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Chopard Happy Sport
Ref. 278608-3002
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Happy Sport launched in 1993 with a single idea that has kept the collection in print ever since: five brilliant-cut diamonds loose between the dial and the crystal, free to drift with every movement of the wrist. Nothing in watchmaking quite replicates it — the stones catch light unpredictably, and the effect is less decoration than spectacle in miniature. The 09.01-C is Chopard's own self-winding movement, built in-house, and its presence here is not incidental. A manufacture calibre in a watch whose personality is so visually led is a deliberate choice, and the see-through caseback lets you see the argument made plainly. The guilloché centre on the dial and the sapphire-set crown read as details that belong to one another, the kind of finishing that holds up at close range rather than existing purely for photographs.
- Reference
- 278608-3002
- Brand
- Chopard
- Case size
- 33mm
- Case thickness
- 10.84mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 09.01-C
- Functions
- Small seconds, Power reserve indicator
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
- 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,154), Stainless Steel Watches (2,848), Watches Under 37mm (1,522), Automatic Watches (1,518), Sports Watches (677) and Silver Dial Watches (640).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 33mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
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 | 278608-3002 | 1-35-14-03-02-04 | L81260972 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £9,030 | £9,300 | £5,550 |
| Case size | 33mm | 32.5mm | 34mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 60 hours | 72 hours |
| 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?
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 £9,030, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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