Chopard LUC XPS Urushi

Finally listing up for sale is one of the finest and most unique and truly haut de gamme watches—not only amongst the “métiers d’art” segment of high horology (eg VC/Patek/Ulysse Nardin and their champlevé and/or cloisonné enamel watches), but as a whole.

On offer is the Chopard LUC XPS Urushi “Year of the Dog” limited edition of 88 from 2018. 18k rose gold case. Completely sold out worldwide.

I have never seen this Year of the Dog model for sale anywhere before. It also has not appeared in any auctions before. Thus this is most likely a fresh-to-the-market; first ever piece to be offered for sale on the secondary market.

The LUC XPS Urushi series is a long-running model in Chopard’s product line. Every year, Chopard releases a new design and they are all in limited numbers. Each watch is a collaborative effort with Japanese artisans who very painstakingly produce the inimitable Urushi dials that combine various other traditional Japanese art techniques.

This Year of the Dog model is the 2018 Urushi release and is likely one of; if not the, best design hitherto. Showcasing an Akita, the dial is a veritable work of art, with incredible texture and depth. It’s a microcosm of multiple artisanal techniques and flourishes, all painstakingly done manually by hand.

Every dial is hand-made with the Urushi lacquer applied with a brush and the layers built up naturally. As a result of this, it takes months to complete a single dial. With very high reject rates and no artificial aging or acceleration processes applied whatsoever, the Chopard LUC XPS Urushi series showcase some of the most exemplary people and artisanal techniques that can be employed in creating a timepiece in the artisanal watches segment.

Connoisseurs are likely cognisant of the difficulties and skill required when talking about vitreous enamel dials—i.e. actual fired enamel (not cold enamel) or perhaps more commonly known as grand feu enamel. In combination with cloisonné, champlevé, flinqué, these dials; too, are one-of-a-kind works of art. However, enameling is a completely different thing altogether from traditional Urushi. Making grand feu enamel dials are actually not as difficult as the industry tries to make it sound.

Not downplaying the skill required; but in terms of uniqueness and rarity, enamel dials are almost commonplace and ubiquitous these days; almost to the point of being nothing really that special anymore.

Urushi, traditional and true maki-e and other such artisanal techniques, however, are the rare ones. It’s impossible to convey the truly sui generis nature of this Chopard with just words and pictures: you really have to see it in person.

The level of detail available for visual consumption really cannot be quantified. Not even a 15x loupe is powerful enough to reveal all of its secrets—I once viewed the dial with a jewellers’ loupe (meant for stones) with 60x magnification power and the microdetail of the craftsmanship was truly breathtaking.

The watch is cased in 18k rose gold cast from Chopard’s own foundry and comes with a matching pin buckle with an alligator strap.

The movement; calibre 96.17-L, is no slouch either (nor is the watch as a whole, in general).

It is not the Poinçon de Genève LUC calibre, but one tier below it. As with Chopard’s LUC line, it is properly finished and well decorated, with manually-applied striping, perlage, polished countersinks, hand-finished chamfers/anglage, and black-polished/specular steel components, just to name a few. The movement is an index-regulated, 28,800bph, bidirectional micro-rotor automatic with two mainspring barrels connected in series; delivering 65 hours of autonomy.

The watch is adjusted in five positions. It is a time-only piece with only two hands; a minute and a 12-hour hand. The hands are dauphine in shape, and made of 18k gold; diamond cut, polished, and faceted.

The sapphire crystal has an underside-AR coating with the Chopard marque printed underside as well. The thin bezel is mildly rounded/convex in profile. The watch is easily considered an “ultra thin” as it measures only 39.5mm in diameter and 6.8mm in height. Lug width is 19mm. Buckle is 16mm.

Watch was purchased from the Chopard boutique in Pavilion, KL, in July last year. It comes with the Certificate of Origin as pictured (serial number blacked out), guarantee documents, and special presentation box specific to the Urushi series. Bill of sale (invoice) will also be given if it can be found—I misplaced it somewhere. Additionally, depending on the deal, additional Chopard goodies may be included!

Sticker price was RM94,710, which is around $31,000 SGD.


Condition of the watch is a conservative 9/10 and it is still covered by the manufacture guarantee (3 years).

Located in KL, Malaysia. Can also meet in Singapore for a deal. Please get in touch to discuss—I am reachable at +60 one two two three three 1815 (WhatsApp/iMessage).