Chopard L'Heure du Diamant

Chopard has long occupied a rarefied space in the world of luxury, deftly navigating the intersection of high jewelry and precision horology. The maison's creations are not merely instruments for telling time, but expressions of artistry, where mechanical ingenuity and gem-setting prowess converge. This unique identity is vividly captured in the L’Heure du Diamant collection, which now welcomes an exceptional new chapter: The Precious Hours set. This curated collection is a profound homage to the vibrant, creative spirit that first animated its predecessors in 1969, reimagining the classic jewellery watch with a modern sensibility and an artist’s palette of rare ornamental stones.



The very essence of Chopard is a story of dual expertise, a legacy carefully stewarded by the Scheufele family for generations. This delicate balance between the watchmaker's bench and the jeweler's atelier defines the brand's character. The L’Heure du Diamant collection stands as the ultimate embodiment of this duality. It is a masterful blend of contemporary design and vintage charm, of hard, precious minerals and soft, flowing forms, and of aesthetic beauty and mechanical precision. Each piece is a testament to a philosophy where the watch is inseparable from the jewel, and the jewel is elevated by the rhythmic pulse of time.



This collection draws its soul from a specific historical touchstone: a Chopard jewellery timepiece from 1970. That seminal creation, with its yellow gold case, champagne-hued dial, intricate Milanese mesh bracelet, and a bezel sparkling with diamonds, set a standard for sophistication. It was powered by a refined mechanical movement, establishing early on that aesthetic ambition need not compromise technical substance. The influence of this vintage masterpiece is palpable in the current interpretations, which carry forward its spirit while speaking a contemporary language of luxury.



The heritage of marrying fine watchmaking with ornamental stone dials extends back even further. In the early 20th century, Karl-Friedrich and Caroline Scheufele's grandfather was already renowned as a ‘Master of Jewellery Watches’. This historical depth and continued commitment to the craft were formally recognized in 2013, when the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awarded its “Jewellery Watch Prize” to a L’Heure du Diamant timepiece, cementing its status within the industry. The collection has proven to be a fertile ground for creativity, with cases appearing in round, oval, cushion, octagonal, and even heart shapes over the years.



For 2025, the collection's profile is further elevated through a new campaign featuring Chopard Ambassador Bella Hadid. This collaboration bridges the worlds of horology, high jewellery, and high fashion, demonstrating the L’Heure du Diamant’s enduring relevance and its powerful appeal to a new generation of connoisseurs who appreciate both its history and its contemporary edge.



At the heart of the latest chapter is The Precious Hours set, an extraordinary presentation housing 12 distinct variations of the 26 mm L’Heure du Diamant. The concept is elegantly symbolic, with each watch representing one of the 12 months of the year or the 12 hours that mark the passage of a day. Housed in a sophisticated black lacquered case, the collection is presented on a rotating tray, inviting a slow, deliberate discovery of each unique creation, revealing a new expression of light and color with every turn.



The true narrative of these timepieces is told through their dials, each crafted from a carefully selected ornamental stone that carries its own story, symbolism, and energy. Chopard introduces pink opal, jade, and blue agate to the collection for the first time, deepening the connection to natural beauty. These are not merely decorative elements; they transform the watches into personal talismans. The maison honors the raw, intrinsic beauty of these materials, carefully preserving their natural inclusions and variations. This ensures that, like time itself, no two dials are ever identical. Each is a singular masterpiece, a slice of the Earth’s artistry captured for the wrist.



One version features a dial of ethereal white mother-of-pearl, its surface shimmering with an iridescent luster that evokes the gentle ebb and flow of the sea. It is a material believed to foster creativity and offer protection from negative forces. Another is a study in captivating blue, its face crafted from a vibrant slab of turquoise. The stone’s color is rich and deep, marbled with natural darker veins that give it a unique character, reminiscent of a clear sky over a desert landscape. This particular stone has long been held sacred in Native American cultures as a symbol of unity.



The collection explores a rich spectrum of nature's palette. Dials of carnelian burn with the fiery hues of a setting sun, a stone the Ancient Egyptians believed would ignite courage. Tiger’s eye, with its chatoyant bands of gold and brown, was known in antiquity as the “all-seeing eye,” thought to offer clarity and guide soldiers to victory. The deep, glossy black of onyx, a member of the chalcedony family, is named from the Greek word for fingernail, a nod to a myth where Cupid’s clippings of Venus’s nails were transformed into the stone to preserve her eternal beauty. It is said to bring stability in times of change.



The lush green patterns of malachite, derived from the presence of copper, mark it as a stone of transformation. Opal, the stone of dreams, lives up to its Latin name, opalus, meaning ‘to see a change in colour’, with its mesmerizing play-of-color. Jade, named from the Spanish piedra de ijada ("stone of the pain in the side"), is renowned for its healing properties, while blue agate, born from volcanic rock, is considered a stone of renewal, its tranquil tones soothing the spirit.



Visually, the watches are a study in refined proportion and dazzling detail. The 26 mm round case, crafted from ethical 18-carat white gold, provides a perfect frame for the vibrant dials. On the model with the turquoise face, a matching light blue alligator leather strap creates a cohesive and striking look. On another, a pristine white alligator strap complements the iridescent sheen of a textured mother-of-pearl dial. In both instances, the rhodium-plated hours and minutes hands are slender and unobtrusive, allowing the beauty of the stone dial to remain the focal point.



A defining feature of every L'Heure du Diamant timepiece is its magnificent bezel. It is not simply set with diamonds, but crowned with them. Chopard employs a signature gem-setting technique known as crown setting, which was originally devised by Karl Scheufele. This method uses minimalist V-shaped prongs to hold each generously sized brilliant-cut diamond, creating an effect that resembles invisible lacework. This arrangement allows an exceptional amount of light to enter and exit each stone, unleashing a fiery brilliance that encircles the dial. The metal of the setting seems to melt away, leaving what appears to be a free-floating halo of pure light, a testament to the mineral purity of the diamonds.



The case construction demonstrates meticulous attention to detail. Measuring 9.00 mm in thickness, it possesses a substantial yet graceful presence on the wrist. It is water-resistant to 30 meters, offering a degree of practical resilience. The crown is itself a jewel, made from ethical 18-carat white gold and set with a single, elegant briolette-cut diamond. For those who wish to admire the mechanical heart of the watch, an exhibition caseback with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal offers an unobstructed view of the movement within. The reverse side of the turquoise model, for instance, reveals the intricate workings and fine finishing of the calibre, a beautiful contrast to the natural art of the dial.



Beating at the core of these jewellery watches is the Chopard 10.01-C mechanical manual-winding movement. Introduced in 2024, this in-house calibre is a marvel of micro-engineering. Measuring a mere 15.70 mm in diameter and just 2.90 mm thick, it is one of the smallest and thinnest movements on the market, making it perfectly suited for the slender profile of these dainty timepieces. Its compact size does not sacrifice performance; it operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and provides a respectable 45-hour power reserve.



The movement is composed of 101 individual components, each finished to the high standards of Swiss watchmaking. The bridges are adorned with the classic Côtes de Genève motif, a pattern of delicate stripes that can be admired through the exhibition caseback. The development and production of the Chopard 10.01-C entirely within the maison's own workshops in Switzerland underscores the brand’s commitment to technical sovereignty and its continuous quest for innovation. It is a powerful statement that even in its most decorative creations, Chopard’s identity as a true watch manufacturer remains paramount.



The connection to the wrist is achieved through a variety of beautifully crafted options. Two of the watches in the set feature a remarkable "bark-type" bracelet, a goldsmithing masterpiece perfected by the Scheufele family in the 1960s. Crafted from ethical gold, the bracelet is engraved with incredibly fine, plant-like veining that gives the metal a supple, lifelike texture. This entirely hand-crafted technique results in a bracelet that is both visually stunning and ergonomically perfect, nestling against the skin with a light, silky touch that follows the wearer’s every move.



Other models in the collection are paired with luxurious alligator leather or satin straps. The colors are carefully chosen to create a harmonious dialogue with the corresponding dials, from a vibrant royal blue for the agate dial to a rich green for the jade, and a classic black for the onyx. Each strap is fastened with a buckle made from ethical 18-carat white gold, itself set with diamonds, ensuring that no detail is overlooked in the pursuit of perfection.



Given the exceptional materials, in-house mechanical movement, and intensive craftsmanship involved, the Chopard L'Heure du Diamant "The Precious Hours" set is positioned at the apex of the luxury market. These are not mass-produced items but rare objects of beauty, created for a discerning clientele that values both artistry and authenticity. Availability is exclusive, with these timepieces offered through select Chopard boutiques worldwide.



Case: Ethical 18-carat white gold, 26 mm diameter, 9.00 mm thickness. Water-resistant to 30m. Bezel set with 2.20 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds. Crown set with a briolette-cut diamond. Glare-proofed sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback.

Movement: Mechanical manual-winding Chopard 10.01-C calibre. 15.70 mm diameter, 2.90 mm thick. 45-hour power reserve, 19 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency. Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève.

Dial: Available in white mother-of-pearl, diamond-set, onyx, jade, black opal, agate, or turquoise. Features rhodium-plated hours and minutes hands.

Strap: Options include a "bark-type" bracelet in ethical 18-carat white gold, or an alligator leather/satin strap. The buckle is made of diamond-set ethical 18-carat white gold.

Reference Number: 10A178-1301, 13A178-1302, 13A178-1318, 13A178-1310, 13A178-1312, 13A178-1315, 13A178-1316.

Notes: The bezel uses Chopard’s unique crown setting technique to maximize diamond brilliance. The movement is one of the smallest and thinnest on the market. The collection comes as "The Precious Hours" set of 12 unique watches in a special presentation box.