Chopard

Who are Chopard?

Chopard is a Swiss watchmaker and jeweller based in Geneva, founded in Sonvilier in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard. It has been owned by the Scheufele family since 1963. This page covers its watch history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Chopard in the UK.

Chopard makes jewellery as well as watches, and has been an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 1998 (Chopard). This page stays with the watches. They range from diamond-set pieces such as Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport to sports watches such as the Alpine Eagle and the L.U.C line, whose movements Chopard makes at its own manufacture in Fleurier (Chopard).

The history of Chopard

Chopard’s history runs from a Jura workshop making pocket watches in 1860 to a family-owned watch and jewellery company in Geneva. The key dates are the founding (1860), the move to Geneva (1937), the Scheufele purchase (1963), Happy Diamonds (1976), the Fleurier manufacture (1996) and the Alpine Eagle (2019).

Sonvilier. In 1860 Louis-Ulysse Chopard, then 24, founded a watch manufactory in Sonvilier, in the Swiss Jura, specialising in high-precision pocket watches and chronometers (Chopard). By 1885 its customers included the Swiss railway company and Tsar Nicholas II (Chopard). After the founder’s death in 1915 the business passed to his son Paul-Louis and grandson Paul-André, and in 1921 it moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds (Wikipedia).

Geneva. Chopard moved to Geneva in 1937 (Chopard). Wikipedia notes that the move allowed its movements to be submitted for the Geneva Seal, a quality mark for watches made in the canton. Paul-André Chopard took over in 1943 (Wikipedia).

The Scheufele family. In Pforzheim, Germany, Karl Scheufele I had started his own watch and jewellery company in 1904 (Chopard). His grandson, Karl Scheufele III, met Paul-André Chopard in Geneva and bought Chopard in 1963 (Chopard). The family moved the factory from central Geneva to Meyrin in 1974 (Wikipedia).

Diamonds and sports watches. In 1976 Chopard launched Happy Diamonds, with loose diamonds that move freely behind the sapphire crystal, and in 1978 it opened its own gold foundry (Chopard). In 1980 Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, son of Karl Scheufele III, then aged 22, designed the St. Moritz, a steel sports watch (Chopard). The Mille Miglia watches followed in 1988, with Chopard’s partnership with the Italian car race, and Caroline Scheufele designed the Happy Sport in 1993 (Chopard).

Fleurier. In 1996 Karl-Friedrich Scheufele founded Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, in the canton of Neuchâtel, to make movements (Chopard). Its first watch, the L.U.C 1860 with calibre L.U.C 1.96, followed in 1997 (Monochrome Watches). In 2004 Chopard was one of four Fleurier firms, with Bovet, Parmigiani and Vaucher, that launched the Qualité Fleurier certification (Quill & Pad).

Recent decades. In 2006 Karl-Friedrich Scheufele bought the name of the 18th-century chronometer maker Ferdinand Berthoud; a separate brand under that name launched its first watch, the FB 1, in Paris in 2015 (Escapement; Watchonista). From July 2018 Chopard committed to using 100% ethical gold, and in 2019 the St. Moritz returned as the Alpine Eagle (Chopard).

What is Chopard known for?

As a watchmaker, Chopard is known for Happy Diamonds and its loose, moving diamonds, the L.U.C line with movements made in Fleurier, the Alpine Eagle sports watch, and its own gold and steel alloys. It is also one of the founders of the Qualité Fleurier certification. The details below are each sourced.

Moving diamonds. Happy Diamonds, launched in 1976, has loose diamonds that move freely behind the sapphire crystal (Chopard; Wikipedia). The Happy Sport of 1993 carried the idea into a steel sports watch, with seven loose diamonds between two sapphire crystals on the first model (WorldTempus).

L.U.C and the Fleurier manufacture. L.U.C, from the initials of Louis-Ulysse Chopard, is the name of the watches with movements made at Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, founded in 1996 (Chopard; Monochrome Watches). The first calibre, the L.U.C 1.96 of 1997, was a self-winding movement that carried both the Geneva Seal and COSC chronometer certification (Grail Watch wiki). Later L.U.C watches include the L.U.C Quattro of 2000, with a nine-day power reserve, and the L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater of 2016 (Chopard). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers care about the difference.

Qualité Fleurier. This certification covers the whole watch. The movement must be made entirely in Switzerland and already be a COSC-certified chronometer. The watch must also pass the Chronofiable reliability test, meet finishing standards, and keep a rate between 0 and +5 seconds a day on the Fleuritest machine (Quill & Pad). Our guide to COSC certification explains what the base test measures.

Gold and steel. Chopard has made its own gold alloys since opening a foundry in 1978, and from July 2018 committed to using 100% ethical gold in its watches and jewellery (Chopard). The 2014 L.U.C Tourbillon QF Fairmined was its first watch in Fairmined gold (Monochrome Watches). For the Alpine Eagle, Chopard developed Lucent Steel A223, which it says is anti-allergenic and 50% more resistant to abrasion than conventional steel (WebChronos). The Alpine Eagle’s integrated-bracelet sports-watch shape is often compared with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, a design the Scheufele family would have known well from the same Geneva watchmaking circles of the 1970s and 1980s.

Which Chopard collections are there?

Chopard’s watch range includes the L.U.C, Alpine Eagle, Happy Sport, Happy Diamonds, Mille Miglia, Imperiale and L’Heure du Diamant collections (Chopard).

The collections table on this page gives the year each began, where it is sourced, and a one-line description. A few points help when you are reading listings:

• L.U.C or Chopard. L.U.C watches carry Chopard’s own Fleurier movements; many other Chopard watches use different movements. Check the calibre named in the listing against Chopard’s site.
• St. Moritz and Alpine Eagle. The Alpine Eagle of 2019 is based on the 1980 St. Moritz, with the same integrated steel bracelet and exposed bezel screws but a new dial (WebChronos). A St. Moritz is an older, different watch.
• Mille Miglia and Classic Racing. Chopard’s site lists Classic Racing as a category alongside the Mille Miglia (Chopard), and the Mille Miglia watches date from Chopard’s 1988 partnership with the race (Chopard). Check the reference, as there are many versions.
• Diamond-set watches. On Happy Diamonds, Happy Sport and L’Heure du Diamant watches, the stones are part of what you are paying for. Ask whether all the stones are original and whether any have been replaced or added after the watch left Chopard.

Who owns Chopard?

Chopard is owned by the Scheufele family, who bought it in 1963. It is a private company with no outside shareholders, run by the siblings Caroline Scheufele and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele as co-presidents. It does not belong to a listed luxury group.

Karl Scheufele III bought the company from Paul-André Chopard in 1963 (Chopard). Wikipedia lists the Scheufele family as owner and Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele as co-presidents. Monochrome Watches describes Karl-Friedrich as the co-president responsible for men’s watches; he also founded the Fleurier manufacture in 1996 (Chopard). Figures for Chopard’s sales and output come from press estimates rather than published group accounts (Wikipedia).

In the UK, Chopard (Great Britain) Limited was incorporated on 28 August 1987 and lists wholesale and specialist retail as its business. Companies House records Karl Friedrich Scheufele as holding 75% or more of its shares and voting rights (Companies House).

Buying a pre-owned Chopard in the UK: what to check

Check that the reference and serial number on the watch match its papers, that the papers and any service records are genuine, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. For diamond-set watches, check that the stones are original. Then check whether any Chopard warranty is left.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask exactly what comes with the watch: box, certificate of origin, warranty card, booklet, receipt, and whether each is the original. Chopard asks for the certificate of origin when an owner registers a watch for its warranty extension (Chopard), so it is worth having. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves and what it does not.

2. Reference and serial number. The reference and serial number on the case should match the certificate and any receipt. Look up the reference to confirm the case metal, size and movement. For L.U.C watches, the calibre number should match the one Chopard gives for that reference.

3. Authenticity and stones. Fake Chopard watches exist, and fakes can come with forged papers. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. On a diamond-set watch, ask the watchmaker or a jeweller to confirm that the stones and setting are factory work. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

4. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers and how to use them.

5. Servicing and condition. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. On Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport models, ask whether the loose diamonds still move freely and whether the crystals have been opened. Ask whether the dial, hands or bezel have been replaced.

6. Warranty. Chopard gives a two-year limited warranty from the date of original purchase from an authorised dealer, covering manufacturing defects. It does not cover normal wear, accidents or misuse. Owners can extend it to five years in total by registering online, for watches bought after the date Chopard’s US page gives as 07.01.2020 and still within the original warranty (Chopard). A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Chopard. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes in the UK:

Sources: Chopard, warranty extension (checked 29 October 2026).

We could not find a Chopard certified pre-owned programme in the UK. For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Chopard founded?

In Sonvilier, in the Swiss Jura, in 1860, by Louis-Ulysse Chopard. The company moved to Geneva in 1937 (Chopard).

Who owns Chopard?

The Scheufele family, since Karl Scheufele III bought the company in 1963 (Chopard). Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele are co-presidents (Wikipedia).

Is Chopard a watchmaker or a jeweller?

Both. It began as a watchmaker in 1860, and its jewellery grew out of the Happy Diamonds watch of 1976, with the first jewellery collection in 1985 (Chopard).

Does Chopard make its own movements?

It makes the movements for its L.U.C watches at Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, founded in 1996 (Chopard). Check the calibre of any other model you are looking at.

What does L.U.C stand for?

The initials of the founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard (Monochrome Watches). The first L.U.C watch with a Fleurier movement was the L.U.C 1860 of 1997.

What are Happy Diamonds?

Loose diamonds that move freely behind the sapphire crystal. Chopard launched Happy Diamonds in 1976 (Chopard; Wikipedia).

Is the Alpine Eagle a new version of the St. Moritz?

Yes. Chopard describes the 2019 Alpine Eagle as Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s reinterpretation of the St. Moritz he designed in 1980 (Chopard).

What is the Chopard warranty?

Two years from the original purchase from an authorised dealer, extendable to five in total by registering online while the original warranty still runs (Chopard).

Can I buy a pre-owned Chopard without papers?

You can, but without papers you rely more heavily on the seller’s written guarantee, an independent watchmaker’s check and a stolen-watch check, and you may not be able to register for Chopard’s warranty extension. Agree in writing that you get a full refund if the watch is later found not to be genuine.

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Chopard.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.