A unique success story
The company’s current expertise in watchmaking is owed to over 150 years of passion and hard work. Chopard’s success story dates back to Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who founded his company in 1860 in a small village called Sonvilier located in the Swiss Jura region. He initially chose to name his company LUC, after the initials of his name. At the young age of 24-years, Chopard knew the exact direction in which he wanted to lead his workshop. The reliability and precision of his movements indeed stood out from other watch manufacturers. For this reason, Chopard placed great importance on the development of most movement parts by hand. Therefore, the first-class quality of his timepieces was always guaranteed.
Convincing with high quality watches, the ambitious company founder sought out to find new customers in 1912. With his watches safely stored in baggage, Louis-Ulysse Chopard ventured through Poland, Ukraine, the Baltics States, and finally to Russia where the court of Tsar Nicholas II was impressed with his reliable timepieces. Eventually, Chopard’s son Paul decided to enter into business with him and relocated the headquarters of the workshop to La Chaux-de-Fonds, where he had already set up a second company branch. With steady growth, the company soon found itself at the centre of watchmaking: Geneva.