With Bella Hadid as Its Muse, Chopard’s L’Heure du Diamant Celebrates Over a Century of Mastery

A closer look at how over a hundred years of goldsmithing, watchmaking, and design excellence continue to shape the brand’s most radiant collection

You might have sneaked a look at your phone halfway through dinner to see if it was getting late, but a century ago, that glance would have said far too much. For much of the early twentieth century, a woman checking her watch could be seen as impatient or even rude. It was hard to imagine now, but that social restriction gave rise to something unexpectedly beautiful. Jewellers began creating pieces that hid the function of timepieces within slim bracelets, their secret movements tucked inside. The British Museum still held examples of these discreet innovations.

The same fascination with transforming timepieces into jewellery was emerging across Europe. In Germany, Karl Scheufele I was among the craftsmen exploring that balance between artistry and functionality, creating gold and platinum jewellery watches. Eventually, Scheufele’s workshop in Pforzheim became renowned for its innovation. In 1912, he introduced a clever clip that allowed a pocket watch to be worn on the wrist, which is an ancestor of the modern wristwatch. By the 1920s, his creations had been influenced by the daring geometry of the Art Deco movement, defined by stylised diamond settings and platinum cases that became his signature.

After the upheaval of World War I, his son Karl Scheufele II steered the family business through recovery, keeping its focus on Swiss movements and meticulous craftsmanship. A few decades later, in 1958, Karl Scheufele III took the helm at just 20 years old, joined by his wife Karin.

Their shared vision for expansion led to the 1963 acquisition of Chopard, a turning point that combined German goldsmithing knowledge with Swiss horological excellence.

By the late 1960s, Chopard’s daring diamond-set watches were being recognised internationally, winning fifteen Golden Rose of Baden-Baden awards, then considered the “Oscars” of jewellery design, further confirming its reputation as a master of the jewellery watch.

A particular collection by the brand, L’Heure du Diamant, solidified that idea. The line captured the lineage of craftsmanship that had begun over a century earlier. Each piece was distinguished by Chopard’s exclusive crown setting, a technique that utilised V-shaped claws to allow more light to touch the diamond’s surface, amplifying its brilliance.

Dials were carved from ornamental stones such as tiger’s eye, malachite, opal, and cornaline, while bracelets featured the hand-engraved bark textures first introduced in the 1960s, crafted entirely in gold, ethical gold that is. It’s important to note that in 2018, Chopard became the first luxury watch and jewellery creator to commit to using 100 per cent ethical gold in the production of its watches and jewellery, including the L’Heure du Diamant pieces.

A closer look at the inner workings of the creations revealed the brand’s watchmaking expertise at its finest. The ultra-thin 10.01-C calibre, one of the smallest manual-winding movements crafted in-house, sat at the centre of the collection, alongside self-winding models like the 09.01-C and 09.02-C. Continuing to build on that legacy, Chopard expanded the L’Heure du Diamant story with new interpretations that highlighted its dual mastery of design and movement, including a poetic moonphase timepiece and a campaign featuring ambassador Bella Hadid, which reimagined the collection’s floral designs first seen in the brand’s 1960s catalogues. 

To celebrate, Chopard launched a travelling exhibition, which recently arrived in Dubai, bringing together heritage and contemporary L’Heure du Diamant pieces. It featured revered creations, from sculptural bark-textured bracelets to diamond-set crowns.

Over time, Chopard’s understanding of watchmaking has been reflected in all its creations, particularly throughout L’Heure du Diamant. The range brilliantly brings together craftsmanship, innovation, and artistic beauty, while keeping the house’s traditions alive and thriving.

Lead Image Courtesy of Instagram/@chopard