Chopard

World Time

Cosmopolitans on the move, especially globetrotters, are plagued by the problem of changing time zones and remembering which date it is in your current location when the International Dateline is crossed. Phileas Fogg made much of this in the book 'Around the World in 80 Days'.

When resetting the watch, the exact position of the minute hand is important for the time to be right.

Time zone watches must provide a solution that is easy to use.

There are two ways to tackle this:

G.M.T. watch

The simple way is to display a second time zone with an extra hour hand or indicator thus leaving the minute-hand and additional 24-hour indicator untouched; these are G.M.T. or Dual Time Zone watches.

L.U.C Time Traveler One for the Gentleman's Way

The world-time or heure universelle watch shows all 24 time zones on the dial, needing only a small manual adjustment to synchronise the entire system with local time.

As the earth rotates on its axis, the moment of true noon indicated by the sun being at its zenith, moves westwards across the globe and repeats the cycle every 24 hours. As long as people travelled at the pace of their horse or sailing ship, the true time did not matter and until the mid-19th century, neighbouring towns had different local times or "civil time".

The invention of speedier steam engine railway, steam-ships and electric telegraph made time coordination across distances relevant to daily life and safety.

The confusion in large countries like the USA with more than 70 different railway "standard times" gave impetus to finding a better way. At major railway junctions, there were three clocks: one for the station time and the other two clocks indicating times for eastbound and westbound trains.

Fleming Standard

World Time

In 1873, Standford Fleming of the Canadian Pacific Railway proposed a 24-hour time zone system but arguments prevailed about where the Prime Meridian would be: London? Paris? Jurusalem? Or a compromise location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

In the end, Greenwich in London prevailed and we have Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T.)

France stubbornly held out for another 20 years and finally adopted the global system without actually acknowledging the name of the Greenwich Observatory. They did this by making the legal time in France as "Paris Mean Time minus nine minutes and 21 seconds"; the mathematically astute will recognise that as Greenwich Mean Time.

Chopard Design

World Timer Requirements

Before embarking on their first world-timer watch, Chopard designers had a Think to analyse the weaknesses of other world timers.

They determined that no automatic winding mechanical world timer showed 24 time zones and Daylight Saving indicators with a date display and at least 60-hour power reserve.

A "world timer" without a date display has a glaring WEAKNESS for travelers crossing date lines!

Those were the criteria needed for a new Chopard world timer.

L.U.C Time Traveler One

London is the Centre of World Time

The L.U.C Time Traveler One is the first world-time watch in the L.U.C collection and is the ideal tool for the globetrotting lifestyle.

It allows simultaneous tracking of time in every zone across the planet with a refined timepiece boasting exceptional finishing.

 It is an indispensable instrument for the gentleman traveller.

Hence the plethora of hashtags at it's launch in 2016:
#TRAVELINGINSTYLE
#THEGENTLEMANSWAY
#CHOPARDLUC

Jacky Ickx, Colin & Livia Firth, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele

It was launched in London, of course, as the home of the Prime Meridian. Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele presented the watches surrounded by friends and relatives.

The L.U.C Time Travel watches were launched as part of the 20th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture in 2016.

You can see a video interview with Mr Scheufele below.

Ease of Use

L.U.C Time Traveler One rose gold

Chopard put the user first and developed a simple two-crown mechanism.

The 'L.U.C' crown at 2 o'clock sets home time and winds like a normal crown.

The 'Globe logo' crown at 4 o'clock sets local city and the local Hour & Minutes when travelling.

Crystal-clear read-off

A single glance at this essential horological complication indicates the time anywhere in the world. The regular production watches are available in three elegant versions offering pleasing variety with regard to their colour, appearance and preciousness. All of them fulfil the high standards of the L.U.C collection by Chopard: the mechanism and finishing are excellent, as well as an urbane refinement for gentlemen of good taste who are traveling in style.

The L.U.C Time Traveler One operates in concentric rings. A small central hand indicates the date, while a surrounding railway track circle allows the reading of hours and minutes at the local time zone – swept over by distinctive L.U.C dauphine fusee hands and adjusted by a crown at 2 o’clock marked with the L.U.C logo.

Another step outwards is a large 24-hour graduated ring working in coordination with the disc bearing the reference cities representing the 24 main time zones. After they are synchronised with the local time zone via the 4 o’clock crown marked with the globe motif, no further manual intervention is required.

L.U.C Time Traveler One regular set

REGULAR VERSIONS

The case of the L.U.C Time Traveler One measures 42 mm in diameter, an ideal size for any wrist and which ensures the legibility of the indications.

The reasonable 12.1 mm thickness still allows discreet positioning under a shirt sleeve, while alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes emphasise the inherent sense of distinction shared by all L.U.C timepieces.

L.U.C Time Traveler One ref.168574-3001

Stainless Steel Ref. 168574-3001 L.U.C Time Traveler One has a sunburst black dial with contrasting orange accents of Super-LumiNova.

The world-time ring is clearly marked with a slate grey half for night-time hours, and a silver-toned half showing daytime.

L.U.C Time Traveler One ref.161942-5001

18K Rose Gold Ref. 161942-5001 L.U.C Time Traveler One has an entirely silver-toned dial, apart from the night-time hours that are shown in deep blue on its 24-hour disc.

L.U.C Time Traveler One ref.161942-9001

950 Platinum Ref. 161942-9001 L.U.C Time Traveler One is the most precious version.

The naturally cool grey shade of case material inspired the subtle blue-tinged grey dial colour, while its world-time ring is half silver-toned to mark the daytime hours.

Universal Time Mechanism

Calibre L.U.C 01.05-L

The L.U.C Time Traveler One is based on an automatic winding, 28,800 vph, calibre 01.05-L, entirely developed, produced and finished in the Chopard Manufacture workshops in Fleurier.

It is only 6.52 mm thin and the self-winding movement has a 60-hour power reserve. This allows the L.U.C Time Traveler One to run smoothly and reliably after a leisure weekend, during which it has remained safely on a bedside table.

Like all L.U.C watches with a seconds indicator, the L.U.C Time Traveler One is chronometer-certified by the COSC.

L.U.C Time Traveler One ref.161942-5001 back

LIMITED EDITIONS

A world-timer watch lends itself well to special editions tailored for individual cities or time zones.

To this end, Chopard has produced special versions for special friends in Moscow, Dubai, Beijing and Singapore, to date.

Moscow

L.U.C Time Traveler One Moscow ref.168574-3002

L.U.C Time Traveler One Moscow Ref. 168574-3002
This steel version as a limited edition of 15 pieces devoted to Moscow (GMT+3) written in red Cyrillic font 'MOCkBA' on the dial.

L.U.C Time Traveler One Moscow ref.168574-3002

The dial is a combination of grey and silver colour with surfaces of different textures, producing subtle variance in tones dependent on the light.

The centre has a grey, sunburst pattern, while the chapter ring for hour and minute markers has a grey concentric pattern.

The world-time ring is half blue toned for nocturnal hours.

The same blue leather strap has red highlight stitching to distinguish this as the Moscow edition.

Moscow Classic Weekend Rally

Chopard and its exclusive Russian distributor, Mercury, joined to celebrate the 15th L.U.C Classic Weekend Rally Jubilee, where the watch was launched.

Moscow Classic Weekend Rally

Dubai

L.U.C Time Traveler One Time of the Desert ref.168574-3005

L.U.C Time Traveler One 'Time of the Desert' Ref.168574-3005
This steel version as a limited edition of 20 pieces devoted to the Gulf Time Zone (GMT+4) represented by Dubai written in Arabic script – “دبي‎”. 

While the dial colour is desert sand and almost uniform, the dial surface has different textures, producing subtle variance in tones dependent on the light.

The centre has a sunburst pattern, while the chapter ring for hour and minute markers has a concentric pattern.

The world-time ring is half brown toned for nocturnal hours.

It's available from Seddiqi & Sons in Dubai.

Beijing

L.U.C Time Traveler One Special Beijing Edition

L.U.C Time Traveler One Special Beijing Edition
This rose gold version as a limited edition of 8 pieces dedicated to Beijing (GMT+8) written in red Chinese script.

L.U.C Time Traveler One Special Beijing Edition

While the dial colour is almost uniformly blue, the dial surface has different textures, producing subtle variance in tones dependent on the light.

The centre has a sunburst pattern, while the chapter ring for hour and minute markers has a concentric pattern.

The world-time ring is half silver-toned for the daytime hours.

Singapore

L.U.C Time Traveler One Singapore steel edition

L.U.C Time Traveler One Singapore Edition is available in rose gold (8 pieces) or steel (15 pieces).

L.U.C Time Traveler One Singapore rose gold edition

Both represent the Singapore time zone (GMT+8) written in red font. While the dial colour is almost uniformly blue, the dial surface has different textures, producing subtle variance in tones dependent on the light.

The centre has a sunburst pattern, while the chapter ring for hour and minute markers has a concentric pattern.

The world-time ring is half silver-toned for the daytime hours.

L.U.C Time Traveler One Singapore rose gold edition

Mastery of an artisan approach to watch production

Hours disc being set on the movement

Chopard performs all watch production operations in-house: movement development, product design, gold smelting, case machining, movement components, traditional hand-crafted decorations, polishing, assembly, adjustment and movement quality control.

Hours disc being set on the movement

All the operations are applied to the making of each watch in the L.U.C collection that pays homage to the company founder: Louis-Ulysse Chopard (L.U.C).

CONCLUSION

Louis-Ulysse Chopard knew how to adorn gentlemen with fine pocket-watches with pure lines and subtle details. The L.U.C Time Traveler One maintains this historic tradition while endowing it with the modern convenience of the worldtime function.

The three regular production models of L.U.C Time Traveler One satisfy the majority of customers in 24 time zones across the globe. With steel, rose gold and platinum cases, they offer a range of price points and colour combinations for truly 'heure universelle' timepieces. However, the offer of small editions allow the cachet of customisation and local pride in your city that is also very attractive. It also allows Chopard an avenue to recognise and appreciate loyal, local partners and distributors.

I live near the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales but somehow I think it will be unlikely that Chopard will make a L.U.C Time Traveler One with it on the dial!

VIDEO AT LONDON LAUNCH

M. Teillol-Foo (2017)