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Chopard Happy Sport Sun, Moon and Stars 36mm, Automatic, Lucent Steel™, Diamonds
Ref. 278559-3011
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Stepping up in Chopard's range
The Happy Sport was born in 1993 from a deliberate act of rule-breaking: Chopard set diamonds free between two sapphire crystals rather than fixing them in a setting, and paired them with steel rather than gold. That decision founded one of the few modern watch designs with a genuinely original mechanical idea at its centre. This version takes that idea further, shaping the floating elements as a sun, moon and stars above a guilloché blue dial — making the celestial theme legible in silhouette rather than just implied by colour. At 36mm the proportions suit a dressed wrist without overwhelming it, and the exhibition caseback means the movement is part of the watch on both sides. The blue alligator strap coordinates closely enough with the dial to read as a considered pairing. The date sits between four and five o'clock, tucked into the chapter ring in a way that does not compete with the floating diamonds, which is where the eye naturally goes first and stays.
- Reference
- 278559-3011
- Brand
- Chopard
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case thickness
- 12.15mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
Learn more about Chopard
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded a workshop in Sonvilier in the Jura in 1860, building pocket watches that sold well in Eastern Europe and Russia. The family ran it for three generations before the line ran out of successors, and in 1963 the company was sold to Karl Scheufele III, a Pforzheim jeweller.
The Scheufele family still owns it, and their dual background explains the house's character: Chopard is unusual in being both a serious watchmaker and a serious jeweller, with in-house capability in gem-setting and gold-working alongside movement production.
The Happy Diamonds concept of 1976 — loose stones rotating freely between two sapphire crystals — became the commercial engine of the jewellery side and remains instantly identifiable.
On the watch side, the L.U.C collection launched in 1996 with the calibre 1.96, a micro-rotor automatic that announced Chopard as a genuine manufacture rather than a fashion house buying movements. L.U.C watches have since collected Geneva Seal and COSC certifications and produced tourbillons, perpetual calendars, and minute repeaters made in Fleurier.
Chopard has timed the Mille Miglia since 1988, giving it a motorsport line with real provenance, and in 2018 moved its entire gold supply to ethically certified sources — the first major house to do so across all production.
- 1860
- Louis-Ulysse Chopard founds the workshop in Sonvilier.
- 1963
- Karl Scheufele III acquires the company.
- 1976
- Happy Diamonds introduces free-moving stones.
- 1988
- Chopard begins timing the Mille Miglia.
- 1996
- The L.U.C 1.96 establishes in-house movement production.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,868), Stainless Steel Watches (3,133), Automatic Watches (1,750), Watches Under 37mm (1,713), Leather Strap Watches (1,037) and Blue Dial Watches (861).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 36mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Sits in the lower half of Chopard's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Also seen with this model (1)
Other versions of this model, not necessarily this exact watch.
- Julia Roberts · Chopard Happy Sport · Ambassador · Happy Sport campaigns since 2021 · Source
Chopard Happy Sport Sun, Moon alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 278559-3011 | 16.3200.670/02.C832 | 1-39-22-08-22-44 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £7,410 | £7,500 | £8,700 |
| Case size | 36mm | 36mm | 36mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Fabric strap |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | — | 40 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £7,410, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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