Russell Sheldrake
Chopard and Hodinkee have teamed up to produce a new dress watch with a green guilloche dial.?The L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Limited Edition for Hodinkee has a hunter caseback with guilloche design matching the dial.?Limited to just 25 pieces, it costs US$36,700.It seems to be the season for publications launching limited editions, as just after we released our TAG Heuer Solargraph ‘Sundowner’, the good folks over at Hodinkee have brought us their latest offering in the form of the Chopard L.U.C. XPS 1860 Officer Limited Edition. Two great watches, which are very different, but both carry long names. So what does this new dress watch from the Dink offer?True to the L.U.C family, this is a classy dress watch with a bunch of subtle features that combine to produce a rather elegant watch. The thoughtfulness in the design shows for me in the replication of the guilloche pattern on the dial being on the outside of the hunter caseback. The dial itself has been produced by Metalem, a famed dial manufacturer that most famously produced the dials for the Philippe Dufour Simplicity, along with many others.The dial itself is a deep green, with a central rose engine-turned section that has a cutout for the slightly recessed small seconds sub-dial, which in turn has an aperture for the tone-matched date window. It’s a nice touch that we always appreciate, and one that doesn’t disturb the dial at all. Around the outside of the dial are wedge-shaped, white gold hour markers, with double indices up at 12, rather than the numerals you find on the regular-production L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer model.The case is made from Chopard’s ethical 18k white gold, with the bezel and caseback fully polished, and case middle showing a light level of brushing that adds a nice touch of contrast. But the star of the case is the hunter caseback. With the full guilloche pattern given centre stage, while all other stamps, engravings and hallmarks have been moved inside the hinged caseback, revealed at the push of the button integrated into the crown.The L.U.C 96.01-L in a non-limited variant of the XPS 1860 OfficerWhat is also revealed when this crown is depressed is the magnificent micro-rotor L.U.C 96.01-L, a Geneva Seal movement that boasts 65 hours of power reserve thanks to its twin barrels running in series, while only measuring 3.33mm thick. This slender profile helps keep this watch to a discrete 7.7mm thin, impressive for a watch with a hunter caseback.This piece falls right in line with the L.U.C collection and everything it has stood for since its inauguration in 1996. It brought the brand’s first true automatic movement to the market with the calibre 1.96, which the 96.01-L is a direct descendant of. This watch is being offered for sale exclusively through Hodinkee’s new owners, Watches of Switzerland, meaning we are getting our first glimpse of the reality of what the sale of Hodinkee will mean for the company’s operation moving forward.Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Limited Edition for Hodinkee pricing and availabilityThe Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Limited Edition for Hodinkee is limited to 25 pieces, and only available to buy through Watches of Switzerland.?Price: US$36,700BrandChopard x HodinkeeModelL.U.C XPS 1860 OfficerCase Dimensions40mm (D) x 7.7mm (T)Case MaterialEthical 18k white goldWater Resistance30 metresCrystal(s)Sapphire front and backDialGreen guilloche by MetalemLug Width21mmBracelet and strapGrey Chopard strap, white gold pin buckleHodinkee Honey Brown leather strapMovementL.U.C 96.01-L, in-house, micro rotor automatic, Geneva SealPower Reserve65 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, small seconds, dateAvailabilityLimited to 25 piecesPriceUS$36,700
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