Chopard

Louis-Ulysse Chopard established his L.U.C. manufacturing company in 1860 in Sonvilier, Swiss Jura, having observed that marketing finished watches was more profitable than producing movements alone. After his death in 1915, son Paul-Louis took over, relocating to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1921 and to Geneva in 1937 to qualify for Geneva Seal certification. Paul-André took over in 1943. In 1963, with no family successors interested in continuing, Paul-André sold the company to Karl Scheufele III, a German goldsmith and watchmaker from Pforzheim. The factory moved to Meyrin-Geneva in 1974. In 1976, the Happy Diamonds collection was introduced with freely moving diamonds behind sapphire crystal. In 1996, Chopard established its own complete movement manufacture in Fleurier for in-house L.U.C calibers. The company has been official partner of the Mille Miglia rally since 1988 and the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, crafting the Palme d'Or trophy. Chopard committed to Fairmined-certified ethical gold starting in 2013. Co-presided by siblings Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele.