Let’s begin by saying that, to many, Chopard is predominantly seen as a jewelry house and not really thought of as a serious 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 of the aforementioned and one of the most revered watches to those who are in the know.
Beginning with some historical context, the ’90s was seen as a period of recovery. Watch manufactures were still wary of the devastating quartz crisis that 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 from suppliers 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 begin in 1993 with the help of independent watchmaker, Michel Parmigiani. As a testament to how seriously they were taking 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 is the first watch released by Chopard L.U.C. and it was universally praised when it came out. With a brand new in-house movement, it was described by Walt Odets on Timezone as ‘probably the finest automatic movement being produced in Switzerland today'.
There are several things that make this watch impressive, with the Cal. 1.96 being at the top of that list. Just taking a single look at it, even a layman would be able to see how beautiful it is. It is evident that Chopard made no shortcuts when it came to this movement as the Cal. 1.96 is one of the most beautifully finished movements of its era. 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 precision and power dispersion. The most comparable movement to the Cal. 1.96 would have to be the ever-trusty Patek Philippe Cal. 240. While that movement is historically important and impressive nonetheless, when comparing the two side by side, I think there is no contest as to who comes out on top. As a cherry on top, not only is this Chopard COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) certified, but it also bears the hallowed Poincon de Genève (Geneva Seal).
When the watch is flipped over, it strongly resembles a certain Dufour Simplicity. That is because the 16/1860/2 dial was produced by Metalem, the same Swiss dial manufacturer that produced the Simplicity. The beautiful hand-engineered gold dial is stepped and features a beautiful central guilloché pattern that beautifully reflects light.
What makes this particular example even more special is the fact that it comes fitted on a stunning salmon dial. Not only does it look amazing but it is one of the most desirable and rarer configurations seen.
I truly believe that the 16/1860 is one of the most underrated and overlooked references, perhaps because, from photos, it appears to be just an ordinary dress watch. Its perfect 37mm size and excellent proportions make for an incredibly elegant timepiece. When handling it in person, you begin to realize just how special this watch is—it could very well be one of the greatest dress watches of all time.
