Chopard gracefully slows down the pace with the stunning new Imperiale Four Seasons
Tom Austin- Chopard pays tribute to the passage of time in the most fitting way possible: with a stunning, artisanal gem-set Imperiale with a slow-moving complication.
- The glamorous Imperiale Four Seasons features a gorgeously painted mother-of-pearl marquetry inner dial that rotates once every 365 days, slowly advancing through the colours of each season.
- A limited run of just 25 pieces, this ultra-exclusive piece comes in 18-carat white gold, adorned with diamonds throughout, and features a central lotus flower motif in white gold – an ongoing theme for the Imperiale collection.
In 2025, the world moves at a rapid pace. Trends come and go quicker than we can keep up, fashion shifts so fast that we don’t even know what’s en vogue at any one time… Maybe it’s my age, but I sometimes think, wouldn’t it be nice if everything just slowed down a bit, and we could begin to appreciate things a bit more? Chopard must have recognised this, too, as their latest creation features a complication that asks you to step back a little, slow things down and enjoy what’s around you. It’s not a complication to help organise a busy lifestyle, or check how fast something is; it takes something that affects everything: nature, the weather, and life in general, and depicts it in a beautifully unique way. Iced-out watches can often be hit or miss, but when Chopard showcases the level of creativity it has with something like this new Imperiale Four Seasons, they can exude elegance and sophistication, with a deeper meaning than most.
A recurring theme throughout the collection, the Imperiale lotus flower makes another appearance, this time at the top of the dial instead of the lower half, like on the Imperiale Day & Night from 2023. Delectably engraved in 18-carat white gold, it covers just over half of the dial, featuring a detailed and layered effect. It helps to frame the most striking part of the watch: the lower portion of the dial, which, at first glance, appears to be just an intricately painted marquetry dial. However, give it a few weeks, and you’ll notice the dial has changed. That’s because the dial is a rotating disc that completes one full rotation every 365 days.
The beautifully painted mother-of-pearl marquetry dial disc depicts the four seasons, utilising colour and depth to present ice-cool blues for winter, rich browns and oranges for autumn, and vibrant greens and yellows for spring and summer. And, instead of just using a flat, painted disc, Chopard created further depth by adding each colour on individual petal-shaped layers, surrounded by a ring of diamonds. With the dial following the changing seasons, it’s a rare complication that has been stunningly executed, giving the wearer something new to enjoy all the time, especially as the passing of different seasons naturally leads to shifts in fashion trends.
At 36mm in diameter and 12.1mm thick, this feminine-focused watch is more versatile than you might think, as ladies’ watches have been trending towards larger sizes in recent times. The case is finished in 18-carat white gold and adorned with diamonds across the lugs and the ends of the lug covers, the crown, and around the flanks of the bezel. The result is a clean and elegant look, and as you’d expect from Chopard, it actually doesn’t come across as too flashy, especially on the leather straps. Functionality is also taken care of, with a 50-meter water resistance rating, and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal up front, paired with a sapphire exhibition case back at the rear.
There’s a good reason for the exhibition case back, too, because the microrotor movement looks stunning. The L.U.C 96.31-C is Chopard’s in-house automatic calibre, which has been beautifully hand-finished with Geneva stripes and perlage, and fitted with a module to present the 365-day rotating disc up front. Beating at 4Hz, its twin barrels offer a generous 65-hour power reserve, which is impressive for such a conservatively sized watch. This is thanks in part to the ultra-cool tungsten alloy micro-rotor, which features a lovingly engraved Chopard “C”. As a package, it’s great to see a watch like this have so much attention to detail paid to the movement, while also having such lavish attention devoted to its externals.
Each of the 25 watches will also come complete with four different alligator leather straps finished with an 18-carat white gold buckle, each matching the colours of the four seasons on the dial. A quick-change system facilitates the easy swapping of straps as the seasons (and this lovely watch’s dial) change.
Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons pricing and availability
The Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons is available exclusively from Chopard boutiques and is a limited edition of 25 pieces. Price: A$166,500
| Brand | Chopard |
| Model | Imperiale Four Seasons |
| Reference | 385394-1001 |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 12.1mm (T) |
| Case Material | 18-carat white gold |
| Water Resistance | 50 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | 365-day rotating mother-of-pearl marquetry dial |
| Strap | 4 x season-matching alligator leather straps with 18-carat white gold buckles |
| Movement | Chopard L.U.C 96.31-C, in-house, micro-rotor automatic |
| Power Reserve | 65 days |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, 365-day season indicator |
| Availability | Limited to 25 pieces |
| Price | A$166,500 |