While it consistently wows jewelry mavens with its ladies? pieces and reliably satisfies racing enthusiasts with its annual Mille Miglia releases, Chopard saves its biggest feats of horological derring-do for exclusive models in its L.U.C collection, named for the initials of founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard. The high-complication headliner that the watch and jewelry purveyor launched at Baselworld 2019 impressed with both its technical complexity and decorative mastery. Here?s what you need to know about the new Chopard L.U.C Flying T Twin.

The Flying T Twin, as its name perhaps not so subtly suggests, contains the first flying tourbillon that Chopard has put into a timepiece, as well its first tourbillon watch of any type with an automatic movement. Newcomers to the brand may now be wondering what the ?Twin? in the name refers to. It denotes the movement?s patented Twin Technology, in which two stacked mainspring barrels store for the watch a lengthy 65-hour power reserve.
Developed and produced entirely in Chopard?s Swiss workshops, this new self-winding movement, Caliber 96.24-L is just 3.30 mm thick, allowing for a very slender 7.2 mm thickness for the 40-mm-diameter case, made of Chopard?s 18k ?fairmined? white gold.
Visible through a sapphire caseback window, Caliber 96.24-L was developed specially for this watch. Wound by an engraved 22k gold micro-rotor that helps it maintain its slim profile, the movement also features a stop-seconds function (rare in a tourbillon w...