Hands-On With The Exquisite Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition — A Certified Dream Watch

As you might know, Chopard produces watches with two distinct certifications. In its Geneva atelier, the brand creates L.U.C timepieces that bear the engraved Poinçon de Genève. The Geneva Seal is primarily concerned with the aesthetic quality and craftsmanship of the movement. While watches bearing it must also meet specific, strict chronometric requirements, the sternest criteria relate to traditional finishing techniques and the movement’s manufacture within the canton of Geneva. Qualité Fleurier certification, however, evaluates the entire watch, focusing on accuracy, durability, finishing, and real-world performance through painstaking testing. Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, a historic village in the district of Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel, is where the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition is made. This timepiece pays homage to the first of its kind, and it is a certified dream watch.

You might think you’ve seen this Chopard before. You’re not wrong, but you’re also not entirely right. Last year, the brand with watchmaking facilities in Fleurier and Meyrin in the canton of Geneva introduced the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier in Lucent Steel. Twenty years after the first L.U.C timepiece debuted, it’s time for something more outspoken and lush. The L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition (ref. 161992-0001) is available in a limited run of 20 watches made in lavish, luxurious, and ethical 18K yellow gold.

The exquisite Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition is a certified dream watch

Undoubtedly, the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition (€33,000 / US$32,300 / CHF 29,200) exemplifies Chopard’s horological mastery. One look at the watch tells you you’re dealing with a creation resulting from exquisite craftsmanship. The fact is that the watch lives up to the highest standards of certification. The Fondation Qualité Fleurier (Fleurier Quality Foundation) approves of this watch, and that’s no mean feat.

The Qualité Fleurier certification was devised in the early 2000s by three brands from the same region — Bovet, Parmigiani Fleurier, and Chopard. Since 2022, Chopard has been the only remaining initiator to use the extremely strict criteria. To be granted the Qualité Fleurier seal, the watch must pass the COSC tests, the watch head needs to be 100% made in Switzerland, and the finishing, durability, and reliability must meet incredibly high standards. You might not see this at a glance, but you can feel a sense of extreme quality when you pick up the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier.

An elegant two-tone, sector-style dial with presence

In 2024, I wrote that “the introverted styling of the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier makes it a watch that’s hard to ‘get.’” Understanding the CHF 19,300 price of last year’s monochromatic, silver-toned, soberly styled steel version takes time. The gold version, however, is easier to get. That’s not only due to the timeless allure of gold but also the gilded brass dial’s design, which is much more outspoken.

The contrast of the sector-type dial is subtle yet powerful. Its vivid sector layout showcases a sunburst satin-finished center encircled by a circular-brushed chapter ring. The concentric-grained sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock adds depth and visual texture to the dial.

An element that sets this L.U.C creation apart is the handset Chopard uses. The gilded hour and minute hands have the characteristic syringe shape of earlier L.U.C Qualité Fleurier models. Modern Super-LumiNova on the applied markers and hands makes it possible to read the watch in the dark.

Sculpted goodness

Like its steel predecessor, the yellow gold L.U.C Qualité Fleurier has a 39mm case with a mere 8.92mm thickness and a 46.5mm lug-to-lug length. Just as the dial takes you back in time, the finely sculpted welded lugs also have a vintage touch. A case like this, especially in yellow gold, is pure watch romance. The swooping lines of the elongated welded lugs merge seamlessly with the case and have a distinct vintage feeling. This type of case harks back to a time before CNC machines existed. And guess what: the slender silhouette and shape of the watch make it very comfortable to wear. Of course, the shimmer of the yellow gold and the two-tone dial add a lot of richness to the experience as well.

The first and the last

You get that same sense of richness when looking at the L.U.C 96.09-L movement through the case back’s sapphire display. This is not a new movement. On the contrary, it is a sophisticated evolution of Chopard Manufacture’s inaugural caliber and is very appropriate for a watch celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first L.U.C Qualité Fleurier timepiece. The micro-rotor movement has a slim 3.30mm profile and features Chopard Twin technology. In other words, two stacked barrels get power from a bidirectional micro-rotor crafted in 22K gold. The movement exemplifies innovative Haute Horlogerie watchmaking because it offers an impressive 65-hour power reserve.

Another Haute Horlogerie aspect is the movement’s finishing. You could spend hours looking at the bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève and carefully beveled edges without getting bored. And as you know by now, this caliber doesn’t just look good. The movement also underwent rigorous testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), confirming its precision over a 15-day evaluation.

It doesn’t end there, though. The watch also passed the Chronofiable protocol, a three-week gauntlet simulating years of wear. By the time it arrived at Fratello HQ, it had already been exposed to temperature changes, humidity, magnetic fields, repeated winding and crown manipulation, and shock resistance. This elegant gold watch also passed the Fleuritest, a 24-hour simulation of real-world wrist wear, and it maintained an average daily rate between 0 and +5 seconds, an impressive demonstration of exceptional mechanical accuracy and reliability.

Final words on the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition

It’s tough to find a flaw. The Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition passed the harshest tests with flying colors in a very elegant style. Objectively speaking, this is a nearly perfect watch. But I do have one remark. The supple brown calfskin strap is soft and comfy; there’s no doubt about that. I also applaud Chopard for choosing an ethical 18K yellow gold pin buckle over a folding clasp. But I don’t get the beige topstitching of the strap. The contrast stitching looks too sporty and draws too much attention to itself. In my opinion, the case and dial need to be in the spotlight. They don’t need the cheapest part of the watch to draw attention as well.

So, in the end, I found a flaw in a certified dream watch. The good thing is, it’s an easy fix. Pair it with a strap with non-contrasting stitching, and the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition is perfect. Or did you find something that makes you beg to differ? In that case, please share in the comments.