- Swiss luxury watchmaker Chopard has announced the Zagato Lab One Concept, a superlight concept watch developed in collaboration with the Italian automotive atelier.
- Weighing just 43.20 grams including the strap (36.5 grams without), the new release is the lightest watch ever created by Chopard in titanium.
- It is powered by the COSC-certified L.U.C 04.04-L movement, which boasts a tourbillon at 6 o’clock and a power reserve of 60 hours.
- The 42mm design takes inspiration from the coach-builder’s unique architecture, with the movement supported by a framework of tubes.
- Limited to 19 pieces worldwide, the Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept collaboration watch references Zagato’s founding date of the 19 April 1919.
In the Venn diagram of car and watch design, technical mastery sits in the very centre. Both disciplines require skill, precision and the ability to transform a myriad of teeny, tiny components into a working engine. Whether it’s a new reference or race car, the challenge has always been to make things lighter, stronger and more efficient. Swiss luxury watchmaker Chopard has just done exactly that, and what’s more, it’s tapped a legendary Italian coach-builder to make it happen.
Launched at the recent Retromobile classic car show in Paris, the latest Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept introduces the maison’s lightest-ever titanium timepiece. Created in collaboration with Milan-based luxury atelier Zagato, the concept watch bridges the two disciplines with remarkable ease, lifting cues from the heritage design house’s signature tubular approach. Streamlined, sophisticated and partially-skeletonised, Chopard’s latest effort is the perfect blend of artisan craftsmanship and industrial mastery.
Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept
For Chopard, the new Zagato Lab One Concept is essentially the continuation of its much-admired Mille Miglia collection. Over the past decade, the brand has collaborated with Zagato on a series of commemorative pieces, including the Mille Miglia Zagato Chronograph from 2013 and the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Zagato 100th Anniversary Edition in 2019.
This latest variation may follow a familiar collaborative approach, but it’s nothing like its predecessors. The 42mm Concept piece is crafted entirely from ceramicised titanium, obtained via a process of oxidising titanium through electro-plasma technology. According to Chopard, the treatment (which does sound a little like science fiction) endows the material with a hardness of 1000 Vickers, while also improving shock and scratch resistance properties.
Most importantly, the titanium case material significantly cuts weight. By using Zagato’s expertise in applying aeronautical techniques to aluminium structures, Chopard was able to reduce the total weight of the timepiece to just 43.20 grams including the strap. However, that wasn’t the only design element Chopard borrowed from the legendary Italian atelier.
Tubular Design
For decades, Zagato has been revered for its unique tubular architecture, which sees chassis redesigned to better improve construction principles and weight ratios. For the Lab One Concept, Chopard and Zagato have reimagined the design language on a much smaller scale, introducing tubular architecture as a means of supporting the movement.
In a first for the Swiss watchmaker, the Lab One Concept eschews lugs in favour of tubular open loops that feature a pivoting function controlled by an adjustment system. According to Chopard, the crown on the side of the case is derived from automotive differential gears and personalised with an engraved steering wheel that has become emblematic of Chopard’s Classic Racing codes. The mainplate of the movement also serves as the dial and you’ll find a unique automotive-inspired power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock.
Of course, much like the cars that dominate the Mille Miglia, the new Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept is nothing without its engine. The new timepiece is powered by the L.U.C Calibre 04.04-L, a COSC-certified movement that offers a stellar 60 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept Availability
Collaborative pieces are always an interesting prospect, particularly when they fuse the worlds of automotive and horological design. When executed well, the pieces fit together with seamless ease and the signature of the maker is instantly distinguishable from that of its contemporaries. With the new Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept, the connection feels undeniable, marrying the design philosophies of two legendary maisons in one unique piece.
The new Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept is limited to just 19 pieces worldwide. Pricing is available upon request, but considering the sheer level of craftsmanship and technical mastery needed to bring this piece to life, you can bet it won’t come cheap. For more information on the latest collaborative piece, visit Chopard.
Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept Technical Specifications
- Brand: Chopard
- Model: Zagato Lab One Concept
- Reference: Ref. 168636-3001
- Diameter: 42mm
- Thickness: 11.15mm
- Case Material: Titanium
- Movement: L.U.C 04.04-L hand-wound mechanical movement
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Water-Resistance: 50 metres
- Availability: Limited to 19 pieces
- Price: On request
