Manufacture
AndrewD offers an insightful tour of the Chopard L.U.C Manufacture in Fleurier, providing a detailed look into the brand's commitment to high watchmaking. This report highlights the meticulous craftsmanship and dedication of the staff, showcasing Chopard's journey in producing quality in-house movements and finely finished timepieces.
What I was most impressed with on my visit was not only the focus on quality handmade in-house watches, but also the production of an in-house movement for use in their entry-level men’s and ladies watches. [Click Here]
Chopard LUC have come such a long way in a relatively short period of time, but each step has been carefully planned and I get the impression that everyone is excited to be part of a Manufacture that is striving to produce high quality products. The inspiration of the Scheufele family and the desire to preserve the history of watchmaking and to give something back to the Swiss watchmaking industry is wonderful to see.
Currently around 5000 watches are produced per year at the LUC facility in Fleurier. To put that into perspective, approximately 50,000 watches (including ladies quartz models) are produced by Chopard annually. There are approximately 150 staff working at the LUC facility.
Chopard started renting a couple of rooms from the Swatch group (ETA) and now owns and occupies the entire building.
Computer numerical control (CNC) machines are loaded with individual blanks and parts are cut one at a time with high degrees of tolerance. There is still a considerable amount of hand finishing performed at this early stage under microscopes to remove burs and to check tolerances before the parts go for further decoration and fine finishing.
The range of parts produced ...
Perlage is hand applied, the carousel being turned by hand, so each plate is unique and demonstrates the ‘hand’ of the watchmaker.
The range of finished components ...
Blue wax is applied over lettering to protect it. Sandpaper is used to inscribe the Geneva stripes.
My sincere thanks to the wonderful staff of Chopard in Fleurier who looked after me for the day.
Andrew
Really Impressive to see their facilities and the finishing done by hand, I love seeing and learning about how our watches are made and really the work they do restores my faith in humanity somehow, the third from last picture, what a wonderful view to have at work :-) Thank You for Sharing your Trip with Us. S
That has to be inspirational, doesn't it? I was a little distracted by the watchmaking, but Fleurier is a beautiful town up in the mountains. Crisp air, lovely light. Perfect for watchmaking. I will post some more photos around the village. Andrew
at the office you must have had, what a great insight. These L.U.C mouvements are absolutely superb, great pictures too. Thank you very much. Cheers, Francois
Very pleased you enjoyed the visit and photos. I certainly received a great insight into what goes on inside Chopard, and I came out very impressed. Andrew
Thank you, Andrew for showcasing just how much work and dedication goes into all L.U.C. pieces made by the hands of some incredibly nice people. It is a great place to visit for any watch enthusiast! Those unaware of Chopard´s efforts in the field of HH, will most definitely walk out with a renewed perspective on them. Thanks again for sharing! Your photos are super cool! Hope all is well, Alex
Thanks for the kind comments. You were one of the first to open my eyes to Chopard in fact. Andrew
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