The Swiss watchmaker and Neapolitan couturier are both masters of masculine elegance
Remember that feeling on some mornings when you’re compelled to change out your entire outfit just because it doesn’t go with your watch? Well, that may be a thing of the past with this Chopard timepiece, especially if you’ve got a wardrobe full of Kiton suits. The L.U.C XP II Sarto Kiton was designed in partnership with the Italian tailoring company and it espouses aesthetic codes from both maisons in equal measure. Indeed, gent’s watches do not get more dressier than this exquisite number. A 100-piece limited edition model, it is what Chopard co-founder Karl-Friedrich Scheufele would look like if he turned into a watch.
Not a hair larger than 40mm, which is often touted as the perfect size for a modern man’s timepiece, the L.U.C XP II Sarto Kiton is also suitably ultrathin at 7.2mm. A simple, elegant package offering just the hours and minutes and nothing else, it personifies Kiton founder Ciro Paone’s famous motto: “Elegance must be associated with simplicity.” Yet Chopard has very cleverly found ways to pad the timepiece with up-to-date technical features and aesthetic finishes, elevating it to a point worthy of the L.U.C name.
The stealthy silhouette achieved via bead-blasted diamond-like carbon on steel, the rakish dial dressed in Kiton’s signature houndstooth motif, golden Arabic numerals and hands catching the eye like shiny buttons on a suit, and finally, the strap. Handmade and completely free of any chemical treatment, it is made of a soft blend of Mongolian cashmere, wool and flannel with a kiss of elastane for comfort. Turn it over to the back and you’ll be dazzled by the striking red alligator leather band, which together with the Kiton emblem on the dial, adds a bold spot of colour to this otherwise subdued timepiece.
Like Kiton, Chopard is as firmly dedicated to craftsmanship and tradition as it is clearly focused on a contemporary vision. Inside this exquisite model is the in-house manufactured L.U.C Calibre 96.53-L self-winding movement featuring a tungsten micro-rotor and patented Chopard Twin Technology, with two barrels providing more than two days of power reserve, all of which is visible through a sapphire case back. Some have described it as the best of Swiss haute horlogerie and Italian sprezzatura – we couldn’t agree more. Priced at S$14,900.
This story first appeared in the December 2020 issue, which you may purchase as a hard or digital copy
