Reviewing: The Chopard 8HF Power Control

Chopard made a lot of new friends when it released the L.U.C. 8HF at Salon QP, in 2012. The avant-garde timepiece featured a movement beating at 57,600 beats per hour, or twice the speed of most modern movements. In 2014, Chopard added a power reserve indicator to the 8HF, and gave it a brilliantly versatile and modern design with black and red accents. Here’s our review:

The titanium case on the 8HF has been swapped for a sporty monobloc matte-black ceramic case, made from DLC titanium, while the bezel, caseback, and crown are all matte ceramic. The result is a lightweight case, measuring 42mm in diameter and 11.20mm in thickness that hugs the wrist nicely and is soft to the touch.

Overall, the Power Control is much more aesthetically pleasing than the original 8HF. The sunburst dial feels much cleaner, and has greater balance, with the date window at 6 o’clock, and the power reserve at 10 o’clock. The central hands retain the signature L.U.C shape found in the original 8HF, and are filled with luminous material.

This new model is water-resistant to 100 meters and presents a DLC-coated titanium case-band with a large ceramic crown at 4 o’clock that’s easy to use underwater.

This timepiece is going to look great whether your suit is made for diving or not. There’s no doubt aficionados will spend quite a bit of time looking through the sapphire crystal built into the caseback that exposes the beating heart of the balance wheel.

This 250 piece limited-edition series is priced at $20,820. For more, please visit Chopard.