New Chopard LUC GMT One Black
GMT watches are one of the purest forms that travel timepieces can take. GMT watches were first designed for pilots in the 1950s. They provide more information than simple dual time watches and are more streamlined than Universal Time. To be a true GMT timepiece, the watch only needs to have a 24-hour scale and a second hour hand, and its running speed is half the speed of the other regular hour hand it is fixed. As early as 2016, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its Fleurier manufacturing, Chopard launched the stainless steel LUC GMT One, which is the first watch with GMT complications in the sacred LUC series.
Chopard LUC GMT One Black
Fast forward to 2021, Chopard released a new version of LUC GMT One. Although this piece is functionally equivalent to the original stainless steel, it uses a completely different design language, using new materials, color schemes and surface treatments. Here, we bring you the low-key and our ideas of the new Chopard LUC GMT One Black.
Case, dial and hands
The new LUC GMT One Black retains the case design and size of its stainless steel predecessor. The size of the case is still modern 42.00 x 11.71 mm, with two crowns on the side-one at 2 o’clock to adjust the date and time, and the other at 4 o’clock to adjust the 24 hours Making rings. The big difference in this new variant is the housing material. Together with the LUC Time Traveller One Black co-exhibited at Watches & Wonders 2021, GMT One Black is the world’s first travel watch with a ceramic titanium case. Ceramic grade 5 titanium is produced by exposing the titanium surface layer to extreme temperatures to effectively oxidize it. This treatment gives this famous lightweight metal stronger corrosion resistance and higher hardness.
The simple dial layout of LUC GMT One Black remains the same as before, but it now exudes a completely different atmosphere. Perfectly matched with the color of the case, the dial adopts a monochromatic theme, which is not only gentle and elegant, but also makes the display and instructions very clear. On the periphery of the dial is a 24-hour circle, marking the number of hours in the second time zone; the light gray half of the ring represents the daytime, and the black half represents the night. Moving inwards, there is the local time marked with white Arabic numerals and an arrow index. It is presented in gray and is decorated with exquisite concentric guilloches, which interacts with light interestingly. The central medallion is also gray-albeit in a different color-and houses the four hands of the watch: the hour, minute, and second hands of local time, and the hour hand of the second time zone (also called GMT hands). Thanks to the white Super-Luminova coating on the hands and hour markers, the time can be seen even in low or no light conditions. Last but not least, the date window is located at 6 o’clock on the dial, subtly integrated into the local time scale.
sports
Driving the LUC GMT One Black is Calibre LUC 01.10-L, which consists of 262 parts and 31 gems. The automatic movement has a power reserve of 60 hours and runs at a modern 4 Hz frequency. Like all other LUC movements, it has passed the accuracy certification of the COSC chronometer. best luxury replica watches
In order to match the beauty of the case and dial, the movement itself uses an anthracite gray tone. Although unlike some of the brothers and sisters in the LUC series, the movement is certified by the Geneva mark, but the LUC 01.10-L movement is still beautifully crafted, with Geneva corrugations across the bridge and winding rotor, polished screw heads, bevels and polished edges, and Round grained main board.
Competitive landscape
GMT watches, even if you exclude those admirers who do not have a 24-hour scale, it is still a dime today. This complexity has indeed taken off since Pan American Airlines commissioned Rolex in the 1950s to develop the first GMT watch for its pilots. In other words, although GMT watches are very common, only a certain number of watchmakers manufacture them according to the “premium watchmaking” standard. Chopard cheap is certainly one of them. LUC GMT One Black stands out not only because it is one of the more perfect and real GMT watches, it is also made of avant-garde ceramic titanium, which has not been used in travel watches so far.
