Hands-On – Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined – Original, Luxurious and… Ethical

The classic elegance of L.U.C Chopard, with a contemporary twist and a hint of fair trade… because yes, watchmaking can also take care of social development and environmental protection. Meet the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined, a slender limited edition timepiece resonating a unique perception of elegance, powered by a superb micro-rotor movement and crafted in ethical pink gold.

The Chopard L.U.C. XPS Twist is an alluring thin dress watch with a different… twist. Its design resonates the L.U.C classic elegance, faithfully respecting its distinctive features. Yet the crown, unusually positioned at 4 o’clock, lends the watch its unique character. If this asymmetrical position of the crown is not new to Chopard as previous “twist” editions have been released, the comeback of the dial with unique swirled and deep engraved pattern is indeed a nice touch.

Thanks to its ultra-thin caliber (3.3 mm), the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist is a remarkably slender watch, despite its automatic winding mechanism. At 40 mm in diameter, it wears extremely well. There is impressive attention to details throughout: the casebands are vertically satin-finished while the bezel and caseback are perfectly polished. The watch bears the Fairmined label, meaning that the watch’s gold originates from community-based artisanal and small-scale mining organizations developed under the Alliance for Responsible Mining (more details on www.fairmined.org).

Just like the previous (2015) edition, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Fairmined, this dial is what makes this XPS so unique (and so pleasant to the eye). Said to be inspired by gold nuggets, it is deeply stamped and then galvanized. It features a sophisticated slate-grey color and a nice curve. The gold hands are matching the color of the hour markers and are also made in ethical gold. Compared to the previous edition, the hands and indexes are larger, more “designed” and give the watch a bolder style, which isn’t to disappoint us, as the first edition was somehow too shy in that field. Never ostentatious, that dial remains the clear attraction of the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist, but only when closely inspected – when worn, this pattern is indeed discreet.

The Chopard L.U.C. XPS Twist is powered by the L.U.C 96.09-L caliber, bearing the Fondation Qualité Fleurier hallmark and is chronometer-certified by the COSC (for more information about these certifications, read our technical perspective here). This slender automatic movement with 22K gold micro-rotor runs at 4 Hz for a power reserve of 65 hours. Its two coaxial barrels are stacked one on top the other and operate in series, to provide a more constant energy flow and, for such a thin movement, a long power reserve. As always with L.U.C. calibers, it is superbly finished with Geneva stripes, nice anglages on the bridges, perlage on the mainplate and polished screw heads – the Qualité Fleurier certification is extremely demanding in terms of finishing and decoration.

The L.U.C XPS Twist is produced in a limited edition of 250 pieces. It is worn on a black alligator strap with alligator lining and pin buckle, which as usual for Chopard, shows an overall very pleasant quality and smoothness. For more information, visit www.chopard.com.

Technical specifications – Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier Fairmined

• Case: 40mm diameter x 7.20mm thickness – Fairmined 18k pink gold – polished and satined case – sapphire crystal on both sides – 30m water resistant
• Movement: caliber L.U.C. 96.09-L – 27.40mm x 3.3mm – mechanical with automatic winding (22K gold micro-rotor) – 65h power reserve – 28,800 vibrations/h – 29 jewels – hours, minutes and small seconds
• Strap: alligator strap with pin buckle
• Certifications: Qualité Fleurier, COSC
• Reference: 161945-5001
• Limited edition of 250 pieces
• Retail price: EUR 18,210