L'Heure du Diamant Moonphase

For the first time in its history, the L'Heure du Diamant collection has a complication at the heart of one of its timepieces. Totalling just 20.40 mm by 4.60 mm, the 169 components composing the new self-winding Chopard Calibre 09.02-C enable it to fit neatly into a small ladies' watch case. An aventurine disc serves to display the Moon's trajectory with remarkable precision. Crafted by the Manufacture's finest watchmaking artisans, this display is endowed with astronomical precision: thanks to a time difference of just 57.2 seconds between two lunar cycles, it will take 122 years to show a one-day discrepancy with the path of the actual Moon and only then will it require adjustment.

The Maison's artisans have enhanced this extremely romantic complication with decorative features inspired by the beauty of the cosmos. With its blue aventurine glass dial studded with points of light, this watch is a beautiful reminder of the vastness and wonder of the galaxy. In a subtle tribute to the art of Haute Joaillerie, the dial’s hour-markers are inspired by an exquisitely delicate gemsetting technique that involves placing each diamond in a bead-set chaton and revealing pure, almost weightless brilliance. Barely a whisper of metal touches the stone, allowing light to play freely across its surface. Harmoniously integrated into the domed curve of the dial, these chatons appear to emerge naturally from the aventurine, as if born from within. All around them, the gentle curvature of the dial captures the light with refined softness, tracing a shimmering aura that frames the scene. This interplay of volumes and reflections draws the eye toward the heart of the watch, where the majestically enthroned Moon is revealed like a celestial vision.

Reflecting the Maison’s expertise in the realm of jewellery watches, the brilliance of the diamonds surrounding the dial in a halo of light is further enhanced by the use of crown-setting: a gemsetting technique unique to Chopard. This singular skill magnifies the radiance of each stone by allowing light to flood into its depths, creating a dazzling display of flamboyant reflections. With V-shaped prongs that support the diamonds like an invisible lacework, this exceptional setting frees the stones from the constraints of metallic opacity, allowing their mineral purity to shine through. Endowed with timeless grace, this creation from L’Heure du Diamant embodies a fragment of eternity.