Chopard Superfast Automatic, Power Control, Chrono

AnthonyTsai · 2012-11-22T09:41:09Z

Explore Chopard's 2012 Superfast Automatic, Power Control, and Chrono, featuring the brand's first in-house movements in the Classic Racing collection.

AnthonyTsai

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AnthonyTsai's original post from 2012 introduces a pivotal moment for Chopard's Classic Racing collection: the integration of in-house movements. This article explores how the Superfast Automatic, Power Control, and Chrono models marked a significant step towards manufacturing independence for the brand, blending high-performance watchmaking with the thrill of motorsports. His detailed overview highlights the design elements and technical advancements that define these racing-inspired timepieces.

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The Classic Racing collection, encompassing models inspired by the world of car racing, is now enriched with three superlative watches heralding a new era for Chopard. The Superfast Automatic, Superfast Power Control and Superfast Chrono are indeed the first watches in this iconic collection to be equipped with Chopard movements entirely designed, developed and assembled in-house, in the Fleurier Ebauches workshops.

Chopard is laying a new milestone in its rich history. The Classic Racing collection, which features timepieces paying tribute to the automobile world, is welcoming three new highly distinctive Superfast models. The sporty, sophisticated, powerful and imposing Superfast Automatic, Power Control and Chrono are all equipped with Chopard movements from the Fleurier Ebauche workshops. These three exceptional creations represent a further step along the path towards independence – an ideal deeply cherished by Chopard.

For many years, the House of Chopard has been a loyal partner of legendary classic car races, including the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique and the Mille Miglia – a rally covering 1,000 miles (1,600 km) running from Brescia to Rome and back. While the former involves cars that have made their mark on their respective eras – such as Delage, Bugatti, Aston Martin and Ferrari models; the latter also attracts historical Formula 1 cars built before 1979, headlined by Brabham, Lotus and Williams models. The SuperFast collection now takes the world of precision watch-making to thrill-seeking sports-car drivers who are not afraid of power.

Sleek and imposing
Superfast models are generously sized while displaying bold lines and a resolutely virile design. Now equipped with a specially decorated in-house movement, they are intended for devotees of fine watchmaking capable of taming the inevitable feeling of power they procure. These three new Superfast models carry a number of references to the world of competitive car racing, starting with the dial of each, displaying silver brushed vertical lines against a black background evoking the cooling fins found on air-cooled racing engines. On the inner bezel ring of the new Superfast watches, the minute numerals adopt the appearance of the markers that adorn sports-car rev-counters and speedometers. The hour, minute and seconds counters provide the legibility required in tense situations.

Equipped with a 18-carat rose gold folding clasp, the natural rubber strap carries the smooth tread of the slick tyres immediately identifiable with high-speed track motor racing. A multitude of other elements – such as the Classic Racing collection’s steering wheel logo on the rubber-moulded gold crown, the grooves engraved on the sides of the lugs – continuing the SuperFast’s cooling-fin theme, rubber-coated pushers for better grip, as well as the Allen screws on the bezel inspired by those on car-wheel rims – all refer to the world of auto racing.

Openworked bridges for original finishing
Even the movements have been specially prepared. All the bridges are openworked with thin parallel lines in the style of cooling vents on sports cars – an unusual finish which allows the inner workings of the movement to be tirelessly admired through the transparent case-back.

Displaying hours, minutes and seconds, as well as the date through a window at 6 o’clock, the new Superfast Automatic is equipped with self-winding Chopard Calibre 01.01-M, a movement entirely designed, developed and produced in Chopard’s Fleurier Ebauches workshops. This calibre is chronometer-certified by the COSC and has a comfortable 60-hour power reserve. Its 41 mm-diameter case in 18-carat rose gold is water-resistant to 100 metres.

Another variation on this exceptional movement also drives the Superfast Power Control model. This evolved version named Chopard Calibre 01.02-M offers a range of functions comprising hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock, the date through a window at 3 o’clock, and a power-reserve indicator in a sector-type display at 9 o’clock. The even more imposing 18-carat rose gold case boasts a generous 45 mm diameter.

Equally powerful and equipped with a 45 mm-diameter case, the Superfast Chrono houses Chopard Calibre 03.05-M, a mechanical self-winding movement powering hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock, a window-type date display between 4 and 5 o’clock, a tachometric scale engraved on the bezel, and a chronograph with sweep seconds hand, minute counter at 3 o’clock and hour counter at 9 o’clock.

A further step towards independence
These Chopard movements, which for the first time equip models in the Classic Racing collection, are produced in the Fleurier Ebauches workshops. This company was founded by Chopard in July 2008 in Fleurier, in the Val-de-Travers region (Canton Neuchâtel) in order to produce in-house movements for Chopard. Several months earlier, in December 2008, Chopard had acquired a 6,000 m2 plot of land that already housed an industrial building with a 5,100m2 production surface area. Entirely renovated and equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, the new company premises were inaugurated in February 2009.

Endowed with an annual production capacity of 5,000 movements in 2012 (a figure that is expected to rise to 15,000 movements/year by 2015), Fleurier Ebauches expresses the determination of Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele to strengthen the group’s vertical integration in order to ensure its long-term independence, while also increasing production. In 1996, the group had already created Chopard Manufacture, a company located near Fleurier Ebauches and which represents the Haute Horlogerie division dedicated to developing, producing and assembling L.U.C calibres. The Chopard Group currently employs around 160 people in Fleurier, exercising 15 or so different professions.

Press Release

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-11-22 09:57:03

Key Points from the Discussion

The Superfast Chrono features an 18ct rose gold case, 45mm diameter, 15.18mm thickness, and 100-meter water resistance, with a black rubber-moulded rose gold crown.
The Superfast Power Control model shares the 45mm 18ct rose gold case and 100-meter water resistance, but with a slimmer profile at 12.4mm thickness.
The Superfast Automatic, the most compact of the trio, comes in an 18ct rose gold case with a 41mm diameter and a thickness of 11.3mm, also offering 100-meter water resistance.

The Discussion

AnthonyTsai

Nov 22, 2012

Chopard Superfast Automatic

Superfast Automatic Technical Details Case: • 18ct rose gold • Total diameter 41.00 mm • Thickness 11.3 mm • Water resistance 100 metres • Black rubber-moulded 18ct rose gold crown with steering-wheel logo • Glareproofed sapphire crystal • Open caseback • 18ct rose gold bezel secured by 8 visible screws Movement: • Mechanical self-winding Chopard 01.01-M • Total diameter 28.8 mm • Number of jewels 31 rubies • Power reserve 60 hours • Frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz) • Chronometer-certified (COSC) Dial

AnthonyTsai

Nov 22, 2012

Chopard Superfast Chrono

Superfast Chrono Technical Details Case: • 18ct rose gold • Total diameter 45.00 mm • Thickness 15.18 mm • Water resistance 100 metres • Black rubber-moulded 18ct rose gold crown with steering-wheel logo • Black rubber-moulded 18ct rose gold pushers • Glareproofed sapphire crystal • Open caseback • 18ct rose gold bezel secured by 8 visible screws Movement: • Mechanical self-winding chronograph Chopard 03.05-M • Total diameter 28.8 mm • Number of jewels 45 rubies • Power reserve 60 hours • Freque

AnthonyTsai

Nov 22, 2012

Chopard Superfast Power Control

Superfast Power Control Technical Details Case: • 18ct rose gold • Total diameter 45.00 mm • Thickness 12.4 mm • Water resistance 100 metres • Black rubber-moulded 18ct rose gold crown with steering-wheel logo • Glareproofed sapphire crystal • Open caseback • 18ct rose gold bezel secured by 8 visible screws Movement: • Mechanical self-winding Chopard 01.02-M • Total diameter 28.8 mm • Number of jewels 37 rubies • Power reserve 60 hours • Frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz) • Chronometer-certified (COSC)

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Chopard Superfast Automatic, Power Control, Chrono

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