Driven by its boundless cultural curiosity and sensitivity, Chopard has been producing exceptional timepieces – always eagerly awaited by collectors – in celebration of a particular heritage. In 2023, the Maison pursues this longstanding tradition by choosing to portray Ganesh, the elephant-headed Indian god of knowledge and virtue who is arguably India's most popular. 

This creation takes the form of the limited and numbered 10-piece L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Special Edition featuring an extremely slender L.U.C XP case in ethical rose gold, an ultra-thin L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L with automatic winding via a micro-rotor, as well as a dial crafted in Japan by a world-renowned artisan specialising in the Maki-e technique. 

A symbolic and artistic narrative

There are many explanations in Indian mythology for the fact that Ganesh has an elephant’s head. Whatever the case, his elephant head has led to him being regarded as a god of wisdom and memory, a link between the macrocosm and the microcosm, capable of removing obstacles. Chopard thus proposes a theme subtly linked to the Indian symbolism of Ganesh with his large belly and pachyderm head and trunk. He is accompanied by a mouse – depicted in some portrayals as serving as his mount – which he is said to have captured during his own childhood when the little creature was terrorising those around him.

The Japanese master lacquerers called upon by Chopard have accordingly created a dial which depicts the duality of a greedy Ganesh who threw his weapon at the moon one night when the latter had laughed at him because his belly had burst with pastry; and wise Ganesh, lotus flower in hand, master of the Gana or mischievous little geniuses, writing the Mahabharata dictated by the legendary Indian sage Vyasa.

A meticulous approach to craftsmanship

Faithful to tradition and the preservation of craftsmanship, Chopard works with the finest Japanese artisans specialised in the traditional Maki-e lacquering technique. The ten iterations intended for the L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition are produced by the workshops of the century-old company Yamada Heiando, a meticulous task requiring no less than 20 hours of work. 

In accordance with this refined ancestral technique, gold flakes – placed between layers of lacquer made from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree – light up the background. The artisan’s attention was focused on each detail of the little scene so as to reveal its realism and lyrical beauty.

The case of the L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition timepiece is entirely sculpted from a block of 18-carat rose gold, sourced from an ethical supply chain pioneered by Chopard. It measures 39.5 mm in diameter and its slim bezel ensures a broad dial opening. In addition to its graceful design and refined ornamental execution, the L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition is also an ultra-thin timepiece that is a mere 6.80 mm thick.

Mechanical performance

This thinness is made possible by the use of the 3.30 mm-thick in-house L.U.C 96.17-L self-winding movement equipped with an off-centred 22-carat gold micro-rotor incorporated into the overall thickness of the calibre. Its strong inertia ensures efficient winding of the two barrels, which are stacked according to Chopard Twin technology and store the energy required for the L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition to offer a total 65-hour power reserve. Once off the wrist, it will remain on time and accurate for more than two and a half days, neatly corresponding to a long weekend. 

Watchmaking craftsmanship

The L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition is part of a continuing story that began when, under Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s leadership, Chopard established the L.U.C collection, devoted to the art and traditions of fine watchmaking. The first watch in the line, the L.U.C 1860, was introduced in 1997. The collection has expanded over the years, consistently offering exquisite, often highly original complications in watches devised, developed, produced, assembled, decorated and certified according to the finest traditions of Swiss watchmaking in Chopard’s Fleurier and Geneva watchmaking workshops. The audacious L.U.C XP Urushi Ganesh Edition marks the next chapter in this enchanting tale, simultaneously demonstrating Chopard’s undimmed capacity for reinvention and surprise. This ten-piece timepiece is a rare and playful interpretation of Chopard’s watchmaking and design codes that is ideal for collectors.