Introducing the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike “Día de los Muertos”

Returning to Gotham Hall from October 16–18, 2026, WatchTime New York will bring together established watchmaking houses and independent brands for three days of watch discoveries. Among the exceptional timepieces to explore at this year’s show is Chopard’s one-of-a-kind L.U.C Full Strike “Día de los Muertos” Edition 13, which pairs a technically sophisticated minute repeater with a striking handcrafted dial celebrating Mexican culture down to the smallest detail.

A Calavera Crafted in Straw and Eggshell

For its 13th interpretation of the Día de los Muertos theme, Chopard turns to one of the most elaborate expressions of its artistic craftsmanship. The L.U.C Full Strike “Día de los Muertos” Edition 13 features a hand-decorated dial depicting a calavera, the stylized skull that has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Associated with the celebration of life and remembrance, the motif also echoes the vanitas tradition in art, which reflects on the fleeting nature of existence.

The 42.5mm case is crafted from 18-karat ethical rose gold, with hand engraving extending across the bezel, caseband, and crown. The dial, also made of rose gold, introduces a new decorative technique to Chopard: eggshell marquetry, used here for the first time by the manufacture. Combined with deep-blue straw marquetry, it creates a textured composition that relies on the natural properties of both materials.

A single artisan devoted 160 hours to the dial. More than 70 individually selected fragments of rye straw, grown in France, were split, shaped, and arranged by hand. Their varied orientations produce shifting reflections, tracing the contours of the skull. The eye sockets and teeth are rendered in eggshell marquetry. Each fragment is carefully selected, cleaned, dried, broken, and assembled by hand before the surface is lacquered and polished.

The treatment around the eye sockets is particularly intricate. Black lacquer remains visible at the center, while the eggshell fragments become progressively denser toward the outer edges, creating a subtle gradient. The skull’s characteristic moustache is fashioned from hand-engraved gold with a satin-brushed finish and a raised L.U.Chopard logo. Fine hand-executed chasing outlines the calavera and continues across the bezel, caseband, and crown. The time display is deliberately restrained. Gilded fusée-style hands indicate the hours and minutes at the center, while the power reserve indication is integrated into the eye socket at 2 o'clock. Parts of the striking mechanism are shown across in the left eye. A railway-style minute track is engraved on the sapphire crystal.

Caliber L.U.C 08.01-L

Inside the watch is the manually wound L.U.C 08.01-L, the first minute repeater movement developed entirely by Chopard Manufacture. Introduced in 2016, the caliber earned the Aiguille d’Or at the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for its technical innovation and acoustic performance. Its defining feature is a patented monobloc sapphire construction. Rather than using separate gongs attached to the movement, the L.U.C Full Strike employs gongs and watch glass machined from a single piece of sapphire crystal. This integrated structure allows the crystal itself to act as a resonator, transmitting vibrations directly into the air and producing a clear, resonant chime.

The movement comprises 533 components, including 63 jewels, and operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz. It delivers a power reserve of 60 hours. The mainplate and bridges are made of maillechort, while the bridges feature Côtes de Genève decoration. For this edition, the hammers, strike ratchet wheels bridge, and repeater inertia governor drum receive a blue CVD treatment that echoes the color of the straw marquetry.

Five patented technologies underpin the caliber, including the monobloc sapphire construction, a variable-inertia balance, and mechanisms designed to ensure reliable activation and uninterrupted chiming sequences. This strikework-pusher disengagement system prevents any interference while the mechanism is chiming, and a dedicated ratchet-driving mechanism enabling the sequence of hours, quarters and minutes to sound in fluid succession without unnecessary silent pauses, with remarkable clarity and continuity.

The movement is certified with the prestigious Geneva Seal or Poinçon de Genève, a quality hallmark that encompasses both technical and finishing requirements. The exhibition case back is hand-engraved and polished, offering an unobstructed view of the movement’s architecture.

The L.U.C Full Strike “Día de los Muertos” Edition 13, reference 161947-5007, is fitted with a hand-sewn cognac-brown alligator leather strap and a hand-engraved rose gold deployant clasp. The case measures 11.55mm in thickness. 

The one-of-a-kind watch will be presented as part of the watchmaking lineup at WatchTime New York 2026, get your tickets, here.