Manufacturer: Chopard Year: 1975 Reference No: G2965/1 Case No: 408002 Material: White gold, diamonds and onyx Calibre: Manual, 2442 Bracelet/Strap: 18k white gold, diamond and onyx Clasp/Buckle: Concealed clasp Dimensions: 31mm. Width Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
In terms of design, the 1970s were a decade of unmatched creativity where especially jewelled lady’s watches reached new heights. Chopard was at the forefront of this movement and the present watch is perfect proof of this.
The watch case and links are oval-shaped white gold frames, set with polished onyx plaques, highlighted by a diamond set wave-shaped surmount. This geometric design displays incredible dynamism and is today, as it was at the time of its production, a most attractive work of art to be worn on special occasions.
At the age of 24, Louis-Ulysse Chopard started his company L.U.C. Chopard in Sonviller, Switzerland. Since the brand's inception in 1860, Chopard understood the need for thin and accurate pocket watches to be functional for daily wear. The brand gained world recognition in 1912 after Tsar Nicolas II became a client.
Following Louis-Ulysse's death in 1915, his sons Paul-Louis and Paul André took over the business and moved their headquarters to La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1963, the company was taken over by Karl Scheufele, who remains the brand's owner. Arguably Chopard's most recognizable design, the "Happy" line, was inspired by Scheufele's daughter Caroline. In 1996, his son Karl-Friedrich established Chopard as a manufacturer of its own range of in-house movements under the name L.U.C., creating groundbreaking, exquisitely finished watches that have earned the brand worldwide acclaim.