CHOPARD

Chopard's Mille Miglia XL Chronograph

Like Cartier, the Chopard brand is known around the world for its timepieces. The artisanship and distinctive calibration details of its timepieces are one-of-a-kind.

In 1860, Louis-Ulysse Chopard was 24 years old when he established a workshop for manufacturing watches in Sonviller, Switzerland.

A little over 100 years later in 1963, Paul Andre' Chopard, Louis' grandson, who had carried on the tradition of his grandfather was forced to sell the company due to his sons' lack of interest in maintaining it.

Paul Andre' found an heir of sorts in Karl Scheufele of Pforzheim, Germany. As it turned out, Scheufele was the descendant of watchmakers and in turn Paul Andre' sold his company to him.

Scheufele remained loyal to the Chopard brand and kept the company based in Switzerland; but he also expanded the company's inventory by including jewelry pieces. In 1975, Scheufele introduced the Happy Diamonds Watch Collection, wherein the design featured diamonds floating between two transparent sapphire crystals.

The 1980s marked several milestones for Chopard: the company introduced sport watches with leather straps; the Mille Miglia, a special edition watch designed to commemorate Chopard's partnership with an annual Italian vintage car rally; and Chopard's first boutiques were established in Geneva, Hong Kong, and Vienna.

18K Rose Gold Imperiale Pendant Necklace

In the 1990s Schuefele's children, Caroline and Karl-Friedrich, became a part of the company's management team. Caroline manages the jewelry department while Karl-Friedrich heads the watch-making department.

Since 1998 the Chopard company's partnership with the Cannes Film Festival has provided the celebrities attending the festival with their dazzling fine jewelry pieces and watches.   To celebrate Cannes' 60th anniversary in 2007 Chopard introduced the Red Carpet Collection developed by Caroline Scheufele.

In order to further the company's jewelry line, Scheufele collaborated with New York William Goldberg Diamond Corporation, which specializes in recreating the Ashoka diamond cut. The Ashoka diamond cut is a variation of the antique cushion cut which is a rectangular outline with rounded corners.

18K Rose Gold Chopardissimo Ring

By 2007, Chopard also set up boutiques in Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, Palm Beach, and New York. Other Chopard watch collections include Happy Spirits, Golden Dreams, Copacabana, Happy Sports, and Ashoka. The Chopard brand also features writing pens, key rings, leather handbags, scarves, and eyewear.