread matching the colour of the dial.
The latter is adorned with a sunburst pattern centred around the “L.U.CHOPARD” logo at 12 o’clock. The absence of a date makes for an extremely pure composition. The hour-markers with their rounded font systematically feature two Arabic numerals, like on a car dashboard rev counter. Graduated from 05 to 60, they indicate the chronograph minutes and seconds. The movement visible through a transparent case-back is finished to superlative standards: the baseplate and bridges are gilded, with the exception of the upper surface of the latter, which is in raw nickel silver to heighten the contrasts of L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L as well as its depth effect – further enhanced by the absence of an oscillating weight enabling an entirely unobstructed view.
A rare and exclusive calibre
Chronograph movements in the L.U.C collection feature a distinctive profile. Created in 2012, Calibre 03.03-L represented a major step in the development and maturity of Chopard Manufacture. The first chronograph movement to be produced within the Maison’s workshops, it is self-winding and its construction is integrated – meaning it is not a base calibre enriched with a modular functionality plate, but instead a unified whole.
It has given rise to several hand-wound or self-winding versions, with or without date and always in very limited series such as the L.U.C Chrono One, L.U.C 1963 Chronograph or Mille Miglia Classic XL 90th Anniversary Limited Edition models. Issued in a series of just 25, the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph is no exception to this rule of exclusivity.
Certified chronograph user friendliness
L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L is a descendant of L.U.C 03.03-L, yet hand-wound and with no date. It relies on its advanced functionalities, developed by Chopard’s R&D teams and for which four invention patents have been filed. The most visible is the flyback enabling consecutive timing operations without having to zero-reset the counters, thanks to the 4 o’clock pusher. Its extremely unusual hammer system involves three pivoting hammers with elastic arms activated by a single linear-displacement lever. These kinematics guarantee infallible operation and a peerlessly soft touch – a haptic factor symbolising all the care that the Chopard Manufacture watchmakers have lavished on L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L, as well as its level of quality.
Its coupling-clutch is vertical, thus guaranteeing more reliable starting of the chronograph seconds hand. Finally, pulling out the crown resets the small seconds at 6 o’clock to zero and keeps it there. This enables precise synchronisation with a reference time, a function stemming from the chronometer vocation of the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph. This element featured across the entire L.U.C collection reflects Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s consistent determination to ensure the precision rating of the timepieces produced by the Maison. This accuracy is highlighted on the dial by the word “Chronometer” and certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
Peak craft skills
In this hand-wound version, L.U.C Calibre 03.07-L is raised to even nobler status. The chronograph components take up most of the visible space: rhodium-plated bridges, yokes, levers and column wheel stand out against the rose-gilt background. This contrast is reinforced by the variety of surface treatments: circular graining for the base, straight-graining for the chronograph components and a Côtes de Genève motif on the bridges. The latter are fashioned in nickel silver, an exceptionally bright alloy.
However, nickel silver leaves scant room for mistakes, since no scratch on its surface can be repaired by polishing. A steady hand is required to polish its chamfers, the shiny wires outlining their contours. Their curves, dips, corners and tips are all complex shapes that are accentuated by excellent artisanal craftmanship. The latter is rewarded here by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark: an independent certification reserved for watches of the highest technical as well as aesthetic quality – and of which Chopard is one of the most loyal users.
L.U.C Collection: horological fine workmanship
The L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph timepiece is part of a continuing story that began over a quarter of a century ago when, under Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s leadership, Chopard established the L.U.C collection, devoted to Haute Horlogerie traditions and artistic crafts. Since the first L.U.C 1860 watch presented in 1997, the collection has expanded over the years, consistently offering exquisite, often highly original complications in watches devised, assembled, decorated and certified according to the finest traditions of Swiss watchmaking in Chopard’s Fleurier and Geneva watchmaking workshops. The L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph demonstrates Chopard’s exceptional capacity for reinvention and surprise, and showcases the finest expertise and innovation cultivated within the Manufacture.
Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph In Lucent Steel™
The new design of a celebrated racing watch further pushing competitive limits
Chopard’s Mille Miglia collection welcomes a new design with the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph model. It adopts a 40.5 mm case made from Chopard’s exclusive Lucent Steel™; an ultra-legible dial in a selection of colours inspired by automotive bodywork and a superb ‘glass box’ crystal for a magnificently retro look.
Competitive spirit and sense of camaraderie; energy and dynamism; speed and style: such are the attributes epitomising Italy’s celebrated 1000 Miglia Italian classic car race that Chopard has been annually expressing for the past 35 years through the watches of the Mille Miglia collection. The new 2023 model is no exception to this philosophy.
Watches and cars: marvels of engineering
Like a timepiece, a vehicle is a marvel of engineering, as all devotees of watchmaking and automobiles know – and Chopard even more so, since the Maison has been inextricably linked with the automobile world since it became world sponsor and official timekeeper of Italy’s celebrated 1000 Miglia way back in 1988.
Reflecting his family’s passion for competition, the Maison’s Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has personally taken part in the race every year since, covering more than 30,000 competition miles since 1989.
The partnership – the longest in history between a watchmaker and a motorsports event – has now seen the creation of 35 watches in the Mille Miglia collection, all capturing the essence and spirit of what Enzo Ferrari called ‘the most beautiful race in the world’.
Renewing the automobile passion, the competitive spirit and the emotions of the 1000 Miglia with each new edition, the Maison’s designers have constantly pushed the limits of their creativity. With the new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph models, they now draw inspiration from the incomparable style of classic cars and the multiple details of their finishes.
Dynamic, luminous and comfortable
One especially significant change from previous editions can be seen in the construction of the case: smaller and thus more aligned with the aesthetic of the historical cars competing in the 1000 Miglia. With its 40.5 mm diameter, the watch is also less intrusive when driving, while looking just as good with evening wear as it does with a race suit.
Made from Lucent Steel™, this all-new ‘bodywork’ features all the characteristics associated with Chopard’s exclusive alloy that took a full four years to develop. Named after its luminous, gently reflective appearance that gives it an almost incandescent shimmer, Lucent Steel™ is not only of surgical quality but is 50 per cent harder than conventional steel – making it more than capable of handling the knocks, bumps and scrapes of competitive driving. Lucent Steel™ is also REACH-certified as being responsibly produced with 80% recycled content and naturally anti-allergenic, ensuring it is highly dermo-compatible and pleasant to wear.
The bezels, crowns and pushers of the three Lucent Steel™ models are in this same material, while those of the bi-material model are made from ethical 18-carat rose gold. Moreover, the pushers are knurled to create a motif recalling brake pedals, while the crown features more notches to enhance the grip. On either end of the case, the lugs are welded – a token of fine craftsmanship sure to be appreciated by devotees of meticulous watchmaking. Finally, the pin buckle has been redesigned compared with previous models, picking up the play on polished/satin-brushed finishes featured on the case.
Dials in race car colours
Preserving strong cues from the automotive world, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has personally selected four colours inspired by race cars. These are sure to appeal to classic car enthusiasts of all ages – not least the new generation of younger drivers making its presence more strongly felt on the circuit.
The Lucent Steel™ models feature dials named Verde Chiaro (light green) and Rosso Amarena (cherry red), each with a circular satin-brushed finish, or in Nero Corsa (racing black) with an engine-turned finish. Meanwhile, the bi-material version in Lucent Steel™ and ethical gold has a dial in circular satin-brushed Grigio-Blue (grey blue).
These colours evoke the paintwork and interiors of classic cars, while the satin-brushing and engine-turning refer to the distinctive backgrounds of dashboard instruments and the texture of upholstery.
All the dials feature prominent white minutes tracks and tachymeter scales – both essential for making speed and distance calculations – while dial markings and hour and minute hands are coated with white Grade XI Super-Luminova® to ensure the high degree of legibility required when navigating after dark.
The central sweep-seconds hand is red-tipped both for practical and aesthetic purposes – as well as to complement the famous red ‘1000 Miglia’ logo applied to each dial.
A true exercise in ‘practical beauty’, the dial is protected by a deep, glass-box sapphire crystal secured by a slim bezel. Watch glasses of this type procure an obvious aesthetic advantage by giving the dial a sense of perspective. They serve to maximise the depth of the dial opening, as light pours in from above as well as from the sides, creating exquisite shimmering effects.
A watch ‘engine’ with certified precision
The back of each watch is fitted with a sapphire crystal affording a view of the self-winding chronograph movement certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute and endowed with a 54-hour power reserve.
A competitive driver himself, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele recognises the importance of being equipped with an accurate chronograph while taking part in events such as the 1000 Miglia, where a few fractions of a second can mean the difference between success or failure in a timed stage.
With the new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph, accurate adjustments are also guaranteed by slip-resistant knurled pushers which, as well as being practical, also add to the aesthetic appeal of the watches.
During the heat of competition, racers will appreciate the 4 Hz frequency of the movement, the stop-second function, a tachymeter scale as well as the layout of the three 12-hour, 30-minute and small seconds subdials.
This model is clearly intended for drivers seeking to surpass themselves – much in the spirit of the Maison’s legendary ambassador and longstanding friend, six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx.
A strap inspired by the automotive world
The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph model featuring a Nero Corsa dial is teamed with a rubber strap bearing a distinctive pattern based on the tread of 1960s Dunlop racing tyres, while its moisture-wicking lining recalls the black streaks typically left on road surfaces by cars being pushed to their limits.
The other three models are fitted with rich brown calfskin leather straps evoking traditional driving gloves. All four are secured by buckles made from Lucent Steel™.
In presenting these new creations, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele said: “This year’s watches represent the 36th variation on the collection. Even more than previous ones, they reflect the unique atmosphere of the 1000 Miglia. One of the challenges for this year’s event will be deciding whether to choose a Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph model that complements my car – or to choose a car that complements my favourite version of the watch.”
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