Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike: When Time Learns to Sing

In the rarefied world of Haute Horlogerie, some timepieces do more than measure the passing hours- they compose them. Chopard’s newest masterpiece, the L.U.C Grand Strike, arrives as a resounding testament to what three decades of quiet ambition, technical craft, and musical obsession can achieve. Launched to mark the 30th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, this remarkable creation is not merely a chiming watch. It is the Maison’s most complex sonnerie timepiece to date, the apex of a journey that began nearly twenty years ago with a simple question posed by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele: Could Chopard build its own grande sonnerie?

Today, the answer rings with crystalline clarity.

The Sound of Eternity

To call the L.U.C Grand Strike a technical accomplishment feels almost reductive. It is a horological symphony of 686 components, 10 proprietary patents, and more than 11,000 hours of development, culminating in a chiming wristwatch unlike anything else in contemporary watchmaking.

The secret to its unmistakable voice lies in Chopard's now-legendary innovation: monobloc sapphire crystal gongs. Machined from a single piece of synthetic sapphire — a technique once considered impossible — the gongs vibrate in harmony with the watch’s dial crystal, projecting a sound that is uncannily pure, airy and resonant. The chime, tuned to a C#–F interval, has been carefully engineered to evoke stability and unity: a calming duet at the intersection of acoustics, mathematics, and artistry.

This innovation first stunned the industry with the L.U.C Full Strike, winner of the 2017 Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The new Grand Strike elevates the concept into the revered territory of the grande sonnerie, the most demanding and complex of all chiming complications.

A Masterpiece of Mechanical Architecture

Housed in an elegant 43 mm case of ethical 18-carat white gold, the L.U.C Grand Strike achieves an astonishing balance between aesthetic restraint and mechanical drama. The openworked dial puts the movement, the L.U.C 08.03-L on full display. At 10 o’clock, two mirror-polished steel hammers sit poised to deliver the chime; at 6 o’clock, a 60-second tourbillon quietly attests to the timepiece’s chronometric precision.

The watch offers three modes- Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, and Silence  selected through a sliding switch integrated into the caseband, designed for intuitive everyday use. Despite the complexity, the watch remains remarkably wearable, with soft contours, a rounded caseback, and interchangeable alligator straps in grey and midnight blue.

Inside, two independent barrels drive timekeeping and chiming functions respectively. In grande sonnerie mode, the watch can chime the passing hours and quarters for a full 12 hours, while still delivering an impressive 70-hour power reserve for timekeeping. The movement is both COSC-certified and bears the prestigious Poinçon de Genève hallmark — a rare dual distinction that underscores its mechanical and aesthetic excellence.

Engineering the Impossible

Each chime of the Grand Strike is a mechanical ballet: 34 components spring to life, guided by 22 hand-adjusted blade springs, ready to strike within just 0.03 seconds of activation. And because a grande sonnerie must endure constant activation, Chopard subjects every piece to 62,400 sonnerie activations and 3,000 minute-repeater tests, simulating five years of wear within three intense months.

Five new patents have been developed specifically for this model, including energy-saving clutch systems, torque-threshold protections, and reinvented hammer geometries — all engineered to preserve both the movement and the sapphire gongs while maintaining flawless acoustic performance.

In a field where even minor innovations are rare, the L.U.C Grand Strike pushes forward on multiple fronts at once.

Where Tradition Meets the Future of Watchmaking

Much of the Grand Strike’s beauty lies in its dual identity: resolutely modern in its acoustic architecture, yet deeply rooted in watchmaking tradition. Its plates and bridges are crafted from maillechort (German silver), a material revered for its warm patina and notoriously difficult to finish. Every surface bears testament to hand-finishing techniques passed down through generations of artisans.

As Karl-Friedrich Scheufele describes it:“We have always believed in creating watches that unite innovation and tradition. The L.U.C Grand Strike reflects our philosophy and rewards those who appreciate fine watchmaking at its purest.”

A Chime That Will Outlast Time

The L.U.C Grand Strike is more than a launch it is an event. A culmination of three decades of Manufacture expertise, a celebration of Chopard’s commitment to responsible luxury, and a milestone in the evolution of chiming timepieces.

In the end, what lingers is not just its technical virtuosity but its emotional resonance. The chime fleeting yet eternal captures that delicate space where art meets engineering. A watch like this is not worn merely to tell time, but to elevate it.

Chopard has not just created a grande sonnerie. It has composed a legacy.