The Swiss jewelry house Chopard dates back to the mid-19th century, and today it is synonymous with luxury and selectivity. The business cards of the Shopard house are jewelry and expensive status watches that cannot be confused with any others.
Brand history
The history of the company began in 1860 in Switzerland, which at that time was already a world leader in the manufacture of watches. A jeweler from the town of Sonvivilliers, whose name was Louis-Ulysses Chopard, opened his watch workshop. At that time, the young watchmaker was only 24 years old, but he was able to develop and establish the production of ultra-precise pocket chronometers. His products never failed, they were very accurate in measuring time, so Sopard soon became a supplier for Swiss railway stations.
Pocket watches were also produced at home, called LUC according to the initials of their creator, they were appreciated all over the world. Even the Russian emperor Nicholas II acquired such in 1912.
By 1920, the company, already under the leadership of the watchmaker’s heirs, was moving to Geneva due to the fact that public interest in alarm clocks and pocket watches was weakening, and Geneva was the center of world watch art. By 1960, the last watchmaker named Sopard was forced to sell the company, as his sons refused to continue the business. The brand buys Karl Scheuifel and begins to enlarge it - to produce luxury jewelry, hire more people, improve production standards. But at the same time he seeks to maintain tradition.
Chopard today
Today, this name is associated not only with watches; they create jewelry and luxury items under the Shopard brand . Boutiques around the world attract millionaires and Hollywood stars. The brand produces not only watches, but also jewelry, as well as fragrances for men and women.
In 2007, the brand specifically for guests of the Cannes Film Festival created a unique collection of jewelry from 60 items. The price of the entire collection exceeded one million euros, but, despite this, all the items were instantly sold out.
In 2010, the house celebrated its 150th anniversary, to which he released the Animal World jewelry collection. Products depict 150 different animals. The House also fruitfully collaborates with the Cannes Film Festival, awarding its own prize to young actors and developing special collections of jewelry for the red carpet. And in 2016, the House celebrated the 50th anniversary of Happy Diamonds - dancing diamonds that have become the hallmark of the Shopard jewelry and watches.
Clock
Around the same time that the company passed into the hands of Karl Scheuifel, brand designer Ronald Kurovski, traveling around Germany, was inspired by a mountain waterfall. He came up with the idea of floating diamonds - they moved freely inside the watch case. For this, the company came up with a special case with two sapphire crystals, which allowed diamonds to float between them, without interfering with the operation of the ultra-precise clockwork. Diamonds shimmered and sparkled, literally bewitching. This has become a Shopard calling card.
In 1996, the company developed a new modern and precise movement, which became the basis of their updated LUC model. In addition to the proprietary movement, the watch has a Breguet balance spring and a 22-carat gold rotor (alternative to automatic winding). All this was necessary to obtain the "Geneva brand", the famous inscription "Swiss Made", which can be put only on watches that meet special requirements. This is a watch from an elite club that costs fabulous money and will never let your master down.
The brand’s modern watches are not only classic variations of the famous LUC men's watches or the timeless Happy Diamonds women's collection with floating diamonds. Women can also choose truly elegant watches from the Imperiale collection - they are distinguished by their exquisite design, the presence of precious stones and metals, as well as the arrow in the form of a dagger. For men, the House offers the Classic Racing collection, inspired by the legendary race cars, which are reflected in the Chopard status watches.
Jewelry
The daughter of Karl Scheuifel, Carolina, taking over the management of the company, introduces a new direction in it. Chopard begins to produce not only watch collections, but also jewelry. The first was Happy Clown - a clown figure with dancing diamonds, created according to the sketches of Carolina - the first sign of the future famous Shopard collections. The brand’s jewelry is very recognizable, among its most notable creations is the Marquis ring in pink gold and diamonds, in the center of which is a chic blue diamond.
The Shopard House is inextricably linked with the Cannes Film Festival. So, the famous golden palm branch (symbol and award of the festival) belongs to the authorship of Carolina Scheufel, who today runs the Shopard house with her brother. Rings, pendants and earrings from the House collections are often purchased with headsets that are not an outdated classic.
Stars who choose "Shopard"
Rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants are the constant companions of the evening image of Hollywood stars. Of course, such watches and jewelry, which are released by the Shopard house, cannot but have fans among celebrities. So, the daughter of the President of the United States, Ivanka Trump, gives preference to watches with floating diamonds. The most expensive watch model The Super Ice Cube belongs to such super-famous personalities as Elton John, Charlize Theron, Kate Moss. David Beckham chose this watch to meet with the Queen of Great Britain, and Eva Herzigova walked them on the red carpet in Cannes. Often in the ears of celebrities you can see Shopard earrings, for example on Penelope Cruz or Dita von Teese.
By the way, Eva Herzigova, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lawrence are fans of these jewelry, often pick them to their outfits for publication.