The History of Chopard
The company was founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, a Swiss watchmaker who focused on making pocket watches that were both precise and decorative. His work soon caught the attention of society leaders across Europe, including the last Russian Czar Nikolai II. Chopard was able to meet even the most demanding requests, making it one of the most sought after luxury brands in the world.
Louis-Ulysse Chopard
Founded by a young Swiss man, Louis-Ulysse Chopart’s brand has come a long way. Its founding entrepreneur wanted to create a high-precision timepiece that was reliable and attractive. This dream turned into reality, and the brand has evolved ever since. From its humble beginnings as a goldsmith in Pforzheim, to a luxury brand today, Chopard has become an international phenomenon.
Founded in 1837, Chopard soon found its niche in the luxury watch market. Its first collection was a diamond-set, oversized timepiece that incorporated floating diamonds. The line became so popular that Chopard won the award 15 times in a row! Today, the brand’s renowned floating diamond is a popular feature of its collection.
The Chopard identity has been passed down from generation to generation since the Maison was founded in 1810. This family-owned company has remained independent and has the highest degree of vertical integration in the watch business. The three factories used by the company allow it to maintain its own identity, and Chopard’s craftsmen master more than 50 skills. The Chopard family’s commitment to quality and innovation has earned it the brand’s status as a luxury brand.
In 1915, Louis-Ulysse Choparde died, leaving his son Paul-Louis to take over the company. Chopard aimed to create ladies’ and men’s timepieces with gems and a sleek design. In the 1920s, Art Deco became the mainstream style, and Chopard embraced this design. By the 1970s, the company relocated to Geneva, the heart of European watchmaking.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
The history of the Swiss watch brand goes back to 1963, when Karl-Friedrich Scheufele bought the company. In 1996, he set out to create a new movement, which he named “1.96”. Because it was a custom project, he had to build a development team from scratch. The result was the first automatic watch in history.
After finishing high school, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele left Germany for Switzerland to attend the International School of Geneva. While in Geneva, he served an apprenticeship with a jeweler. After completing his studies at the Lausanne Faculty of Business and Economics, he joined Chopard. He spent successive periods in every department, including marketing and sales. His wife, Caroline Scheufele, joined him at the luxury watch brand in 1987.
While many luxury watch brands have been bought by larger groups, Chopard remains an independent company. Though the company has a large enough market to survive on its own, it still maintains a family-owned structure, allowing for personal relations with its retail partners and a warm image with customers. There are some advantages to this approach, though. Chopard remains one of the few remaining independent watchmaking companies.
The family tradition of collecting vintage cars was passed on through Caroline and Karl-Friedrich’s children. In the 1960s, they sponsored the Mille Miglia and made all members of the Scheufele family attend the race. The company’s involvement with the race led to the creation of numerous sports watches, which became iconic. The brand also developed a business partnership with the organizers of the 1000 Miglia in Milan.
Louis-Ulysse Chopard’s influence on Chopard
A man with a strong sense of purpose, Louis-Ulysse became a Swiss watchmaker. He was only twenty-four years old when he founded the company and quickly began to develop innovative designs that would soon be exported to the courts of Tsar Nicholas II. In the nineteenth century, precision and dependability were highly desired qualities in watches. Chopard’s aims shifted from merely making pocket watches to becoming a leading manufacturer of chronometers.
The Scheufele family influenced the creation of the company and helped it become a worldwide brand. Chopard was founded in 1861 and became an official timekeeper for the Grand Prix de Monaco in 2002. In addition to supplying timepieces to top racers, the company is a sponsor of the Cannes film festival. It is also the official timekeeper of the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco.
During his time as a watchmaker, Chopard also sought to set a high standard for his watches. This meant designing exclusive, high-precision movements manufactured to Chronometre standards and encasing them in finely finished pocketwatches. In the process, Chopard built a strong reputation for innovation and quality. He eventually became one of the most influential men in the world.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s contribution to Chopard
At the age of 15, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele moved to Switzerland where he enrolled in the International School of Geneva and served an apprenticeship with a jeweler. Later, he studied at the Faculty of Business and Economics in Lausanne. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele joined Chopard in the 1980s, spending successive periods in the company’s various departments. His wife Caroline, a jewellery designer, also became a part-time employee of the Swiss brand.
He was appointed co-president of Chopard in 2001. He had previously served as the company’s vice-president for four years. In 2001, he was given the reins and led Chopard’s men’s watchmaking operation, making the brand more accessible and more innovative than ever. He also restructured the company’s Fleurier watch manufacturer, making it a world leader in watchmaking. Today, Chopard has more than 2000 employees and produces over 80,000 watches a year.
The siblings of Chopard founder Karl-Friedrich Scheufele are well-aware of the company’s history. As children, they sat in the company’s boardrooms, attended business partners’ dinners, and were even allowed to touch diamonds. The company’s name, of course, naturally ties up with the family’s home.
Louis-Ulysse Chopard’s vision
One of the main ingredients in the success of Chopard’s business is its commitment to excellence. The brand was founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, and his family has owned the business since its foundation. This independence has helped the brand achieve the highest level of vertical integration in the watchmaking industry. The company makes all of its products in one of its three factories. It also cultivates a culture of craftsmanship, with more than 50 abilities being perfected throughout the production process.
The luxury brand started with sports watches for men, and in the 1980s, they also started offering gold and diamond jewelry for ladies. The brand’s first sports watch was designed by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, who was just 22 years old at the time. Since then, the company has expanded to include a wide range of other luxury products, and is now known for their renowned watches.
The company prides itself on vertical integration, making most watch parts in-house, allowing it to maintain ethical standards. Chopard offers both in-house movements and finished ETA or Valjoux calibers. Chopard watches are not only highly functional, but are beautiful and stylish as well. In 1860, Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company in Sonvilier, Switzerland. The company has grown enormously over the past 150 years.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s business struggles
After the first generation took over the family business in 1963, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele took over as CEO. He and his sister, Caroline, re-envisioned the company, turning it into a worldwide luxury brand. They oversaw the transition to fine jewelry and developed the men’s and ladies’ collection, creating many iconic watches. But their business struggles have left them with some regrets.
The company’s business difficulties have left many employees unhappy and the brand’s reputation has sabotaged the brand’s growth. The enduring relationship between Chopard and motorsports was crucial to the brand’s success. The company continues to collaborate with motorsports, including the 1000 Miglia race, and has an ongoing relationship with the organizers.
The business struggle at Chopard began during the post-war era, when the luxury watch industry was still not as prestigious as it is today. Scheufele’s father wanted to establish a base for an own-name Swiss brand. For years, his family purchased Swiss movements and distributed them under the Eszeha brand. By the mid-1980s, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele had bought Chopard and was in the process of setting up a manufacturing facility in Geneva.
Despite the business struggles at Chopard, the brand continues to invest heavily in its manufacturing facilities. In 1996, the company built an in-house movement factory in Fleurier. It now employs 136 people across 15 different professions. It is one of the biggest independent watchmakers in Switzerland. A recent article on the company’s history highlights some of the struggles of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele.