Loujo's detailed macro photography offers a rare look into the subtle yet significant differences in movement finishing between luxury timepieces. This post provides a valuable visual guide for collectors keen to understand what distinguishes a 'nicely finished' movement from a 'very nicely finished' one, using the Chopard L.U.C 3.96 and Roger Dubuis Easy Diver Chrono as compelling examples. His close-up shots highlight the nuances of anglage and polishing, inviting a deeper appreciation for horological craftsmanship.
I just got a 1:1 macro lens for my camera. I thought it would be great to take some pictures of my two watches to see how it works out under the afternoon natural sun light.
The first one is my Chopard LUC 3.96 in white gold. It is a great dress watch. I used to have a LUC 1.96 in YG but sold it. I know the finishing of the movement on 3.96 is not the same as 1.96 but always wondered how good or bad it really is.
Here is the watch:
chopard 3.96
Here is the movement, cal. 3.96 with micro rotor automatic. It is a really nice looking movement as you can see here:
However, upon close inspection, you can see where the corner was cut. The obvious one for me to see is the anglage. The beveling was likely done with a machine and definitely didn't receive any hand polishing. Interestingly enough all the screw heads and countersinks seems to be very well polished. Now, I no longer have my 1.96 so I can't do a direct comparison. However, one can easily go to SteveG's web site to see how well 1.96 is finished.
My second watch is a first gen Roger Dubuis Easy Diver Chrono. It is really a fun watch - chuncky, big, a dive watch with 300M water resistence, although I definitely don't plan to swim with this watch given the delicate movement that's in there.
The movement is cal. RD 56, which is an extensively reworked Lemania 2312. I used to have the VC Chrono Historique in YG that used the same base movement and finished at a very high level. It is a shame that i can't compare the two. In any case, you can see that RD did a great job on this movement. Of course everything is relative and there are other brands such as PP and some independents that do a even better job. But comparing to Chopard 3.96, one can clearly see the difference in the finishing. Under the same light, the RD literally sparkles. One thing I didn't do before taking these pictures was to clean the caseback of the watch. All the marks on the movements are dusts on the caseback and not on the movement itself. Hope you like these pictures.
