Let’s begin by saying that, to many, Chopard is predominantly seen as a jewellery house and not really thought of as a credible horological manufacture. There are reasons for this, of course. With questionable watch designs over the years, it was always going to be an uphill battle. That being said, after you’re done reading this, you will see why the Chopard 16/1860/2 is anything but the aforementioned and one of the most revered watches to those who are in the know.
Beginning with some historical context, the ’90s were seen as a period of recovery. Watch manufactures were still wary of the devastating quartz crisis that nearly decimated the entire industry in the ‘80s, and as a result, remained largely conservative. Most brands were content using movements that had existed for decades, supplied by reputable manufactures such as Valjoux, Lemania, and ETA. Bar a few outliers, it was just not the time to go wild.
Relative to this, Chopard was looking to launch itself as a serious watchmaking powerhouse and began in 1993 with the help of independent watchmaker Michel Parmigiani. As a testament to how serious they were with this undertaking, it wasn’t until 1996 that they felt ready to launch their high-end watchmaking line—the Manufacture L.U.C. The 16/1860 you see here today was the first watch released by Chopard L.U.C. under that initiative, and it was universally praised when it came out. With a brand new in-house calibre, it was described by Walt Odets on Timezone as ‘probably the finest automatic movement being produced in Switzerland today'.
Several things make this watch impressive, with the Cal. 1.96 being at the top of that list. Looking at it, it is evident that Chopard took no shortcuts, as it is one of the most beautifully finished movements of its time. With a stunningly engraved 22-carat gold micro-rotor, thick hand bevelling throughout, and deep Côtes de Genève (Geneva stripes) all over, even Philippe Dufour rated Chopard only second to A. Lange & Söhne in terms of finishing at the time.
Not only was the Cal. 1.96 masterfully decorated, but it was also technically a marvel. With a 70-hour power reserve from two stacked mainspring barrels, it also featured a Breguet overcoil hairspring and a swan neck regulator, all contributing towards its superior precision and power dispersion. The most comparable movement would have to be the ever-trusty Patek Philippe Cal. 240 micro-rotor. While that calibre is historically important and impressive nonetheless, when comparing the two side by side, I think there is simply no contest. As a cherry on top, not only is this Chopard COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) certified, but it also bears the hallowed Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal).
When the watch is flipped over onto its dial side, it strongly resembles a certain Dufour Simplicity. That is because the 16/1860/2 dial was produced by Metalem, the same Swiss manufacturer that produced the dial for the Simplicity. The elegant hand-engineered silvery-white dial is meticulously stepped and features a stunning central guilloché pattern that beautifully reflects light when viewed from certain angles.
I truly believe that the 16/1860 is one of the most overlooked watch in the market, perhaps because, in photos, it appears to be just an ordinary dress watch. Its near-perfect 37mm size and excellent proportions make for an incredibly refined timepiece. When handling it in person, you begin to realise just how special this watch is. It may very well be one of the greatest dress watches ever made.
