The 12-piece L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer SHH Edition is a statement of watchmaking gravitas and refinement
Although many top marques are known to flaunt their watches’ innerworkings with see-through case backs, timepieces that come with antiquated ‘officer’-style hinged back covers elevate the experience with tactility and, inadvertently, a sense of titillation.
Viewed from the back, the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer SHH Edition captivates with its gorgeous hand-guilloched honeycomb pattern on the hinged cover. A design that dates back to the 1920s, the tiny hexagonal motifs flaunt alternating grooves, designed to shimmer as they catch the light from different angles.
Flick the back cover open, and one encounters beauty of a different kind. Underneath the cover, the watch’s mechanical brilliance takes centre stage, drawing the wearer’s attention to its hand-wound movement. Featuring bridges adorned with refined polishing and Geneva stripes, the ultra-thin movement also boasts technical refinement. Though just 3.3mm in height, it is a powerful COSC-certified engine, bearing a gold micro-rotor that offers up to 65 hours of power reserve.
Housed in ethically mined 18k yellow gold, the Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer SHH Edition, exudes resplendence. Paired with a royal blue dial that bears the same guilloche honeycomb pattern, the watch is a picture of pleasing symmetry anchored by elegant Dauphine-style hands and beautifully balanced chapter ring and seconds display.
Limited to 12 pieces, the new regally hued collaboration with SHH (Sincere Haute Horlogerie) sets itself apart from earlier editions—a version in yellow gold with olive dial that’s limited to 50 pieces, and another in white gold with silver dial from 2017.
While the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer SHH Edition marks Chopard’s first collaboration with SHH, the brand is no stranger to its main retail division, Sincere Fine Watches. In 2006, Chopard created the L.U.C Twist Tech Sincere Limited Edition to commemorate the retailer’s Golden Jubilee, which was capped at 50 pieces and is now a coveted collector’s item.
