The Watch Thread - Part 16
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Joe Maya
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Carousell user illumilion1 legit?
official_t_atelier
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Yes, his name is Jay. Have bought a few watches from him before. No issue so far.
Kyo_kusanagi86
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Put this on a brown Bund Strap...which be a killer look.
amoro123
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my Hamilton field watch strap a bit spoil liao.
usually you all buy online and change it yourself?
or local got shop which sells strap and change?
Read HWZ Forum Rules!
usually you all buy online and change it yourself?
or local got shop which sells strap and change?
Read HWZ Forum Rules!
peaceheart
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Either is ok but if u dun change strap often then get it from shop and ask them to change it for u
metamofia89
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How many watches do you all have in your collections? Large collection or keeping it small and improve the collection over time by buying-selling or trading?
Hi all , i am interested to buy my first ’luxury watch’. I am actually looking for something that I can wear as a daily watch. So far only the Tudor BB reverse panda caught my eye. Also hope that it can retain its value will be the best 
. Anyone have other watch models of the similar price range to recommend? And also any recommendation for reliable second hand watch shops?
. Anyone have other watch models of the similar price range to recommend? And also any recommendation for reliable second hand watch shops?
Kyo_kusanagi86
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wahjohreno
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Left field watch day.
This lao uncle likes to tell stories, so let me recount how I ended up with this one and articulate my general admiration for the Chopard Manufacture.
A little history first. Founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard (LUC) in 1860, they made watches in-house and he passed the business to his son and grandson when he died. WW2 hit and the company got sold to the Scheufele family who was at the time looking for a watch movement company. The CEO of Chopard today in 2023 is Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. This is as legit “family owned and run” as they come.
My own thesis about why the LUC line was launched in 1996 is: Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is a watch “siao” and wants his own company to make watches that is as “satki” as the best. He seems to be the type who doesn’t ever want to lose. Why else would he co-found the Qualite Fleurier certification with Parmigiani & Bovet to make life difficult for himself?
Watch this video if you want to know what the Qualite Fleurier certification involves:
He also revived the Ferdinand Berthoud brand and brought it dizzying heights. Chopard and Ferdinand Berthoud are familiar faces at GPHG awards. They win awards all the time. Both companies truly encompass the spirit of “independent watch making”.
I see Chopard as the Swiss version of Lange in terms of watchmaking prowess.
Ok, enough history.
I don’t know if anyone has had this experience: you see one model of a series and you absolutely hate it, then you come across another model in the series and become obsessed.
I first came across the Chopard LUC Tech Twist, and despite the excellent movements in them and the interesting dial design, I felt unsettled about the general look of the watch.
Tech Twist
The usual thing that happens with me and something from the Chopard LUC line is, I would be bowled over by their incredible movements and try to find some reason to buy them. But with the Tech Twist, I couldn’t get over its looks. I’d describe it as “try-hard avant garde".
Then one day I came across the Tech Regulator. Same “Tech” series with the same minute markers, same case shape, but this one somehow just drew me in with its handsome looks.
Strange, I thought to myself. Why do I dislike the Tech Twist but can’t get the Tech Regulator out of my mind. When I dug in, it turns out the Tech Twist is the only model in the Tech line that I dislike.
BTW, if you think Happy Diamonds, Mille Miglia and Alpine Eagle when you see "Chopard", I encourage you to dig into the LUC line. Talk about hidden treasures. If you appreciate horology and are over the "I only wear Rolex/PP/AP's that enable me to flex and also retain or go up in value" phase of life, look into it. There are steals at every price point.
Back to the watch.
Check list:
Significant movement - check
Between a Lange and a Parmigiani. You can see for yourself where Chopard stands:
Chopard’s LUC movements are usually the starting points for anyone to develop an admiration for the brand. This is no exception.
Chopard calls this one the 1.98 "Quattro" (like Audi, haha). It’s their 2nd modern in-house movement. Unlike their first one, the 1.96, which was co-developed with Michel Parmigiani, the Quattro is 100% developed in-house.
Interesting fact: the first modern Chopard movements were developed with Jean-Frederic Dufour at the helm, who is now the CEO of Rolex.
1.98 movement
The name stems from the fact that it has 4 spring barrels (2 x 2 stacked), which provide a very healthy power reserve of 216 hours. Together, the main springs add up to 1.88 meters.
This hand wound movement also has a Breguet overcoil, swan neck regulator, hacking seconds and quick set date. Accuracy wise it's COSC certified.
Now comes the cherry on top of the cake: it has a Geneva Seal. The brief was to be able to compete with Patek after all. Ironically Patek invented their own seal when they can't or don’t want to (silicon hairsprings anyone?) play within the same rules.
This 1.98 movement, with its long and even power delivery, went on to become the base caliber for more complicated Chopard LUC watches.
If you still doubt Chopard’s watchmaking prowess, try naming another movement that’s 3.7mm thick, has a 28.6mm diameter, a 216-hour power reserve moving at 4Hz, is COSC certified, has a real metal hairspring, AND, attains the Geneva Hallmark for its finishing.
Attractive dial - check
Being a regulator, the hours, minutes and seconds hands are separated and run on their own subdials. The arrangement of the subdials was what attracted me. Symmetrical but not symmetrical. The hour sub dial outer track is larger towards the center of the dial, with corresponding sized indices, making it visually interesting. There's also an 8-day power reserve indicator and a 24-hour GMT hand. The watch will actually run for 10 days.
Detailed dial work:
Real, deeply carved engine-turned guilloche that breaks the convention of starting from the center. The asymmetrical sunburst starts from the power reserve indicator which makes it far more interesting. If you look closely, the guilloche pattern on the GMT sub dial is carved with a sun ray pattern in the day time hours and horizontal lines in the night time hours.
It's not apparent in the pics, but the dial has layers, The hour subdial is on the highest plane, the GMT/seconds/power reserve subdials are sunken, the indices protrude. When looking at it in person, the hour sub dial has the illusion of being floated, giving the whole dial a real 3D sense of depth.
Faceted hands and applied Arabic minute indices are in white gold. They catch light beautifully and look avant garde. No hand on the watch are the same. They each differ in shape and length. The "10" & "20" indices are cut out precisely to accommodate the hour sub dial.
I like that the numbers on the power reserve indicator go from small to big as the power reserve goes up. The little pop of red near the bottom breaks the monotony of the black/white color way but doesn’t distract from the overall design direction. Gives it a sporty edge even.
If you think that regulators are hard to read, the trick is to always read the hour first, then everything else will just fall into place in your brain. There’s a sense of occasion when telling time and that’s fun.
The one thing I DISLIKE about this watch is the font the date wheel uses. Looks so meh. It feels like they just left it at the default "Times New Roman”. In actual fact, it’s the same font used across the dial (except for the minute indices). It just looks so plain against the plain white date wheel. At the same time, I can't think of a better option other than to omit the date window altogether.
Precious metal: check
Having a GMT function means it'd make a great travel watch. When traveling, yellow/rose gold draws too much attention and invites theft. White gold makes for good camouflage. Being a left field watch also means nobody will know what it is, again discouraging theft. Chopard, being a jeweler, didn’t skimp on the gold either, providing a full gold deployant clasp. The watch feels hefty.
Full gold deployant:
Perfect case size: check
At 39.5mm and 47mm lug-to-lug, it’s pretty much the perfect size for my 16.5cm wrist. Add the 9.5mm thinness, it sits comfortably all day long despite the weightiness of the gold. It’s quite uncommon to find an avant-garde styled watch with such classical dimensions.
A cool little Moser-esque detail is the scoop out behind the crown at the bottom of the case to allow for a better grip of the crown.
Someone scooped out some gold:
One noteworthy thing is the ease of adjusting the GMT hand. No tools needed as it's simply an easy-to-use pusher on the lower left side of the case. Why can't more watches be like this?
GMT hand pusher:
Exclusivity: check
Only 250 pieces in this configuration exists. It's not like wearing a Submariner where you’ll spot one on the wrist of every other person shopping at Takasihmaya.
Side note:
There’s a steel model that I actually like more. Fire-blued hands, semi-open dial which allows the movement to peek through, no date (which avoids the ugly date wheel font), gold color for the day time on the GMT dial… it looks more deliberate and sporty. But I couldn’t get over the non Geneva Seal finished movement and the fact that it’s about the same price as its white gold brother. The stainless steel version has a nicer visual execution but the cheapo side of me picked the gold and Geneva Seal.
Steel model:
All in all, this is a compelling watch. The unique design, high quality, intricate details, heft and exceptional movement make it hard to ignore when deciding which watch to wear in the mornings. If you're the type who prefers to make a statement against the "doctrine" or conservatism in watch collecting with something that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best, this watch is a good candidate.
And finally, the golden question: how much?
I bought it at a price that's quite impossible to find now (just under 5-figures), which makes me even more happy about it. If you find one near $10k, just buy it. Value appreciation is not limited to Rolex/PP/AP.
This lao uncle likes to tell stories, so let me recount how I ended up with this one and articulate my general admiration for the Chopard Manufacture.
A little history first. Founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard (LUC) in 1860, they made watches in-house and he passed the business to his son and grandson when he died. WW2 hit and the company got sold to the Scheufele family who was at the time looking for a watch movement company. The CEO of Chopard today in 2023 is Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. This is as legit “family owned and run” as they come.
My own thesis about why the LUC line was launched in 1996 is: Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is a watch “siao” and wants his own company to make watches that is as “satki” as the best. He seems to be the type who doesn’t ever want to lose. Why else would he co-found the Qualite Fleurier certification with Parmigiani & Bovet to make life difficult for himself?
Watch this video if you want to know what the Qualite Fleurier certification involves:
He also revived the Ferdinand Berthoud brand and brought it dizzying heights. Chopard and Ferdinand Berthoud are familiar faces at GPHG awards. They win awards all the time. Both companies truly encompass the spirit of “independent watch making”.
I see Chopard as the Swiss version of Lange in terms of watchmaking prowess.
Ok, enough history.
I don’t know if anyone has had this experience: you see one model of a series and you absolutely hate it, then you come across another model in the series and become obsessed.
I first came across the Chopard LUC Tech Twist, and despite the excellent movements in them and the interesting dial design, I felt unsettled about the general look of the watch.
Tech Twist
The usual thing that happens with me and something from the Chopard LUC line is, I would be bowled over by their incredible movements and try to find some reason to buy them. But with the Tech Twist, I couldn’t get over its looks. I’d describe it as “try-hard avant garde".
Then one day I came across the Tech Regulator. Same “Tech” series with the same minute markers, same case shape, but this one somehow just drew me in with its handsome looks.
Strange, I thought to myself. Why do I dislike the Tech Twist but can’t get the Tech Regulator out of my mind. When I dug in, it turns out the Tech Twist is the only model in the Tech line that I dislike.
BTW, if you think Happy Diamonds, Mille Miglia and Alpine Eagle when you see "Chopard", I encourage you to dig into the LUC line. Talk about hidden treasures. If you appreciate horology and are over the "I only wear Rolex/PP/AP's that enable me to flex and also retain or go up in value" phase of life, look into it. There are steals at every price point.
Back to the watch.
Check list:
Significant movement - check
Between a Lange and a Parmigiani. You can see for yourself where Chopard stands:
Chopard’s LUC movements are usually the starting points for anyone to develop an admiration for the brand. This is no exception.
Chopard calls this one the 1.98 "Quattro" (like Audi, haha). It’s their 2nd modern in-house movement. Unlike their first one, the 1.96, which was co-developed with Michel Parmigiani, the Quattro is 100% developed in-house.
Interesting fact: the first modern Chopard movements were developed with Jean-Frederic Dufour at the helm, who is now the CEO of Rolex.
1.98 movement
The name stems from the fact that it has 4 spring barrels (2 x 2 stacked), which provide a very healthy power reserve of 216 hours. Together, the main springs add up to 1.88 meters.
This hand wound movement also has a Breguet overcoil, swan neck regulator, hacking seconds and quick set date. Accuracy wise it's COSC certified.
Now comes the cherry on top of the cake: it has a Geneva Seal. The brief was to be able to compete with Patek after all. Ironically Patek invented their own seal when they can't or don’t want to (silicon hairsprings anyone?) play within the same rules.
This 1.98 movement, with its long and even power delivery, went on to become the base caliber for more complicated Chopard LUC watches.
If you still doubt Chopard’s watchmaking prowess, try naming another movement that’s 3.7mm thick, has a 28.6mm diameter, a 216-hour power reserve moving at 4Hz, is COSC certified, has a real metal hairspring, AND, attains the Geneva Hallmark for its finishing.
Attractive dial - check
Being a regulator, the hours, minutes and seconds hands are separated and run on their own subdials. The arrangement of the subdials was what attracted me. Symmetrical but not symmetrical. The hour sub dial outer track is larger towards the center of the dial, with corresponding sized indices, making it visually interesting. There's also an 8-day power reserve indicator and a 24-hour GMT hand. The watch will actually run for 10 days.
Detailed dial work:
Real, deeply carved engine-turned guilloche that breaks the convention of starting from the center. The asymmetrical sunburst starts from the power reserve indicator which makes it far more interesting. If you look closely, the guilloche pattern on the GMT sub dial is carved with a sun ray pattern in the day time hours and horizontal lines in the night time hours.
It's not apparent in the pics, but the dial has layers, The hour subdial is on the highest plane, the GMT/seconds/power reserve subdials are sunken, the indices protrude. When looking at it in person, the hour sub dial has the illusion of being floated, giving the whole dial a real 3D sense of depth.
Faceted hands and applied Arabic minute indices are in white gold. They catch light beautifully and look avant garde. No hand on the watch are the same. They each differ in shape and length. The "10" & "20" indices are cut out precisely to accommodate the hour sub dial.
I like that the numbers on the power reserve indicator go from small to big as the power reserve goes up. The little pop of red near the bottom breaks the monotony of the black/white color way but doesn’t distract from the overall design direction. Gives it a sporty edge even.
If you think that regulators are hard to read, the trick is to always read the hour first, then everything else will just fall into place in your brain. There’s a sense of occasion when telling time and that’s fun.
The one thing I DISLIKE about this watch is the font the date wheel uses. Looks so meh. It feels like they just left it at the default "Times New Roman”. In actual fact, it’s the same font used across the dial (except for the minute indices). It just looks so plain against the plain white date wheel. At the same time, I can't think of a better option other than to omit the date window altogether.
Precious metal: check
Having a GMT function means it'd make a great travel watch. When traveling, yellow/rose gold draws too much attention and invites theft. White gold makes for good camouflage. Being a left field watch also means nobody will know what it is, again discouraging theft. Chopard, being a jeweler, didn’t skimp on the gold either, providing a full gold deployant clasp. The watch feels hefty.
Full gold deployant:
Perfect case size: check
At 39.5mm and 47mm lug-to-lug, it’s pretty much the perfect size for my 16.5cm wrist. Add the 9.5mm thinness, it sits comfortably all day long despite the weightiness of the gold. It’s quite uncommon to find an avant-garde styled watch with such classical dimensions.
A cool little Moser-esque detail is the scoop out behind the crown at the bottom of the case to allow for a better grip of the crown.
Someone scooped out some gold:
One noteworthy thing is the ease of adjusting the GMT hand. No tools needed as it's simply an easy-to-use pusher on the lower left side of the case. Why can't more watches be like this?
GMT hand pusher:
Exclusivity: check
Only 250 pieces in this configuration exists. It's not like wearing a Submariner where you’ll spot one on the wrist of every other person shopping at Takasihmaya.
Side note:
There’s a steel model that I actually like more. Fire-blued hands, semi-open dial which allows the movement to peek through, no date (which avoids the ugly date wheel font), gold color for the day time on the GMT dial… it looks more deliberate and sporty. But I couldn’t get over the non Geneva Seal finished movement and the fact that it’s about the same price as its white gold brother. The stainless steel version has a nicer visual execution but the cheapo side of me picked the gold and Geneva Seal.
Steel model:
All in all, this is a compelling watch. The unique design, high quality, intricate details, heft and exceptional movement make it hard to ignore when deciding which watch to wear in the mornings. If you're the type who prefers to make a statement against the "doctrine" or conservatism in watch collecting with something that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best, this watch is a good candidate.
And finally, the golden question: how much?
I bought it at a price that's quite impossible to find now (just under 5-figures), which makes me even more happy about it. If you find one near $10k, just buy it. Value appreciation is not limited to Rolex/PP/AP.
Last edited:
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