====== Chopard ======
{{wst>menue|Chopard}}

{{wst>image_r|Chopard_Armbanduhr|Elegant men's watch by Chopard}}
**Chopard** is a Swiss watch and jewelry manufacturer established in [[1860]].

===== Chopard and Scheufele =====
Louis Ulysse Chopard founded Chopard in [[1860]] in [[Sonvilier]] in the [[Swiss Jura]]. It was originally focused on ultra-thin pocket watches as well as high precision timekeeping devices supplied to the Swiss Railway. After the death of his father, Paul-Louis Chopard continued the company, opening a subsidiary in [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]] which would become the company's headquarters in [[1923]]. In [[1927]] the company moved to [[Geneva]] under the direction of Paul-André Chopard, the third-generation director of the firm.

In [[1963]] Chopard was sold to Karl Scheufele, manager of the successful jewelry operation from [[Pforzheim]]. The Scheufele family had manufactured jewelry and watches of their own in Germany since [[1904]], later using the **Eszeha** brand name.

In [[1976]], Chopard introduced the [[Chopard Happy Diamonds|Happy Diamonds]] line, which features movable diamonds behind a crystal. This would become their signature, both for watches and for jewelry. The [[Chopard Happy Sport|Happy Sport]] was the first watch to combine stainless steel cases and diamonds and was launched in [[1993]]. Another important Chopard line is the [[Chopard Mille Miglia|Mille Miglia]], established in [[1988]] and celebrating the famous motor rally.

In [[1996]] Chopard established a separate watch [[manufacture]] in [[Fleurier]], where watches are designed and manufactured with [[in-house]] [[Chopard calibres|L.U.C. movements]]. This was the fulfillment of a long-standing goal of the Scheufele family and was achieved with the support of watchmaker [[Parmigiani, Michel|Michel Parmigiani]] and his company, who were strong proponents of watchmaking in Fleurier. In [[2008]], Chopard launched [[Fleurier Ebauches]], a mainstream watch movement manufacturer nearby.

===== Chopard Group =====
This family business, with branches in [[Geneva]], [[Fleurier]], and [[Pforzheim]], became one of the most successful jewelry and watch manufacturers in the world.

**Chopard Group** currently includes three main components 

  * The jewelry and watchmaking //maison//, Chopard
  * The movement manufacture, [[Fleurier Ebauches, SA]]
  * The high-end watchmaker, [[Ferdinand Berthoud]], announced in [[2013]]

===== Own watch movements =====
In [[1997]] the L.U.C 1860 is launched, the first watch with the new Chopard calibre [[L.U.C 1.96]].

In [[2000]] the L.U.C Quattro with the calibre [[L.U.C 1.98]] has a premiere. It is equipped with four [[barrel]]s (2 x 2, lying on top of each other) and garantees a power reserve of approximately 9 days.

In [[2001]] the calibre [[L.U.C 3.97]] tonneau is presented, an [[automatic]] [[form movement]] with eccentric [[micro-rotor]].

In [[2007]] Chopard launches with the [[L.U.C. 10 CF]] its first [[automatic]] [[chronograph]] movement, for which three patents are pending.

In [[2019]], Chopard launched the [[L.U.C 96.24-L]], the company's first [[flying tourbillon]] and one of the thinnest automatic tourbillon movements. It features [[two barrels]] stacked and a [[micro-rotor]].

===== Address =====
Chopard & Cie S.A.\\ Case postale 85\\ rue de Veyrot 8\\ CH-1217 Meyrin ([[Geneva]])

===== Weblinks =====
  * [[http://www.chopard.com/|Chopard]]


{{tag>Watch_brands Watch_brands_Switzerland Manufactures Fleurier Geneva FHH Luxury_watch_brands}}