How does a precision watch company with a history of extremely accurate and fine timepieces, become a world-renowned top-of-the-line fine jeweller?
24-year-old Louis-Ulysse Chopard would not live long enough to see his high-precision watch manufactory become a jewellery house but in 1860, he would start the process that would eventually see Chopard break into the world of fine jewellery.
Louis-Ulysse Chopard grew up in Sonvilier Switzerland. He was the second son of Félicien Chopard and his wife Henriette. Félicien was an experienced farmer, established and capable, who wanted something different for his son. He encouraged Louis to learn the watchmaking trade which turned out to be fortuitous for the young man, who quickly picked up the ins and outs of fine watchmaking.
Almost immediately, Chopard recognised that it was the watch dealerships that earned the greatest profits and that success lay in independent work.
As an ambitious and competent young man, Louis-Ulysse Chopard set out to found Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A., or Chopard, for short. This would be a manufacturing company that specialised in pocket watches and wristwatches. While none of his watches were mass-produced, Chopard’s clients were won over by his clever combination of artistry and functionality. At this time Chopard’s was still a relatively small company, despite his fine timepieces. In 1912 he visited the Netherlands, Poland, and Hungary with his finest pocket and wristwatches. After travelling through Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia, Chopard’s timepieces would find their way to the court of Nicholas II of Russia. Sadly, three years after this impressive international expansion, Chopard would pass, leaving his company to his son Paul-Louis.
This would mark the very beginning of the Chopard dynasty, with Paul-Louis Chopard running the business. Paul-Louis built the company up even further until it had expanded and moved to a larger town, Chaux-de-Fonds. It was a company of 150 people and still growing, necessitating a final move to the capital of fine watches, Geneva.
Jewellery design and fabrication were still not the focus of Chopard, this would come later after Paul-Louis passed the reigns to his son Paul-André. The third generation of Chopards would be the turning point in the direction of the business. Having no children of his own, Paul- André could not stand to see the name of Chopard die. Wanting the business to continue, he sold the company to Karl Scheufele II, a German goldsmith and watchmaker. This proved to be one of the best moves any of the Chopards could have made, Scheufele II managed to take what were already well-made pieces and catapult them into the realm of high-end. The Scheufele family opened an independent watch movement manufacturing facility, just for Chopard, ensuring that the quality of the movements was consistent. In 1976 they also introduced the very first free-floating diamonds, a design that would not only inspire one of the most iconic lines ever created but would launch Chopard into the world of fine jewellery.
Happy Diamonds were introduced to the world in the form of jewellery by none other than a clown. Designed by Caroline Scheufele in 1985, the articulated Happy Clown was designed with moving arms and legs with a tummy full of floating dancing diamonds. It was a playful design and after being developed in secret, was released to an astonished audience who absolutely loved the piece. It was an immediate triumph and marked the beginning of a long line of Chopard jewellery successes.
While it may have taken 125 years for Chopard to develop a jewellery line, it was well worth the wait. By 1998, Chopard became an official partner of the Cannes International Film Festival, crafting the legendary Palme d’Or award and presenting young talent with the Trophée Chopard. A far cry from the small manufacturing facility in Sonvilier. Now, Chopard is just as well known for jewellery as for watches, the integration of floating diamonds into their timepieces blurs the line between the two realms creating a wholly unique appearance in their range of jewels.
To mark their 150-year anniversary, Chopard released an exquisite collection, Animal World, in 2010. This captivating collection included 150 unique pieces which encapsulated the playfulness that gave Chopard jewellery its start. This line featured intricate work such as a pair of monkeys plucking fruit in the form of a necklace. This collection also saw the limited release of pieces perhaps slightly more accessible for everyday wear, such as the limited edition ‘Kangaroo’ rose gold diamond pendant, which features a clean rose gold kangaroo and a floating Happy Diamond between two lenses. When worn, the kangaroo almost appears to be playing with the diamond as it floats around in the pendant.
This spectrum of jewels showcases the range of Chopard, their ability to balance more intricate design with clean modern lines. But it also indicates the consideration the company has for their clientelle. The consistency of the quality of craftsmanship is revealed not only in their Haute Joallerie but carries into their more accessible lines, showing that perhaps after 150 years of precision and care, Chopard knows what they’re doing.
