For its novelty releases at Watches & Wonders 2026, Chopard is in the mood to give the people more of what they want. Last year was unmistakably adventurous, debuting unforgettable new references such as the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Straw Marquetry Edition and the technically impressive Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF. In 2026, the focus instead is on refinements rather than reinventions.
Take the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS “Mountain Glow” as an example. It’s broadly the same 41mm Alpine Eagle that collectors have grown to love, but Chopard has turned its attention to the details that matter most, updating the bracelet to make it one of the most comfortable examples to date.
Within this narrowed lens, Chopard is also celebrating the 30th anniversary of its manufacture in Fleurier – marked with the debut of a wonderfully elegant 1860 Chronometer. Let’s get into the details.
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Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XPS “Mountain Glow”
With so much scope to pour endless R&D into the technical elements of watchmaking, sometimes the most primary aspects of the craft – such as ergonomics – can be overlooked. Chopard has never been one to ignore how a watch fits on a wrist. But this year, it’s turned serious attention to the matter with the arrival of the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS “Mountain Glow”, arriving with a new ultra-thin case and tapered bracelet.
At 41mm wide and just 8mm thick, it elegantly proportioned to the point of almost being a dress watch (at least compared to its sportier cousins), and that restraint is exactly the point. Another fresh detail is the new “Mountain Glow” dial presenting as a warm champagne tone, which is the kind of detail that gets better the closer you look at it.
Beneath it sits the L.U.C 96.40-L calibre, arriving at a wafer-like 3.3mm thick, and equipped with automatic winding, 65-hours of power reserve (thanks to twin stacked barrels), and a 22-carat ethical gold micro-rotor. It carries both COSC Chronometer certification and the Poinçon de Genève hallmark, which is a genuinely rare achievement for a watch of this kind.
Perhaps the headline, however, is the reworked bracelet, now featuring tapered links and a new comfort-extension system that makes it perfectly fitted no matter the weather. A proper luxury sports watch, quietly done.
Chopard L.U.C 1860 Chronometer 30th Anniversary
If the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS is Chopard at its most athletic, the L.U.C 1860 Chronometer is Chopard at its most considered. Released to mark 30 years of the Fleurier Manufacture, it’s got a Lucent Steel case that measures a universally wearable 36.5mm in diameter, while it remains slimline with a profile of just 8.2mm.
What is guaranteed to get collectors lining up around the block, however, is the dial, which has been crafted from a disk of 18-carat white gold and hand-guilloché with a sunburst pattern on a vintage lathe. Finished in a deep “Areuse Blue” (inspired by the river that runs near the Manufacture itself), it’s the kind of colour that shifts with the light while adding a contemporary touch at the same time.
It’s powered by the same L.U.C 96.40-L calibre found in the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS, meaning it’s also COSC-certified and Poinçon de Genève marked, and it’s also got no date and a small seconds subdial at six.
Paired with an anthracite grey calfskin strap, it’s a quietly exceptional watch, and if you were hunting for that elusive, almost mythical “one watch” for the rest of your life, you could do much, much worse than this one.
