Swiss jewelry house Chopard traces its history back to the middle of the 19th century, and today it is synonymous with luxury and selectivity. Business cards of the house "Chopard" - jewelry and expensive high-status watches that cannot be confused with any others.
Brand story
The history of the company began in 1860 in Switzerland, which at that time was already the world leader in watch production. A jeweler from the town of Sonvivilliers, whose name was Louis-Ulysses Chopard, opened his watchmaking workshop. At that time, the young watchmaker was only 24 years old, but he managed to develop and launch the production of ultra-precise pocket chronometers. His products never failed, they were very accurate in measuring time, so Chopard soon became a supplier for Swiss railway stations.
The house also produced pocket watches called L. U. C. by the initials of their creator, they are appreciated all over the world. Even the Russian Emperor Nicholas II purchased these in 1912.
By 1920, the company moved to Geneva under the leadership of the watchmaker's heirsdue to the fact that public interest in alarm clocks and pocket watches is waning, and Geneva is the center of world watchmaking. By 1960, the last watchmaker bearing the name Chopard was forced to sell the company because his sons refused to continue the business. The brand is bought by Karl Scheufel and begins to enlarge it - to produce luxury jewelry, hire more people, improve production standards. But at the same time, he strives to preserve traditions.
Chopard today
Today this name is associated not only with watches, they create jewelry and luxury goods under the Chopard brand. Boutiques around the world attract millionaires and Hollywood stars. The brand produces not only watches, but also jewelry, as well as fragrances for men and women.
In 2007, the brand created a unique jewelry collection of 60 items especially for the guests of the Cannes Film Festival. The price of the entire collection exceeded one million euros, but despite this, all items were instantly sold out.
In 2010, the house celebrated its 150th anniversary with the release of the Animal World jewelry collection. Products depict 150 different animals. The House also collaborates fruitfully with the Cannes Film Festival, awarding its own award to young actors and developing special collections of jewelry for the red carpet. And in 2016, the Maison celebrated the 50th anniversary of Happy Diamonds - dancing diamonds that have become the hallmark of Chopard jewelry and watches.
Clock
About the same time asthe company passes into the hands of Karl Scheufel, brand designer Ronald Kurowski, traveling through Germany, was inspired by a mountain waterfall. He came up with the idea of floating diamonds - they moved freely inside the watch case. To do this, the company came up with a special case with two sapphire glasses, which allowed the diamonds to float between them, without interfering with the operation of the ultra-precise clockwork. The diamonds shimmered and sparkled, literally bewitching. It became Chopard's calling card.
In 1996, the company developed a new modern and precise movement, which became the basis of their updated model L. U. C. In addition to the branded movement, the watch has a Breguet balance spring and a micro-rotor (an alternative to self-winding) made of 22 carat gold. All this was necessary to obtain the Hallmark of Geneva, the famous "Swiss Made" inscription, which can only be placed on watches that meet special requirements. This is a watch from an elite club that costs fabulous money and will never let its owner down.
Modern watches of the brand are not only classic variations of the famous men's L. U. C watches or the timeless women's Happy Diamonds collection with floating diamonds. Also, women can choose a truly elegant watch from the Imperiale collection - they are distinguished by an exquisite design, the presence of precious stones and metals, as well as a dagger-shaped arrow. For men, the House offers the Classic Racing collection, inspired by the legendary racing cars that are reflected instatus watch "Chopard".
Jewelry
Daughter of Karl Scheufel, Caroline, takes over part of the management of the company, brings a new direction to it. Chopard begins to produce not only watch collections, but also jewelry. The first was Happy Clown, a figurine of a clown with dancing diamonds, created according to Carolina's sketches, the first sign of the Chopard collections, which would become famous in the future. The brand's jewelery is highly recognizable, and among its most notable creations is the Marquise ring in rose gold set with diamonds, centered on a chic blue diamond.
The House of Chopard is inextricably linked with the Cannes Film Festival. Thus, the famous Palme d'Or (the symbol and award of the festival) belongs to the authorship of Caroline Scheufel, who today, together with her brother, manages the Chopard house. Rings, pendants and earrings from the Maison's collections are often purchased as timeless classics.
Stars who choose Chopard
Rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants are the constant companions of the evening look of Hollywood stars. Of course, such watches and jewelry produced by the Chopard house cannot but have fans among celebrities. So, the daughter of the President of the United States, Ivanka Trump, prefers watches with floating diamonds. The most expensive watch model The super Ice Cube belongs to such super-famous personalities as Elton John, Charlize Theron, Kate Moss. David Beckham chose this watch to meet withQueen of Great Britain, and Eva Herzigova walked them on the red carpet in Cannes. Often you can see Chopard earrings in the ears of celebrities, for example on Penelope Cruz or Dita Von Teese.
By the way, Eva Herzigova, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lawrence are fans of these jewelry, often matching them to their outfits for going out.
