Sneakattack
213
My time with the Chopard LUC 150 (or, how to live with a really thick watch)
In contrast to most of the reviews online that gush over technical specifications and the like for watches like this one, I thought a more practical article would be something we would all appreciate.
The first thing that you notice as the wearer is that this watch is imposing. Large is a poor word because the dial size (case size) isn't actually a big deal. As much as I prefer the more classic 36mm gentlemen's case, the truth is, a larger case gives you more real estate to show information. The All in One (AIO) dial is reasonably uncluttered and the designers did a good job to "guide" your eyes unconsciously to the important areas. For instance, when I look at the watch, my eyes initially lock onto the date window. I didn't know why at first, because you would imagine that the tourbillon (and its tiny movements) would get your attention right away, but I think that the sunburst engraving on the dial is the key. At its center is the date window, and I think because of those subtle lines, your eye sees the date window as the "center" of the dial, despite the offset. It's a cool design feature that you don't really notice off the bat.
That being said, let's return to what I mean by the watch being imposing. The real thing you notice when you wear the AIO is the weight and the height. The only watch I've ever owned that's been this tall was a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 3H - the military version. That watch had a bit smaller case, though, so the height was very off-putting. It's the same impression that I had with an IWC 7 day perpetual (Portuguese II, I believe) that I tried on once. The height of the watch was just too much for the smaller case size, and the proportions did not pass the eye test. I think that's one of the reasons Chopard went as large as they reasonably could with the AIO. At the stated 46mm, the case height just barely passes the eye test when it's on the wrist. It's still quite tall, but not excessively so.
Still, because of the size and height, the watch barely fits under the cuff of a buttoned dress shirt. I'd imagine that a French cuff would hold it a little better, but I have some "slim" cuffs that this beast simply doesn't make it under. Then there is the weight - based on embarrassingly unscientific measurements, I figure this thing to be at least as heavy as an iPhone 5SE in its case along with three credit cards, if not more so. Now, imagine that weight compressed into a half dollar sized spot on the top of your wrist. To compound that, on a smaller wrist like mine, I have to tighten the watch up considerably, otherwise it would slip around uncomfortably. So, on times when the weight of the watch would normally be off you (arms hanging down, in pockets, etc.) you still feel it.
That being said, I can't help but catch myself taking a peek at it all day. I remember listening to an interview with a watchmaker, and he was asked which complication he appreciated more, the repeater or the tourbillon (which, in fairness isn't really a complication, but let's overlook it - the question wasn't mine). The watchmaker responded (I'm paraphrasing) that while a repeater is a very nice function, the truth is, you play around with it a little bit at the beginning, but after that, you typically leave it alone. The visible tourbillon, however, is always there, and no matter how much you look at it, it almost always draws you back. He finished by saying that the tourbillon is of little practical function - and the common saying is that it actually does very little to increase accuracy - but to be able to do one and do one well is a very neat trick.
And although I admit that I am biased, I think he's right. I believe that watching the escape wheel turning in the background is, for anyone with an engineering mindset, fascinating.
We haven't even gotten to the functions on the back of the watch! The AIO is obviously not a reverso, so I would say that to be perfectly honest, I almost never look at the moonphase and skychart on the rear dial. On every online review I've seen, it's described as an orbital moonphase display, which is an infuriatingly useless description. This is what you really have on the back: a rotating synodic moonphase, which travels in an orbit around the outer ring of a rotating sky chart. I'm not entirely sure who would use a sidereal moonphase, since that would require adjustment every month (bottom line, I think every moonphase watch uses the synodic period of ~29 days), so it's not a unique feature to this watch, but when combined with the rotating sky chart - which rotates in a period different to that of the moon - now you have something pretty unique. Based on the constellations shown, it's clearly a chart of the northern hemisphere's sky, and I assume it shows the position of each constellation accurately to that of the moon. I would love to check, but for the past 2 weeks here in DC, it's been raining and you're lucky if you see the Sun, much less Polaris.
This does, however, bring me to one of the only complaints I have about this watch, which is the strap. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be some kind of strap snob. Chopard used very high quality leather on the top and obviously used a full grain leather (instead of the more common satin leather) on the inside. This is necessary because they went with a very thick padded strap 22mm from lug to buckle. I can only assume this choice was made due to the weight of the watch, and the fear that a thinner leather strap would fatigue more quickly and not fit the aesthetic they were looking for. They compounded the error (in my opinion) though, by putting just a regular buckle on this watch.
The first problem is that because the strap is thick, they chose to coat the edges of the strap with some kind of coating to give it some color. I'm not sure what the idea was, but the coating cracked over time, and is unattractive at this point. There are several ways to do this better...if you look at a high end purse or thick leather jacket, you can see how they heat treat or apply a special glue to the edges. Chopard: go to men's or ladies' fashion week in Paris, like now, and see what the leather ateliers are doing. Don't do this terrible thing that you've done in the future, please. Rick Owens would have thrown this strap into a garbage can. The other problem is that with a buckle, instead of a deployment clasp, you have to be cautious while putting on and taking off the watch. Now, of course, you should always be careful anyways, but for a watch that retailed new well into the 250k/300k range, this is a poor choice. Chopard should have included a deployment clasp with this watch. I have chosen to replace the strap and buckle with a Cartier strap (22mm/18mm) and deployment, which I greatly prefer. The watch now feels very secure while taking on and off due to the fact that the strap is always held together in a loop.
I'll end this review with the note that I no longer wear this as a daily wear. It's either something I'll give to my son in a couple decades, or, if I get lucky...well, I've always got my eye out for something new. Until then, as long as I have it, if we have a DC get-together, you can expect to see it. Thank you!
