In 2021, Chopard unveiled the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 watch to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C line, the brand’s top-tier timepieces with in-house-made movements. A new L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 watch arrived at Watches & Wonders 2024, this time dressed in white gold and black enamel rather than the original rose gold version with a white dial. Would it have been more appropriate to call this the Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 28 seeing as it’s three years later? I jest. We went hands-on with the new white-gold Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 watch to assess its style, functionality, and wearability.

At first glance, the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 could reasonably be categorized as a classic dress watch — however, I’d push back on that.  This is not your grandfather’s small and slim under-the-radar dress timepiece; the hunter pocket watch-inspired case sits quite prominently on the wrist, wearing bigger than its 40mm diameter and 10.30mm thick dimensions suggest. It’s not obtrusive or anything like that, but it certainly does make its presence known. The slim stepped bezel and expansive dial further emphasize the larger look, as seen here on Ed’s 6.6-inch wrist.

The case is made from ethical 18k white gold (the brand defines its ethical gold as being sourced through “artisanal freshly mined gold produced in a responsible manner” and “RJC Chain of Custody (CoC)-certified refineries”) with a mix of vertical satin-brushing on the caseband and polishing on the bezel. The short lugs also benefit from the same mix of finishes, with the top surfaces gleaming thanks to polishing and the sides brushed to match the caseband. Quality is excellent and the case feels hefty and solid in the way a high-end watch should.

Securing the case to the wrist is a hand-sewn matt black alligator leather strap, furnished with a L.U.C. engraved pin bold in polished and brushed-finished 18k white gold. I can’t help but think that curved ends to close out the gap between the case and strap might have been a better choice here.

The design of the monochromatic black and white dial is highly appealing; sleek, stark, and simple but far from boring — the absence of color is more than compensated for by the lovely sheen of the Grand Feu enameling on the 18k white-gold dial. Black is unforgiving as it displays all flaws; the in-house enameler had to be extra mindful when hand-crafting the dial. The white Arabic numerals and railway track are manually transfer-printed enamel, while the single Dauphine hand indicating the minutes is rhodium-plated. Accompanying that minute hand is the framed jump-hour window that clicks to the next numeral ever so satisfyingly at the end of the 59th minute. The hour numeral is buried quite deep in its trench but the white-on-black combo ensures easy reading. While there’s no seconds hand, Chopard has included a balance-stop function to allow for precise setting of the hour and minutes.

The back of the watch offers a view of the beautifully executed Caliber L.U.C 98.06-L, designed and manufactured entirely in-house. This is the same jumping-hour manual wound movement that debuted in the original rose gold Quattro Spirit, featuring the four stacked and series-coupled barrels (hence “Quattro”) that house almost two meters of spring to provide eight days of power reserve. The power reserve indicator is placed on the caseback side of the movement, a location I generally prefer for that specific display.

The 240-component, 42 jeweled, and 28,800 beats per hour movement includes mechanical goodies like a swan neck regulator to enable more precise timing of the balance frequency and a balance spring with a Phillips terminal curve for enhanced stability. The movement bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève and their edges are carefully beveled. Plenty of gilded engravings also state some of the movement’s specs, but the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark is probably the marking Chopard is most proud of here.

There wasn’t much fanfare around the release of the white gold Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 but when given the chance, the watch has a lot to say. The design is handsome, the execution is top-notch, and it is mechanically interesting, which is all the more impressive that everything was done under one roof at Chopard. I love a good jump-hour timepiece and this one is definitely a good one. The proportions may be a barrier for some and the price will certainly be one for most. The Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 is priced at $50,200 USD and is limited to 100 pieces. For more information, please visit the Chopard website.