The only watch project 2005 Introducing the Palladium L.U.C Quattro Regulator ?Pièce Unique?? Chopard is honoured to be part of the project ?Only Watch 2005?. It has always been our conviction that as a successful company we also carry a social responsibility. Therefore, we support promising scientific projects in medicine. Among others, Chopard has been helping the ?José Carreras Foundation? against Leukaemia, as well as the ?Elton John Foundation? against AIDS. Today, we are pleased to assist HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and the ?Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies? by offering this unique ?L.U.C Quattro Regulator? palladium watch. It is and will be the only version of a L.U.C Quattro Regulator in palladium (950), equipped with a special dial. Palladium is the least dense and malleable precious metal of the platinum group metals (PGM), which typically are found together in ore deposits; its density of 12,02 makes it lighter than gold or platinum. It has a beautiful white silvery colour and does not tarnish in the air. Further, it is very rare that watch cases are made of this material. It is in fact the first Chopard watch in palladium and this timepiece carries the engraving ?PIECE UNIQUE?. The Chopard L.U.C Collection The letters ?L.U.C? stand for Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the man who founded Chopard in Sonvilier (Swiss Jura) in 1860. Chopard was taken over by the Scheufele family in 1963 and its headquarters today are in Geneva. It is one of the few remaining family companies in the luxury watch industry. Chopard Manufacture - back to the roots In 1996, Chopard returned to its roots in the Jura and established ?Chopard Manufacture? in the village of Fleurier. The first calibre conceived was a completely new automatic movement, named ?L.U.C 1.96?. This allowed Chopard to tie up with its past and again become a ?Manufacture?. In 1997, the first ?L.U.C? watch equipped with above movement has been awarded the distinction ?Watch of the Year? (by the major Swiss watch magazines "Montres Passions" and "Uhren Welt"). The Manufacture in Fleurier employs almost 100 people. All are guardians of time-honoured expertise, while remaining resolutely future-oriented. Together, these engineers, designers in Research & Development and master-craftsmen give rise to unique watches made in accordance with the noblest rules of the watchmaking art. An impressive performance Within a short time, Chopard Manufacture presented a number of new movements and watches, all of which feature interesting technical innovations, superior craftsmanship and finish. - 1996: Presentation of ?L.U.C 1.96?, an innovative selfwinding movement with micro-rotor and stacked double barrels (L.U.C Twin, power reserve of approx. 70 hours), chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), also carrying the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. - 1999: ?L.U.C 1.98? a world?s first in the field of wristwatch movements, hand wound, equipped with four barrels (two sets of double stacked barrels, patented) , providing a powerreserve of more than 216 hours , 28?800 vibrations per hour, chronometer-certified by the COSC , Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. - 2001: ?L.U.C 3.97?, the first ?Tonneau? shaped self-winding movement with micro-rotor with the same characteristics as ?L.U.C 1.96?. - 2003: ?L.U.C 1.02?, the first ?Chopard Tourbillon? entirely produced in our own workshops, meeting the highest standards: hand-winding with a power reserve of approx. 216 hours (9 days), equipped with four barrels (two sets of double stacked barrels, patented), four - armed ?Variner? variable inertia balance with integrated regulating inertiablocks (patented), 28?800 vibrations per hour. The movement consists of 224 parts, bears the "Poinçon de Genève" quality hallmark and is chronometer-certified by the COSC. The ?L.U.C Quattro Tourbillon? equipped with this calibre encountered a big success and was produced in two limited series of 100 pieces in rose-gold, respectively 100 pieces in platinum. - 2004: ?L.U.C 1.98 - Regulator?, a regulator-type display was added to the ?L.U.C 1.98? movement, featuring an additional time-zone function. In 2004, the outstanding design and technical standards of the ?L.U.C Quattro Regulator? watch once again convinced the jury of the ?Watch of the Year? award. Only 250 pieces of this model (available in yellow, white and rose gold) will be made. - 2004: ?L.U.C 1.02-4TT?, the first ?L.U.C Steel Wings Tourbillon? was presented to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Antiquorum. Produced in a series of only 30 pieces in stainless steel, it features the same characteristics as the ?L.U.C 1.02?. Its design however is strikingly contemporary and highlights the technical qualities of this timepiece. - 2004: the foundation ?Qualité Fleurier? was launched, initiated by ?Bovet, Chopard and Parmigiani? offering a new sophisticated ?test? on a specially designed equipment for reliable precision under ?real life? conditions.