Neha Mehrotra
19-Jan-2026
Chopard celebrates its 30th anniversary with its most complicated chiming watch to date – Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike – The Sound of Eternity
In high watchmaking, sound is the most unforgiving medium. A tourbillon can be admired at leisure, finished and examined under a loupe, but a chiming watch reveals its quality instantly and without mercy. With the L.U.C Grand Strike, unveiled to mark 30 years of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, the Maison enters the most demanding territory of all and does so with remarkable assurance.
The L.U.C Grand Strike is the most complicated wristwatch Chopard has ever produced. Developed entirely in-house, it brings together a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater and a one-minute tourbillon, all housed in a surprisingly restrained 43mm white-gold case.
Three Decades of Making
More than a technical achievement, it represents the culmination of nearly three decades of methodical, ambitious watchmaking that began with the creation of Chopard’s first in-house calibre in 1996. Its first serious engagement with chiming watches came in the mid-2000s, followed by a steady accumulation of experience across complex calendars, high-frequency chronometers and power-reserve innovations. The turning point arrived in 2016 with the L.U.C Full Strike, the world’s first minute repeater to employ sapphire crystal gongs. That watch, awarded the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève the following year, established Chopard as a serious voice in contemporary sonnerie watchmaking. The L.U.C Grand Strike builds directly on that foundation.
Technical Precision
At its heart is the hand-wound calibre L.U.C 08.03-L, a movement comprising 686 components and protected by ten proprietary patents, five of them developed specifically for this watch. The architecture is classical in principle, with separate barrels for timekeeping and chiming functions. The grande sonnerie automatically strikes the hours and quarters as time passes, while the petite sonnerie reduces the acoustic output by sounding only the hours on the hour and the quarters thereafter. A silent mode allows the watch to chime only when the minute repeater is manually activated. Crucially, each of these modes is protected by patented safety systems designed to prevent accidental misuse and preserve accuracy.
The Architecture of Sound
What ultimately defines the L.U.C Grand Strike is its sound. The watch employs Chopard’s proprietary sapphire crystal gongs, machined as a single monobloc with the dial itself. Unlike traditional steel gongs, which transmit vibrations through the movement and case before reaching the ear, sapphire gongs channel sound directly outward. The result is a chime of exceptional clarity and projection. The square cross-section of the gongs further produces a layered, harmonically rich resonance. Sapphire’s extreme hardness ensures that this acoustic signature remains stable over time, immune to deformation or fatigue. The chime itself is tuned to a C-sharp and F natural interval, chosen for its sense of balance and unity. It is a detail that reflects Chopard’s sensitivity to the emotional dimension of sound.
The Look and Feel
The movement beats at 4Hz, an unusually high frequency for a chiming watch, and delivers a 70-hour power reserve for timekeeping. The sonnerie mechanism operates independently and provides up to 12 hours of continuous grande sonnerie operation when fully wound. The movement is certified by both the COSC and the Poinçon de Genève.
Visually, the L.U.C Grand Strike embraces transparency. The open, dial-less display reveals the choreography of the striking mechanism, with polished hammers visible at ten o’clock and a one-minute tourbillon anchoring the composition at six. The finishing is traditional, with German silver bridges, hand-applied Côtes de Genève and mirror-polished steel components providing a counterpoint to the technically radical sapphire acoustics. Solid gold hands and markers complete the picture.
As Chopard Manufacture marks its 30th anniversary, the L.U.C Grand Strike stands as more than a commemorative piece. It is a statement of intent and a measure of maturity. Grande sonnerie wristwatches remain among the rarest and most difficult objects in watchmaking, and to execute one with this level of acoustic innovation, technical security and everyday wearability places Chopard firmly among the leading practitioners of contemporary haute horlogerie.
