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Time Machine 2017 - Revisit Chopard Manufacture, Fleurier

Feb 22, 2017,18:53 PM
 

Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, Switzerland celebrated it's 20th anniversary in 2016.

We have featured the factory on ThePuristS forum, PuristSPro website and PuristS on Tour reports but as we draw closer to the annual Baselworld trade fair, our thoughts are centred on the novelties coming soon from this building.




It all started with the L.U.C 1.96 movement.
Operational testing on the new movement was conducted in Fleurier, where modest rented premises (from SWATCH Group) accommodated the ultra-modern production unit in 1996.
As activities began to expand, the building was bought up and completely restored in 2000, complete with fancy glass façade.





Original Door to early rental space

This is all Chopard Manufacture was in 1996 - a rented floor in a SWATCH Group building.




Chopard Manufacture started at this door bell




Quality Control Station surrounded by modern Presses, CNC Milling and Spark Erosion machines





Case Polishing






QC

It seems like a third of the workers make the components, another third of the personnel decorate and polish the parts and a final third of the employees do quality checks.

There was an awful lot of quality checking going on!




QC




QC




QC




L.U.C components




L.U.C components




L.U.C components




L.U.C components




Hand decoration




Hand decoration




Perlage


There is a work map of decoration patterns across the movement so everybody knows what decorations go where.....




Hand decoration




After decoration


Quality Checks





QC

Again...more checking






Geneva Stripes





Precision is the watch word (sic) at Chopard Manufacture  wink






Balance Spring Adjustment Instrument v1.0




Balance Spring Adjustment Instrument v3.0




Humans still required.....

Two charming Chopard règleuses.






Personal Balance Spring Adjustment Tool belonging to one of the règleuses above.






The Results: L.U.C chronometers






Personnel Personal Watch



I always feel more comfortable during factory visits if the personnel wear their own brand products.......  Don't you?


Regards,

MTF





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Comments: view entire thread

 

Awesome blast from the past ;) looked like an amazing trip thank you for sharing it with us. [nt]

 
 By: Rogi : February 22nd, 2017-19:01

It is cheaper....

 
 By: MTF : February 23rd, 2017-02:06
...to look at photo files from computer hard drive than fly to Switzerland again. What do you think Chopard can introduce at Baselworld 2017 after the stellar offerings last year? Regards, MTF

Thank you for sharing this "vintage" tour

 
 By: Alkiro1 : February 22nd, 2017-22:28
Best wishes Alkiro

New things seen

 
 By: MTF : February 23rd, 2017-02:17
I always see things that I didn't "notice" before when reviewing old photographs. It never struck me before how much time the really top haute horlogerie manufactures devote to quality checks. They even have checks on the checkers! C.O.S.C. Testing costs ... 

Well, I love when they both mix modern and dressy elements into a watch. I think they're pretty good at that game and that's what I would like to see. Or, at least, continuing to see

 
 By: Alkiro1 : February 23rd, 2017-12:09
Best wishes Alkiro

Modern and Dressy L.U.C watch for Baselworld 2017

 
 By: MTF : February 23rd, 2017-12:45
Righto....working on it Modern twist on classical elements, eh? Regards, MTF

Cool :-)

 
 By: Alkiro1 : February 23rd, 2017-13:01
Best wishes Alkiro

Thanks for sharing

 
 By: brandon1 : February 23rd, 2017-05:52
These great pictures and personal reflections! I never knew they started out in a rented space in a Swatch Group building! Amazing! Hope you\'re well sir! Cheers, Brandon

One reason for choosing Fleurier

 
 By: MTF : February 23rd, 2017-06:18
Brandon, Chopard chose Fleurier is that it is a village in the same valley that Louis U. Chopard came from. There is a long history of watchmaking but also economic collapse after "quartz crisis". SWATCH owned the old factory but it was empty. Workers wer...  

Cool!

 
 By: brandon1 : February 23rd, 2017-06:40
Thanks for the additional backstory. It\'s intriguing how some of our favourite brands are tied to meaningful local economic revivals. I got this same sense when I visited Lange back in September. Thank you again for sharing! Cheers, Brandon

Thanks Melvyn

 
 By: 41northpole : February 24th, 2017-07:50
I think that's the first time I've seen those. Didn't know there had been a trip to Chopard Great stuff Tim

PuristS on Tour to Chopard was 2009 but the moderators re-visited in 2014

 
 By: MTF : February 24th, 2017-18:49
Back in 2009, PuristS on Tour visited Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier and Geneva. A good time was had by all..... Our Goodies Chopard's Goodies PuristSPro Purity Prize Regards, MTF ...