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Geplaatst op 04-05-2026 door Marc Hut
The Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike is no ordinary luxury watch, but a mechanical masterpiece that brings time to life through sound. With grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, tourbillon and sapphire crystal gongs, Chopard demonstrates just how far haute horlogerie can go.
Some watches show the time. Others let you feel the time. And then there is the Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike, a watch that literally makes the time sound. This is no ordinary luxury timepiece, but a mechanical concert on the wrist.
Chopard itself calls it the most complex watch the manufacture has ever built. The watch is equipped with the hand-wound calibre L.U.C 08.03 L, consists of 686 components and is the result of more than 11,000 hours of research and development.
Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike: a watch with sound. Photo: Chopard.com
The L.U.C Grand Strike arrives at a special moment. The L.U.C line is named after founder Louis Ulysse Chopard and has for years been the brand’s technical calling card. Whilst many people know Chopard primarily for its elegant jewellery, Mille Miglia watches and the sporty Alpine Eagle, the L.U.C collection demonstrates the brand’s strength in haute horlogerie.
The Grand Strike is an impressive crowning achievement. This watch has been created to mark thirty years of the Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier. You don’t notice this because the watch is flashy, but rather because it demonstrates, in a restrained manner, just how much craftsmanship Chopard possesses.
The case measures 43 mm, is crafted from 18-carat ethical white gold and, at a thickness of 14.08 mm, remains remarkably wearable for a watch with such an extreme complication.
The true magic of the Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike lies in its striking mechanism. This watch combines a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and minute repeater.
A grande sonnerie is a large striking mechanism that automatically strikes the hours and quarters. A petite sonnerie is a smaller striking mechanism that sounds more subtle. A minute repeater is a mechanical watch complication that, on demand, audibly strikes the current time in hours, quarters and minutes.
That sounds complicated, and it is, but the principle is wonderful. In the grande sonnerie mode, the watch automatically strikes the hours and quarters. In the petite sonnerie mode, the striking mechanism sounds more subdued. With the minute repeater, you can have the current time struck on demand.
So you don’t just hear what time it is, you experience it. That makes this type of watch one of the highest forms of Swiss watchmaking. A chronograph or calendar complication is impressive enough, but a timepiece that strikes a clear and reliable chime demands a completely different discipline. This is where micromechanics, acoustics and energy management come together.
The movement in the Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike. Photo: Chopard.com
Chopard takes a sophisticated approach with its own sapphire crystal gongs. In traditional repeater watches, hammers usually strike metal gongs. In the Grand Strike, polished steel hammers strike sapphire crystal gongs, which are connected to the glass.
This results in a clearer and richer sound. Chopard describes this as its own monobloc construction of sapphire crystal and gongs. This is important, because with a striking watch, it is not just about volume. The tone must be pure, the resonance must be right, and every strike must sound at exactly the right moment.
A fraction too early or too late and the magic is lost. That is precisely why a watch like the Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike is so exceptional. It requires not only technical expertise, but also a feel for sound.
Inside the Grand Strike is the L.U.C 08.03 L calibre. This hand-wound movement consists of 686 components, features 67 jewels, beats at 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Power reserve refers to how long a mechanical watch continues to run after being fully wound. For a watch with so many energy-intensive functions, a power reserve of approximately 70 hours is particularly impressive.
In addition, the movement is equipped with a 60-second tourbillon, visible on the underside of the open dial. A tourbillon is a rotating mechanism within which the watch’s regulating organ is housed. Originally, this was devised to limit the influence of gravity on precision. Nowadays, it is primarily a sign of exceptional craftsmanship.
The open construction suits this watch well. Chopard does not hide the mechanics behind a classic dial, but allows the wearer to watch the mechanical spectacle unfold. At 10 o’clock, the hammers are visible, whilst the settings for the striking mechanism can be selected next to the crown: Grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie or silence. It is as if you are conducting a small orchestra with your fingertips.
As if the technology weren’t impressive enough, the Grand Strike bears two important quality hallmarks: COSC and Poinçon de Genève. The COSC certification confirms the chronometer precision of the movement.
The Poinçon de Genève assesses provenance, finish, construction and craftsmanship. This fits perfectly with Chopard. The L.U.C collection is never built solely to impress with specifications. It is also about finish, choice of materials and classic Swiss refinement.
Think beautifully finished bridges, high-quality materials and a luxurious appearance that is not ostentatious, but incredibly refined.
Chopard movement: the brand’s most complex movement, featuring 10 technical patents. Photo: Chopard.com
You’ve probably already realised that this is a special watch. The Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike is therefore not for everyone. Its value is estimated at €839,000. That is, of course, an astronomical sum for a watch.
With a creation like this, however, it is less about the price per gram of gold and more about years of expertise, craftsmanship and technical daring. A grande sonnerie with minute repeater and tourbillon is rare. A grande sonnerie with sapphire gongs, proprietary patents, dual certification and a relatively compact case is even rarer.
Unfortunately, no. This is the sort of watch that is not intended to be produced in large numbers, but to demonstrate what a manufacture is capable of when virtually no compromises are made.
The Grand Strike is a unique timepiece that bears little resemblance to any other model. For watch enthusiasts, it is particularly interesting as a demonstration of pure watchmaking artistry.
What makes the L.U.C Grand Strike particularly interesting is that Chopard is still not mentioned in the same breath as the big names in haute horlogerie by everyone. And that is actually strange.
The L.U.C collection has had a strong track record for years, ranging from elegant dress watches to complex timepieces with tourbillon, perpetual calendar and chiming complications. The Grand Strike makes it clear that Chopard isn’t just playing in the top league, but is truly adding something unique to it.
In particular, the focus on sound and sapphire technology gives the brand a distinctive signature. This is no copy of what others are doing. This is Chopard at its best.
The Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike is not a watch for everyone. It is too expensive, too rare and too specialised for that. But as a demonstration of watchmaking artistry, it is a masterpiece. It combines classic Swiss refinement with modern acoustic innovation and shows that Chopard is much more than a luxury brand with fancy names.
This is a watch that you don’t just look at, but listen to. And perhaps that is the most beautiful way to experience time.
