Chopard Calibre 1.96 and LUC 1860: One of the Best Automatic fake swiss watches Ever Made
I wrote an in-depth article on what many consider to be one of the best modern automatic movements ever made, the Chopard 1.96 movement:
"The list of automatic movements that could really earn the title of 'best automatic movement ever' is short. Ask around and you might get an answer, such as the Patek Philippe 27-460, the brand's second automatic movement; Jaeger- The LeCoultre calibre 920 (used by Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, etc., and used in the original Royal Oak and Nautilus); or the legendary movements of Rolex and Omega.
But a solid answer comes from a manufacturer that may surprise some: the Chopard LUC 1.96 calibre. "
Chopard's historical roots lie in watchmaking and jewelry brands - its founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard, was a watchmaker - but in the 1980s it refocused on being a true manufacturer capable of producing watches that match those brands. Comparable in-house movements come from Patek Philippe and others. It first set up shop in Fleurier, with the help of master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani. But a few years later, Chopard took the project entirely in-house, spending nearly four years building its own in-house movement from scratch, before delivering 20 prototypes of the 1.96 movement in December 1995 (interesting: The young Jean-Frederic Dufour, the current CEO of Rolex, was responsible for organizing the new in-house manufacturer). fake swiss watches
Bring the magnifying glass to the Chopard Calibre 1.96 The resulting calibre 1.96 is a 27mm movement that can be precisely adjusted to chronometer standards, has a micro-rotor, can wind two barrels, and has a 70-hour power reserve.
Respected author Walt Odets wrote: "From a design and execution standpoint, the 1.96 calibre is probably the best automatic movement ever produced in Switzerland." So what makes the 1.96 calibre The movement is so good?
First of all, it is one of the most beautiful movements on this side of the Patek Philippe seal. Let's start with certification: the calibre 1.96 is COSC certified, proving the accuracy of the movement. It also bears the Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève), a testament to the craftsmanship and quality of the movement.
From a technical point of view, the most important features of the calibre 1.96 are its Breguet winding spring and swan-neck regulator. The Breguet supercoiled hairspring is designed to improve the concentricity (centering) of the hairspring by allowing the hairspring to "breathe" on both sides (compared to a flat hairspring that breathes only on one side); it is also more difficult to manufacture than the more commonly used flat hairsprings . This is especially helpful for (i) the entire copy men watches's 70-hour power reserve and (ii) the change between horizontal and vertical positions.
CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele told Europa Star in 2021: "I wanted to create a special, dedicated entity, because obviously to go further, we had to build a unit for the production of ébauches." For Chopard , the goal was to be independent, to create a movement comparable to other long-established Swiss manufacturers. KFS wanted a new movement that was highly reliable, with a micro-rotor and a large power reserve, as well as a movement that was beautiful and of the highest finish. He also wanted a movement that could be easily modified by adding complications, allowing Chopard's fine watchmaking craftsmanship to evolve.
Collect LUC 1860 Having perfected the calibre 1.96, Chopard continued to spare no effort in developing watches that fit its mechanical masterpiece.
“Today, the first series of LUC 1860 is Chopard’s holy grail,” said Chopard’s Patrimony Director Juan Garcia.
Chopard produced the first LUC 1860 series from 1997 to 2002 with a calibre 1.96. This first collection features three different references; each will be crafted in four precious metals - gold, rose gold, white gold and platinum.Jacob & Co. Astronomia Casino
Due to the degree of handcrafting of each 1.96 movement, the early production of this movement was extremely limited, and the total production may not be comparable to that of brands such as Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre or Lange. For comparison, KFS says that in 2021, Chopard will produce 4,000 movements for its entire LUC collection. Remember, over the past 25 years, Chopard Manufacture has grown from a handful of employees to hundreds.
Throughout the article, Chopard also provides us with some new information on the actual production numbers of the first-generation LUC 1860. While Chopard originally intended to produce 1,860 examples of the original reference and 100 other limited editions, it turns out they never completed any of these production runs, producing far fewer watches than we realize.
Chopard Calibre 1.96 Influence “The LUC and 1.96 calibres were symbols of haute horlogerie in the 1990s: an independent family business, with the help of independent master watchmakers, spared no effort to develop a new micro-rotor movement to compete with the world’s top watches. The investment in its watchmaking division came at a make-or-break moment, and it was a success.replica MB&F HM10 Watches
"I always like to talk about Lange because our journeys are similar," said Patrimony Garcia's director. "Lange launched its first wristwatch in 1994. We resumed using our first movement in 1996 and then launched our first 1860."
“KFS is very inspired by Patek Philippe and Lange & Sohne,” Garcia continued. “Chopard has a family vision that it is trying to recreate. We are the last family-owned business to produce both watches and jewellery, and it is a great honour to remain independent.
Undoubtedly, this continued independence is partly due to the bold decision to reinvigorate Chopard as a proud manufacturer and to be able to produce one of the finest automatic movements ever produced - the Chopard calibre 1.96 . "
In conclusion, the story of Caliber 1.96, the reason it may be the greatest modern top luxury copy watches movement, and how the original LUC 1860 was collected.