At the 2011 Oscars, best actor Colin Firth was wearing a Chopard L.U.C XPS watch – could you ask for a classier tuxedo watch? The L.U.C XPS of this type first came out in 2009, and if it were not for the “Chopard” name, I would think it was a Dell computer. This is also one of Chopard’s answers to the thin elegant watch question. The L.U.C XPS has a Chopard L.U.C 12.96 automatic movement and is still just 7.13mm thick.

While Chopard offers the watch in 18k rose or white gold, it is really the white gold version with the black dial that you want. The thin bezel makes the 39.50mm wide case feel larger than it is, and the alligator strap adds a bit of glossy luxury on the wrist. Chopard designed the dial to be minimalistic but highly functional. It is like a dressy version of what Panerai design is going for. One version of the dial has the time with subsidiary seconds dial using dauphine hands, matched to a mixture of baton hour markers with stylized Roman numeral hour markers. Dauphine hands always look stellar on minimalist dials.

Step it up a bit for the diamond version of the watch –  one of the most tasteful diamond watches for people who don’t like diamond watches. For the L.U.C XPS Diamonds Chopard uses baguette-cut stones for the hour markers and around the bezel. It is a watch with the good taste of a minimalist design with the higher-status look of diamonds without all the gaudiness.

Seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, the Chopard L.U.C 12.96 automatic movement has twin barrels with 65 hours of power reserve and of course is nicely decorated. The rotor is in solid 22k gold and is a micro-rotor. It is also COSC Chronometer certified which isn’t too common in watches of this type. Chopard really did a good job mixing classical elegance with a timeless looks in this watch. I think it is one of the best in it genre. Prices for these pieces ranges a bit – retailing at about $13,500 of the standard gold version and up to around $35,000 for the diamond version. See one of these Chopard L.U.C XPS Diamond watches available on James List here.