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Chopard is one of the few luxury houses that operates at the highest level in both jewelry and watchmaking without being part of a larger conglomerate. It is family-owned (by the Scheufele family since 1963), independently managed, and vertically integrated to a degree that few competitors can match. It produces its own movements, manufactures its own cases, cuts and sets its own gemstones, and even sources its own gold through a certified ethical supply chain.
In an industry increasingly dominated by corporate groups, Chopard’s independence gives it a freedom that translates directly into the product. The brand can invest in a new movement over a decade-long timeline without quarterly earnings pressure. It can commit to ethical sourcing without worrying about shareholder pushback on cost. And it can produce a catalog that ranges from playful diamond-set Happy Sport watches to COSC-certified chronometers with in-house movements, all under one roof.
Origins
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company in Sonvilier, in the Swiss Jura, in 1860. The firm established a reputation for precision pocket watches and small, finely made wristwatches. By the mid-twentieth century, however, the brand had lost momentum, and in 1963 it was acquired by Karl Scheufele, a German goldsmith and jeweler from Pforzheim whose family had been in the jewelry trade for generations.
The Scheufele acquisition transformed Chopard from a declining watch firm into a dual-identity luxury house. Karl Scheufele and his descendants combined the family’s jewelry expertise with Chopard’s watchmaking heritage, creating a brand that could produce both high jewelry and serious mechanical watches. Today, Chopard is co-led by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (who oversees the watch division) and Caroline Scheufele (who directs the jewelry and women’s watch collections). This dual leadership structure gives the brand a rare balance between masculine and feminine design perspectives.
L.U.C and the Manufacture
The most significant development in Chopard’s modern history was the establishment of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier in 1996, under Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s direction. The manufacture was created with a single purpose: to design and produce in-house movements that could compete with the finest in Switzerland. The first movement, the L.U.C caliber 1.96 (named for founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard), debuted in 1997. It was a micro-rotor automatic with COSC chronometer certification and a level of finishing that immediately signaled Chopard’s serious intent.
The L.U.C collection has since expanded into a full range of complications. The L.U.C Perpetual Calendar, L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater, L.U.C Tourbillon QF, and L.U.C Time Traveler One (a world-time watch) represent Chopard’s highest mechanical achievements. Many L.U.C movements carry the Poinçon de Genève, the same Geneva Seal that certifies watches from Vacheron Constantin and Roger Dubuis. This is a significant statement of quality for a brand that many outside the collector community still associate primarily with jewelry.
L.U.C watches retail from approximately $10,000 for the simplest time-only references in steel to well above $100,000 for grand complications in precious metals. On the secondary market, L.U.C references are among the most undervalued watches in Swiss haute horlogerie, often trading 35 to 50% below retail.
The Collections
The Happy Sport, introduced in 1993 by Caroline Scheufele, is Chopard’s most commercially successful watch. Its defining feature is a set of freely moving diamonds (or colored gemstones) that float between two sapphire crystals over the dial. The concept was playful and unconventional, and it resonated immediately with a clientele that wanted a luxury watch with personality rather than pure technical seriousness. The Happy Sport is available in sizes from 25mm to 36mm, in steel, gold, and bicolor configurations, with retail prices starting around $5,000 and climbing into six figures for high-jewelry versions.
The Alpine Eagle, introduced in 2019, is Chopard’s luxury steel sport watch and its most direct play for the integrated-bracelet category occupied by the Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Overseas. The Alpine Eagle features a textured dial inspired by the iris of an eagle, a case made from Chopard’s proprietary Lucent Steel A223 (a recycled stainless steel alloy with enhanced hardness and a distinctive sheen), and an in-house automatic movement with COSC certification. It is available in 36mm, 41mm, and 44mm sizes, with retail prices starting around $12,000 to $14,000 in steel.
The Mille Miglia collection connects Chopard to motorsport through the brand’s long-standing partnership with the Mille Miglia vintage car rally in Italy. The watches feature chronograph and GMT complications in sporty cases with design details drawn from classic automotive instrumentation. Retail prices range from approximately $5,000 to $10,000.
Ethical Luxury
Chopard has been a leader in sustainable and ethical luxury sourcing, a position that distinguishes it from most of its competitors. In 2018, Chopard committed to using 100% ethical gold across all its watch and jewelry production, sourced either from artisanal mines certified by the Swiss Better Gold Association or from recycled sources. The brand calls this initiative “The Journey to Sustainable Luxury.”
This commitment extends beyond marketing. Chopard has invested in traceable supply chains, partnered with mining communities in South America and Africa, and worked with the Alliance for Responsible Mining to improve conditions at artisanal mining sites. For buyers who consider the provenance of materials as part of their purchasing decision, Chopard’s ethical sourcing program is among the most developed in the luxury watch and jewelry industry.
Buying Chopard Today
Chopard watches are available at Chopard boutiques and authorized retailers worldwide. The brand maintains a significant physical presence, with boutiques in major luxury shopping destinations. Availability is generally good, with no waitlists for most references. The Alpine Eagle in steel has seen stronger demand, but it does not carry the allocation constraints of a Royal Oak or Nautilus.
Retail prices range from approximately $5,000 for an entry-level Happy Sport to $12,000 to $14,000 for an Alpine Eagle in steel, to $10,000 and above for L.U.C references, climbing into six figures for grand complications and high-jewelry pieces. On the secondary market, Chopard depreciates 30 to 45% from retail for most references. An Alpine Eagle 41mm in Lucent Steel that retails for $13,000 can be found pre-owned for $7,500 to $9,500. L.U.C references, as noted, trade even further below retail.
Chopard occupies a unique space as a family-owned, fully integrated jewelry and watchmaking house with genuine haute horlogerie capability, ethical sourcing commitments, and the independence to operate on its own terms. For collectors who value these qualities, Chopard’s watches offer substance that the brand’s jewelry-first reputation sometimes obscures.
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This article is for informational purposes only. Prices, secondary market values, and specifications are approximate and based on market conditions as of early 2026. Chopard is a registered trademark of Chopard & Cie SA. Tempo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chopard.