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Photo: Chopard
Fine watchmaking, for all its efforts to romanticise traditional methods, has justifiably evolved into an industry reliant on large, utilitarian machinery and advanced software to produce the numerous components of a modern wristwatch.
While a handful of small independents still embody the image of a lone watchmaker sequestered in some snow-capped mountain crafting everything by hand, such storybook charm is not a luxury that brands producing tens of thousands of watches a year can afford.
It would seem obvious which category Chopard falls under. Its ambassadors are A-list megastars, it has become synonymous with events like the Cannes Film Festival and 1000 Miglia race, and its many watch and jewellery creations have become icons in the realm of accoutrements.
What is less obvious, perhaps, is that the maison is making every effort to maintain the soul of craftsmanship in its still family-owned business, as our recent visit to its headquarters in Meyrin revealed.
Chopard is one of few Swiss maisons that operates its own gold foundry. (Photo: Chopard)
Home of artistry
The manufacture in Meyrin is one of three Chopard runs in Switzerland, with the other two located in Fleurier, dedicated to the development of its top-of-the-line L.U.C watches and production of high-volume movements (such as the ones found in the Mille Miglia and ladies’ collections), respectively. The Meyrin facility, however, is where the rest of the magic happens.
In this unassuming industrial building just outside central Geneva, Chopard drafts its first designs, casts and crafts its gold, sets its gems, and assembles its grand complications. In other words, this is the home of its greatest artisans.
Founded in 1860, Chopard is one of the rare watch brands to have its own gold foundry. It’s also the only major jewellery player to make ethical gold sourcing a central part of its game plan. Chopard makes five types of gold — two shades of yellow gold, two shades of rose gold, and one white — and each alloy has a precise recipe for its resident “alchemist” to follow.
At its Meyrin facility, Chopard craftsmen casts and crafts its own responsibly sourced ethical gold. (Photo: Chopard)
It is also here that Chopard works on its proprietary steel alloy, Lucent Steel. Composed of 80 per cent recycled material, Lucent Steel even surpasses regular steel in luminosity and hardness. Since the end of 2023, all of Chopard’s steel watches have been crafted from this eco-friendly material.
CNC (computer numeric control) machines are now relied upon to produce cases and bracelets, but stamping each component remains a manual process. Achieving uniform thickness requires careful application of pressure to prevent breakage, highlighting the importance of an experienced hand.
While these tasks could theoretically be automated, company co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has consistently emphasised the irreplaceable role of the human touch in their production.
The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono in rose gold with satin and polished surfaces. (Photo: Chopard)
Genius of human hands
This mandate is carried out to an almost masochistic degree, as multi-tasking is not the Chopard way. Each artisan focuses solely on specific tasks: one handles case-polishing, another satin-finishing, ensuring dedicated expertise in each area.
And an artisan assigned to polish cases exclusively performs this task, while another focuses on bracelet links. It’s no surprise that completing a single Alpine Eagle watch, with its numerous polished and brushed surfaces, takes several days to ensure each detail is precisely executed.
Careful assembly of the L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater in the hands of a master watchmaker. (Photo: Chopard)
It goes without saying that the same attention to detail is applied to its most extraordinary creations. In the tranquil corners of the building, master watchmakers delicately assemble the 533 components that comprise the calibre L.U.C 08.01-L, the beating heart of the award-winning L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater.
The making of a piece of high jewellery, which also takes place at Chopard’s Meyrin facility. (Photo: Chopard)
Scheufele’s sister Caroline, who is co-president and artistic director, takes care of Chopard’s more feminine endeavours. In the manufacture’s jewellery atelier, designers, jewellers, and gem-setters collaborate to transform her dazzling reveries into wearable works of art. For this year’s Red Carpet Collection, a medley of precious stones has been assembled into 77 resplendent creations recalling a world of fairy tales.
But perhaps the real enchanted story is the one Chopard tells every day through the earnest efforts of its craftsmen. Through their artistry, Chopard not only creates exquisite watches and jewellery but also upholds a legacy of excellence that spans generations, safeguarding within each creation a spirit of artisanal integrity.
