Double take
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 2:31PM WORDS SIMON DE BURTON / PHOTOGRAPHY TIF HUNTER
A versatile timepiece evokes the heritage of an illustrious manufacture
Choosing between a wristwatch and a pocket watch often presents the more adventurous horolophile with a quandary – but now the ever-innovative house of Chopard has created a timepiece that switches effortlessly from one format to the other and looks equally ‘right’ in either case.
The white gold L.U.C Louis-Ulysse ‘Tribute’ has been produced to mark the brand’s 150th anniversary and boasts a number of interesting features, not least of which is a nifty cradle base into which the 49.6mm diameter watch snugly fits to enable it to be worn on the wrist.
A simple quarter-turn, however, unlocks it from the base so that it becomes a pocket watch. The basic idea was conceived in 1912 by Karl Scheufele, the grandfather of Chopard’s current owners, but has only now been put to use and just 150 examples of the Tribute will be created. Number one of the series was sold at Christie’s last month for more than £36,000, but you can get one of these instant classics on your wrist – or in your pocket – for £26,690. chopard.com