Chopard Imperiale Watches

History of Chopard

No stranger to the red carpet, Chopard is known for its bold and extraordinary timepieces, even though its recent dazzling jewelry line has grabbed eyeballs more quickly. When Chopard started in 1860, watches were the brand’s pride and glory.

The brand “Chopard” was founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, in his hometown, Sonvilier, in Switzerland. He was the son of a farmer with a fine eye for detailed designs who observed that marketing a finished watch was more lucrative than simply manufacturing and selling mechanical movements. In early years, Chopard became a name to be reckoned with, when it came to ladies’ wristwatches and pocket watches. In 1921, the company moved to Chaux-de-Fonds and in 1937 was relocated to Geneva. The move to Geneva made the brand eligible to be certified with the Geneva Seal. They won two very prestigious commissions in these early years and became the official watch provider for the Swiss Railway Company and Tir Fédéral. They had buyers around the world and from as far as Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe. Even Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II wore a Chopard watch.

The business stayed in the family until 1963 before it was sold by Paul-André Chopard to a German watchmaker and goldsmith, Karl Scheufele III. Karl Scheufele III already owned the jewelry and watch venture called ESZEHA and was looking for a watch movement manufacturing unit. When he bought Chopard watches, he moved the factory to Meyrin, Geneva.

In 1976, things took a glamorous turn. Within two short years of moving to Meyrin, Geneva, free-floating diamonds made their appearance between the sapphire glass and the Chopard dial. They were referred to as Happy Diamonds and were an innovative twist on the traditional diamond-set watches. This would go on to become the brand’s signature style in later years.

In the 1980s, Chopard’s product line expanded to include diamond jewelry for women and sports watches for men. They opened their first stand-alone boutique in 1983 in Hong Kong. The birth of Chopard jewelry in 1985 was marked by the launch of the Happy Clown – a bejeweled clown pendant with moving diamonds and precious gemstones. The Chopard Imperiale series was launched in 1994.

In 1996, the brand returned to its roots and established a complete watch movement manufacturing facility in the Swiss municipality of Fleurier. Until now, all the movements were assembled from third-party components. With this, Chopard joined the prestigious league of Swiss watches that featured parts designed and manufactured in-house.

Today, the Chopard watch company is a part of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH and produces over 75,000 watches for men and women each year. It is one of the most recognizable brands in luxury watches. They have also chosen to work with fair-mined gold and responsibly sourced diamonds to become pioneers in the world of sustainable luxury. They have been the official partners and sponsors for the Cannes Film Festival since 1998 and the official timekeeper for the Grand Prix of Monaco since 2002.

Top-Rated Models from Chopard Imperiale Collection

The Chopard Imperiale series is charmingly feminine and boasts luxury watches that are designed as a tribute to modern achievers. There are over 40 designs in the current Chopard Imperiale watch collection. The timepieces are crafted in stainless steel, 18kt white gold, rose gold, or a combination of two tones. Based on your budget and taste, you can buy a watch that is priced slightly under $5,000 or something that costs a whopping $50,000 or more. While every watch from this collection is unique in its own way, they share a number of common features, including dazzling diamonds and colored gemstones on the dial and/or bezel, a see-through case back and sword-shaped hands. Here are some of the top models that deserve your special attention.

The Imperiale Joaillerie Rainbow

The Imperiale Joaillerie Rainbow was launched in the early 2000s. They are designed for women but feature big and bold dials. These Chopard watches are made of 18kt rose gold and are equipped with an automatic movement and leather straps. They feature diamonds and rainbow-hued sapphires. The watches are a contemporary interpretation of historical symbols. Their arabesque motifs are inspired by embroidered draperies and the dials come with sword-shaped hands. A lotus flower-shaped crown and Roman hour-markers evoke memories of erstwhile empires while the shape of the lugs is inspired by the perfectly balanced proportions of ancient columns. It features a self-winding mechanical movement and is water-resistant up to a depth of 50m.

The Imperiale Moonphase

Inspired by the empirical age, these beautiful Swiss watches are sensual, elegant and sophisticated. They have a sleek mother-of-pearl dial with Roman numeral indices for the 12, 3, 6 and 9 ‘o'clock positions and diamond indices for the other hours. The timepieces also feature a moon phase indicator and display the constellations of the northern hemisphere. The watches are crafted in 18kt white gold with a choice of a pink and blue matte finish alligator leather strap. They are also water-resistant up to a depth of 50m and boast a 65-hour power reserve.

The Imperiale Joaillerie

The Chopard Imperiale Joaillerie watches in 18kt white gold pay tribute to modern achievers. The series allows you to choose between a mother of pearl and diamond-studded dial and a dial designed entirely with diamonds and precious stones. The latter is truly a work of art. The watches with a mother of pearl dial are encircled by colored gemstones and paired with alligator leather straps. A combination of Roman numerals and gemstone studded indices mark the hours while an arabesque motif balances the present with the past. The diamond-studded dial watches are available in 3 combinations of diamonds with rubies, emeralds and sapphires. The arrangement of colored gemstones plays a functional role as well since it marks the hours. They are paired with alligator leather straps to complete the look. The watches have a 60-65 hour power reserve and some are water-resistant up to a depth of 50m.

Complete Your Collection with a Chopard watch

Whether it is a special occasion or you need your daily dose of style and glamour, a Chopard watch can complete your ensemble and enhance your personality perfectly. They boast premium quality, precise timekeeping, gorgeous designs, and precious materials, which make them as good as family heirlooms.