Chopard
Brand History
Chopard was founded in 1860 when Louis-Ulysse Chopard opened a small watchmaking workshop in Sonvilier, in the Vallée de Saint-Imier, specializing in precision chronometers, pocket watches and some of the first women's wristwatches. The company then passed to his son Paul-Louis and grandson Paul-André, who in 1937 moved the headquarters to Geneva to stay at the center of the main Swiss watchmaking district.
In 1963, with no heirs of the Chopard family interested in continuing the business, Paul-André sold the brand to Karl Scheufele III, a German goldsmith from Pforzheim: since then Chopard has been owned by the Scheufele family, today led in co-presidency by Karl-Friedrich (watchmaking) and Caroline (jewelry) Scheufele. Under their guidance the brand unites two only seemingly distant souls: high jewelry and luxury women's watchmaking on one side, a passion for classic motorsport on the other.
A decisive turning point came in 1996, with the opening in Fleurier of its own manufacture dedicated to the in-house design and production of mechanical movements, which the following year gave rise to the L.U.C collection. At the same time Chopard is today among the pioneers of the ethical gold supply chain, using Fairmined-certified gold in its creations since 2013, and is a long-standing partner of events such as the Cannes Film Festival (for which it makes the Palme d'Or) and the Mille Miglia motor race.
