Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Red Carpet Edition

This year, Chopard celebrates 20 years of partnership with the Cannes Film Festival (the relationship dates back to 1998). In order to honour this long-term alliance, the Geneva-based brand presents a new model dedicated to red carpets and passion for film-making. Based on the nicely executed and ultra-thin L.U.C time-only watch, meet the new Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Red Carpet Edition.

For this edition, Chopard adds a touch of glamour to one of its signature models in the Haute Horlogerie collection L.U.C, the XPS 1860. This version, introduced in 2016, was based on the traditional, yet highly elegant XPS, an ultra-thin dress watch with a small seconds counter, as a re-edition of the very first L.U.C watch introduced in 1996. As the first watch entirely produced and manufactured by the Chopard Manufacture it was the first with an in-house movement. It was later followed by a stainless version reviewed here.

Being the epitome of the Tuxedo watch, the L.U.C XPS is the perfect base to create a glamorous, dressy edition dedicated to red carpets and black-tie events. For the occasion, the L.U.C XPS 1860 Red Carpet Edition receives an 18k white gold case, which still measures a reasonable 40mm diameter and only 7.20mm in height – because a tuxedo watch needs to fit under a cuff. This relative discretion of the case is compensated by the flamboyant red colour chosen for the dial.

This dial shows several patterns, surfaces and steps. The centre part is hand-guilloché with a radiating wave motif – which starts from the centre of the L.U.C logo, as usual with Chopard. The small seconds counter at 6 o’clock is slightly recessed and has a concentric pattern and finally, the hour rim is sunburst brushed. To add the final luxurious touch, the hour indices are not applied gold anymore but baguette-cut diamonds. Hours and minutes are indicated by stylised Dauphine hands, typical of Chopard’s production.

Inside the slim case of the Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Red Carpet Edition is the well-known calibre L.U.C 96.01-L – the same base movement as the one used in the first L.U.C watch in 1996. Equipped with a 22k micro-rotor and two barrels (Twin^® technology) ensuring approximately 65 hours of autonomy, this movement is 3.3mm thick and displays remarkable precision, as certified by COSC. Also, it is certified by the Poinçon de Genève, ensuring a superb decoration of all the parts, including hidden ones – bridges are chamfered and angles are polished and flat surfaces are adorned with Geneva stripes or perlage.

Made with the Croisette, red carpets and the “Montée des marches” ritual in mind, this Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Red Carpet Edition will be produced in a limited edition of 10 pieces only. Price: to be confirmed. More details on chopard.com.