Behind Closed Doors Chopard

Can Sustainable, Ethical Sourcing Ever Go Hand in Hand With Luxury? The Swiss Watchmaker Is on a Journey to Make It Happen

- Aemilia Ross

Producing timeless pieces is an apt ambition for a watchmaker. For Chopard, though, it’s not simply wishful thinking; it is something tangible that the Swiss brand has achieved over the last 159 years. Today, a new focus on sustainability has begun to set it apart from the few competitors which can match its exquisite craftsmanship.

The firm’s founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard, first began producing timepieces in Switzerland in 1860, specialising in pocket watches and high-quality chronometers. His relentless attention to detail proved a winning formula, and soon his creations were being shipped as far afield as Eastern Europe, the Baltic States and Scandinavia. Towards the end of the 19th century, the brand’s reputation was burnished further with news that Chopard watches were being worn at the court of Tsar Nicholas II.