For the past several years, Chopard has wowed us with its yearly release of timepieces honoring Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). On each occasion, the Swiss watchmaker has found a new and innovative way to incorporate the iconic Calavera skull symbol into its designs. This year is no different. With the holiday on the horizon, Chopard will be unveiling three exclusive L.U.C timepieces inspired by Mexican tradition at the premier watch industry event in Latin America: the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería México (SIAR).
Building off the success of last year’s drop, the Full Strike L.U.C “Día De Los Muertos” Minute Repeater, Chopard will introduce a second iteration in blackened 18-karat white gold. Similar to the original, this year’s edition ingeniously transforms the movement’s visible elements into graphic parts of the Calavera skull on the dial. Inside, you’ll find Chopard’s award-winning L.U.C Calibre 08.01-L minute repeater, this time with blackened hammers to complement the monochromatic aesthetic of this particular model.
For its second offering, Chopard will debut a bold and colorful 25-piece limited edition known as the L.U.C Skull One Calavera Pop Art. This third addition to the L.U.C Skull One series features a pop art-inspired illustration of the emblematic Calavera skull rendered in a myriad of bright hues. This playful and eye-catching dial is contrasted by a black bead-blasted, DLC-coated, stainless-steel case. Inside, the watch is equipped with Chopard’s hand-finished automatic L.U.C 96.53-L caliber.
Last but certainly not least, Chopard will present a truly one-of-a-kind timepiece in anticipation of the TimeForArt benefit auction in December. The L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 TimeForArt Edition showcases the watchmaker’s jumping hour mechanism within a design inspired by the vanitas genre. In fitting with the Day of the Dead, vanitas art is meant to convey the transience of life, the futility of pleasure and the certainty of death. To create a truly original watch embodying these themes, Chopard employed hand-engraving techniques to achieve a stylized skull for the dial. In contrast, the model features a warm 18-karat rose-gold case housing the brand’s L.U.C 98.06-L jumping hour movement.
Just one question remains, which piece of wrist candy will you rock this November for the Day of the Dead?
