A Horological Ballet of Four Seasons: Presenting Chopard’s Poetic Vision in IMPERIALE

It all began with a whimsical sketch — a joyful clown brought to life at Chopard’s atelier, in 1985. This was no ordinary doodle: it marked a sparkling turning point in the Maison’s design philosophy. A belly brimming with floating diamonds and gleaming gemstones, this clown went on to become the very first piece of Chopard jewellery — a radiant talisman that graced countless necklines and whispered of joy.

Conceived by Caroline Scheufele, then just a teenager, the piece signalled her luminous future as Chopard’s creative force behind some of their most iconic collections. Far more than the dawn of haute joaillerie, her liberated design prowess soon found rhythm in watchmaking. From the ever-moving Happy Diamonds to the stirring brilliance of Happy Sport — she made jewels dance across the watch’s dial. This signature style by Chopard rewrote the codes of luxury. As the Maison married horological precision with the poetic whimsy of free diamonds, it epitomised the art of turning time into a jewelled reverie.

Carrying forward this spirit into 2025, Chopard has expanded its emblematic IMPERIALE collection with a creation that captures both grandeur and grace: the IMPERIALE Four Seasons. Designed as an ode to modern-day empresses, this timepiece is a dazzling fusion of feminine power and poetic craftsmanship.

Moving Portrait of Time

At the heart of the IMPERIALE Four Seasons beats a romantic complication — a rotating disc that captures the cyclical nature of time. Ingeniously indexed to the hour hand, it completes one full rotation every 365 days, evoking the rhythm of the seasons through both structure and symbolism. 

This rotating tableau, crafted in hand-painted mother-of-pearl marquetry with a pearlescent texture, is a miniature moving landscape. As months drift by, soft tonal transitions evoke blooming springs, golden summers, turning autumns, and crystalline winters. Simply put, horology and nature converge in a harmonious expression of seasonal rhythms.

Captivating Dial

The dial is a celebration of craftsmanship at its most lyrical. Its upper half is adorned with intricate lacework, sculpted from ethical 18-carat white gold to form the silhouette of a lotus flower; an iconic motif of the IMPERIALE collection is also echoed in the timepiece’s crown. Satin-brushed gold petals, traced with polished veins, create a tactile interplay of texture and light.

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Below, the dial reveals the seasonal disc: a splendid marquetry gradient in mother-of-pearl that shifts with the earth’s eternal rhythm. The dial thus becomes a timeless canvas, where each artisanal detail invites a fresh revelation with every glance.

Housed in a 36 mm case of 18-carat white gold, this creation strikes a balance between delicate proportions and commanding presence. With a thickness of 12.10 mm and a sapphire crystal caseback, it reveals its inner workings while maintaining an air of discreet opulence. The bezel, crown, lugs, and lug covers are exquisitely set with diamonds, showcasing Chopard’s masterful command of gem-setting, wherein watchmaking and jewellery become indistinguishable.

Heart of the Seasons

Inside this radiant creation beats the L.U.C 96.31-L movement, a self-winding mechanical calibre equipped with Chopard’s exclusive Four Seasons module. Comprising 227 components, it offers a generous 65-hour power reserve, powered by the Maison’s Twin Technology and wound via a tungsten micro-rotor. Fully developed, decorated, and assembled in-house, it stands as a testament to Chopard’s vertical integration.

This bejewelled timepiece comes with four seamless alligator leather straps — in orange, blue, green, and yellow — each designed to reflect a season's palette. With Chopard’s interchangeable strap system, the wearer can attune her watch to the ever-shifting world around her.

Issued in a limited edition of just 25 pieces, the IMPERIALE Four Seasons is more than a timekeeping instrument; it is a melodic celebration of nature, time, and the Maison’s enduring craftsmanship. With this creation, Chopard reaffirms its place at the intersection of high watchmaking and haute joaillerie, where each tick of the movement tells a story of poetic complexity and enduring beauty.