Soyuz,
I spoke with the original project manager of the St Moritz watch design team today.
He said that the original St Moritz design is in-house Chopard in origin and that the late Gerald Genta was not involved.
Chopard St Moritz
The original shape was an uneven octagon, in effect, a tonneau with eight sides. The eight screws are functional to hold a gasket between the bezel and the watch. At that time, it was Chopard's first steel sports watch with resistance to damp (30m), a remarkable feat for the time. It allowed wear with a smart city suit, casual clothes and even formal evening use.
The watch had been in development for 18 months and was previewed by some Hong Kong dealers in 1979. When questioned about Chopard's ability to produce reliable water resistant sports watches, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele recklessly tossed his prototype into a champagne bucket and retrieved it 2 hours later...still working. Suitable impressed, the dealers and many others ordered 1000 watches on the first day of the Basel trade show in 1980; a remarkable result for the time.
Chopard St Moritz
In 1981, models with set diamonds and coloured gems were introduced. Then, followed by St Moritz Golf, St Moritz Tennis and St Moritz Black wristwatches. There was even a St Moritz table clock. In 1982, the first fully water resistant (100m) skeletonised St Moritz caused a stir and the moon phase model launched in 1983.
In 1998, the St Moritz collection was redesigned for a fresher look but retaining the shape and bezel screws. Automatic and Chronograph movements were available.
I can now reveal that the "St Moritz project manager" was a twenty-year old Karl-Friedrich Scheufele.....
Regards,
MTF