Karl-Friedrich Schaffele at the wheel

Karl-Friedrich Schaffele, who is in his 60s, reminds me of Richard Burton. Polite, fully clothed, and passionate about all things classic. Their vision to create movements led to the Chopard manufacturing in Fleurier in 1996, and the first proprietary caliber 1.96 arrived the following year.

After more than 10 calibers and countless variations, and the sacred LUC movements (named after the founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard), mason, under Scheufele, has gone from strength to strength over the past 25 years and is today counted in the inner circle of fine surveillance. In the recently concluded Watches and Wonders in Geneva, he raised the bar again with ‘The Sound of Eternity’, a trilogy of masterpieces – the LUC Full Strike Sapphire, Strike One and Full Strike Tourbillon – that are recognized for their unequaled expertise. Testament. chime clocks. in an interview with financial Times, Scheufele shared that the inspiration came after attending a performance by violinist Renaud Capucone in 2018. When he heard the debut violin sonata in G minor, he felt that “a minute repeater clock should be designed as much as a musical instrument as a clock. And that it should be designed according to the time of day.” should provide more than just an audible signal. It should provide emotion”.

Excerpts from an interview with Chopard’s co-president, who designed his first watch at the age of 22. mason‘s first steel sports watch, the St. Moritz), and takes time to go black truffle hunting at Périgord.

Journey to the chime clocks of Chopard’s trilogy.

It started in 2006 with the launch of Strike One, which used to strike every hour. This became the stepping stone for the 2016 full strike. It took over 17,000 hours of research and development, and a very innovative system we discovered for the minute repeater [sound amplification through the combination of a sapphire crystal gong and case], You can hear it throughout the room when it is relatively quiet. The Capucon Brothers, in collaboration with violinist Renaud and cellist Gautier, [for the latest iteration, the L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire] Helped us fix the acoustics.

How did you get that quality of acoustics?

We realized that whether we used white or rose gold, platinum or steel, we would create the same interesting sound. So, we thought why not try all of us making sapphire pieces [including the crown, lugs, and the case], It was a huge effort because we had no idea how complicated the matter would be.

Are you happy with the development of Alpine Eagle?

alpine eagle [the watch Scheufele wears regularly] Soaring high ever since we launched it in 2019; Demand exceeds supply. This is a very complex watch to produce – with very detailed finishing that took hours. The collection now has a chronograph, and we are especially proud of the Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon with its extremely slim case [just 8mm], It’s a new interpretation that’s elegant and yet sporty, featuring our in-house caliber LUC 96.24-L.

alpine eagle

You are among the last few independent candidates in this corporate luxury business.

We are about the long term. We pay great attention to craftsmanship, it is one of our core values. And while we honor tradition, we are always innovative and creative. If you look at our high-end jewellery, we are always creative and yet we produce pieces [be it a watch or a jewellery piece] who stays on time. The family is very much involved in the productive element. We have the luxury of working closely with the product and that is another advantage.

Your journey towards ethical business.

Sustainability is another long-term project. This is a journey that we have embarked upon at a time when most companies did not really consider it a necessity. We started the Fairmind Gold project in 2018 and this is for each of our subsidiaries and production companies. We try to keep our projects, whether small or large, contribute to a better environment or a greater respect for social responsibilities.

Schiefel in the paddock the day before the Mille Miglia race

Let’s talk about Chopard’s association with the Mille Miglia and your passion for classic cars.

Partnership with Mille Miglia [an open-road endurance race] Started a long time ago in 1988. This leads to my passion for cars, which started with a collection of toy cars and then became a collection of real cars relatively early in my life. I developed a passion for classic cars; I had my first Porsche Speedster which is from 1954. This is also the first car I have completely restored.

What are your favourites?

I love pre-war cars from the 1930s. They give you the real driving experience. My oldest car is a 1929 Bentley. In seven years, it will be 100 years old, and it’s still going!

Scheufele in his Bentley

When was the last time you drive in Mille Miglia?

I drove last year with my friend Jackie Stewart, who is a Chopard ambassador. And I’ll probably be driving a Galvin Mercedes with my daughter this year.

Now you are also a wine entrepreneur. [He enjoys the wines from Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux.]

It’s been 10 years since you took over the Chateau Monestier La Tour in the Périgord region of France, and a lot has happened since then. We moved to organic growth, even biodynamic growth, and got certified in 2017. But growing wine is unpredictable and very different from making clocks. Here you are dependent on the weather, and have to adapt your strategy if not every day, then every week. We’ve had a relatively good harvest over the past three years and made some good wine, but navigating the unpredictable and extreme weather is complicated. Look today, it’s snowing in Geneva when our major concern was that we had relatively warm weather. I hope we don’t get any frost! It’s exciting, though, that you’re always on your feet.

Chateau Monestier La Tour

Let’s talk about a project close to your heart, Ferdinand Berthoud. [Scheufele bought the name in 2006 and announced it is 2015. The haute horology chronométrie takes inspiration from the 18th-century scientist and watchmaker.]

I think this year we will focus on 40 to 45 pieces. If you are working at this level of finish, quality and complexity, it is very difficult to see the scale. Everything we offered recently is already reserved or sold out. This is a little frustrating for some of our customers, but it’s also proof that we’re doing the right thing. It is a great responsibility to follow in the footsteps of our mentor and mentor, Ferdinand Berthoud.