Chopard makes a great synthesis of traditional crafts through a magnificent watch for the year of the snake.
Chopard presents the meeting of two different traditional crafts through the union of spheres full of poetry, made according to the ancient techniques of Urushi decoration, with its sober lines L.U.C XP, refined extra flat watch, equipped with an automatic mechanical movement LUC 96.17-L.
The other day I was explaining to my mother why I liked flat watches so much., and when I saw this fantastic Chopard I couldn't help but hallucinate. Snakes is something I don't like very much as an animal, but as an icon I recognize them as indispensable, and more at times like this year of the snake, so congratulations Chopard for this great watch.
The quintessence of Urushi, ancient japanese art, coupled with the highest level of refinement of Swiss watchmaking: this would, in a nutshell, the definition of the new L.U.C XP Urushi Snake. On the face of this watch, Created on the occasion of the year of the snake of the Chinese calendar, completely hand painted following the traditional technique, figure a flowering bush, good luck symbol, around which is entwined a golden serpent.
The snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac., formed by 12 symbols, all of them animals. is considered as an enigmatic sign, intuitive, introspective and especially refined. Chinese ancestral wisdom considers that its presence inside a house supposes, for the family that lives there, the assurance that they will never lack means of subsistence. Tradition also says that people born during the year of the snake are intelligent., cunning and prudent.
An ancient pictorial art.
The Urushi is an ancient art of lacquered. The lacquer is obtained from the sap of a tree, the Urushi, also called « lacquer tree » o « japan varnish », which it grows mainly in Japan and China. Collecting the resin, that is somewhat similar to the hevea rubber, It can only be carried out once a year, and in very limited quantities. Once elapsed between three and five years from collection, the resin is subjected to a treatment which will make it very resistant lacquer, of honey consistency. This is applied in successive thin layers, and traditionally objects of everyday life as bowls or boxes.
Maki-e art is a technique consisting sprinkle Urushi, on the lacquer already applied, metal powder, in this case gold, in order to emphasize the reasons which have previously been drawn on the film surface. The gold dust is applied by means of bamboo tubes and small brushes of pelo natural, to draw very fine lines. This art requires significant know-how and extreme meticulousness, today only some teachers dominate Urushi.
A traditional knowledge- watchmaking
Such masterpieces could not better be highlighted by the refinement of the LUC XP. This extra flat watch, sovereign elegance, diameter of 39,5 mm, with a thickness of only 6,8 mm, It is the symbol of watchmaking Chopard. Conceive and produce an automatic mechanical movement, equipped with two barrels for a power reserve 65 hours and able to integrate such a thin case, It is quite a feat.
The watchmakers of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier have achieved this great success thanks to a clever construction that incorporates a micro-rotor off center. Completely decorated by hand by artisans of the House, according to the canons of traditional fine watchmaking, LUC Calibre 96.17-L can be seen through the open bottom of the case rose gold 18 Carat. Mounted on a black alligator strap, the L.U.C XP Urushi Snake is delivered in a special case, also it decorated using techniques Urushi. Black gold outside and inside Maki-e has an octagonal shape, the symbol of joy in the East, and is closed by means of a silk cord.
