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Chopard Happy Sport
Ref. 278590-6005
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Stepping up in Chopard's range
The Happy Sport began in 1993 as a deliberate provocation: Chopard set diamonds free inside the dial rather than fixing them in the bezel, and put those diamonds into a steel sports watch rather than a precious one. That decision — stones that actually move, in a material that had no business hosting them — is what the collection has been built on ever since. This Happy Hearts edition replaces the original floating diamonds with two hearts and a single stone, one heart set with diamonds, one plain white, all three drifting across the mother-of-pearl as the wrist moves. At 30mm the case sits modestly, and the combination of steel and 18ct rose gold keeps it from reading as either purely sporty or purely dressy. The rose gold bezel and crown, the crown itself capped with a blue sapphire cabochon, and the gold-tone sword hands pull the eye toward warmth; the steel underneath keeps it wearable without ceremony. On white alligator leather the whole thing stays light on the wrist, and Roman numerals give the dial enough structure to read cleanly despite everything moving across it.
- Reference
- 278590-6005
- Brand
- Chopard
- Case size
- 30mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- White
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Gem set
- Yes
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 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,848), Watches Under 37mm (1,522), Leather Strap Watches (940), Sports Watches (677) and Dress Watches (474).
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What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 30mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- 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
Chopard Happy Sport alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 278590-6005 | L52005787 | H9859 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £7,000 | £6,700 | £9,050 |
| Case size | 30mm | 29mm | 30mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
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?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedCheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £7,000, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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