Chopard are having a bit of a moment, but don't think this attention they've been receiving of late is undeserved. Spurred on by the demand enjoyed by the neo-vintage 1860 references with the iconic 1.96 movement, Chopard under it's L.U.C banner have released some absolutely phenomenal watches over the past few years, though generally with a fairly hefty price point and in quite limited runs. In 2024, they released this XPS at a far more accessible price point, and it is quite frankly an enormous amount of watch for the money.

The case is crafted in stainless steel, and measures in at 40mm in diameter. What's astounding is how thin it is, being just 7.2mm, and with these dimensions it manages to straddle a dress watch setting with everyday usability, being ultra-thin, but also no shrinking violet on the wrist. Helping this is the shine of the Lucent Steel, which has a brilliance not seen in most steels. The case is not over-designed, keeping true to a Calatrava style, but like a Laurent Ferrier, it has a flow to it that makes it feel like a modern take on the formula. Those vertically brushed flanks are also very cool, and help to highlight just how thin it really is.

The main event for most people is the dial. Executed in a lovely Forest Green, it uses a traditional sector-style layout, with printed hour and minute tracks, and a wonderful sub-seconds at 6. What I love most about this sub-dial is it's interaction with the hour and minute hands, where as the hands sit at 10 past 10, or 10 to 2 as we prefer, they surround the upper portion of the sub-seconds dial perfectly. A beautiful touch, and speaks to the attention to detail in this watch.

The movement powering it deserves its own paragraph, as it's a special thing. Using the aforementioned architecture of Chopards first in-house movement, the 1.96, as a base, the calibre L.U.C 96.12-L features two co-axial barrels for a 65 hour power reserve, 18k micro-rotor, and is Chronometer certified. Pretty impressive stuff for a movement that is just 3.3mm thick. It's also a lovely thing to behold, and one of the reasons we love L.U.C so much.

This particular piece was first delivered in 2025 and presents in TZ 'Mint' condition. It has been worn a handful of times, but shows no marks on the case, with sticker still intact on the sides and caseback. The only real sign of any wear is some minor creasing to the strap, and a small scuff on the strap on the 12 side. Please see images for full condition details.

Comes with outer box, inner box, certificate of origin, chronometer certificate and document holder.

All functions operating as they should, and keeping COSC time. Plenty of manufacturers warranty still remaining.

Phenomenal value for money, and in close to new condition. You'll struggle to find a more compelling watch than this within its category for the money.

Brand: Chopard L.U.C

Model #: 168629-3001 

Circa: 2025

Style: Dress

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case details: 40mm x 7.2mm

Movement: L.U.C 96.12-L Automatic

Dial: Forest Green

Hands: Steel

Paraphernalia: Outer box, inner box, certificate of origin, chronometer certificate and document holder

TZ Grading: Mint

Watch Vault utilises the TZ grading system. Please see below for details.