Chopard
Chopard (Scheufele family) · Switzerland
Chopard is a Swiss watch and jewellery house founded in 1860 in Sonvilier by Louis-Ulysse Chopard and owned since 1963 by the German Scheufele family. Headquartered in Geneva and led by co-presidents Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, it is one of the largest independent family-owned houses in the sector.
| Founded | 1860, Sonvilier |
|---|---|
| Founder | Louis-Ulysse Chopard |
| Owner | Scheufele family (since 1963) |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Co-presidents | Caroline Scheufele, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele |
| Manufacture | Fleurier (since 1996) |
| Website | chopard.com |
What is Chopard?
Chopard is an independent Swiss maison that makes both watches and jewellery, from accessible luxury lines to haute horlogerie and high jewellery. It is headquartered in Geneva and owned by the Scheufele family. Siblings Caroline Scheufele and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele serve as co-presidents, with Caroline overseeing jewellery and women's collections and Karl-Friedrich the watch side.
History
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company in 1860 in Sonvilier in the Swiss Jura, producing precision pocket watches. The business later moved to Geneva. In 1963 the German goldsmith and watchmaker Karl Scheufele III, whose family owned the Eszeha brand in Pforzheim, bought the company from Paul-André Chopard. Under the Scheufeles Chopard expanded into jewellery, and in 1976 it introduced the Happy Diamonds concept with diamonds moving freely between two sapphire crystals.
In 1996 Chopard opened its own movement manufacture in Fleurier, which supplies the L.U.C collection named after the founder. The house became a partner of the Mille Miglia car race in 1988 and of the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, for which it makes the Palme d'Or.
Products and positioning
- Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport watches and jewellery
- L.U.C haute horlogerie with in-house movements
- Alpine Eagle sports watches
- Ice Cube jewellery and high jewellery collections
- Mille Miglia chronographs
Business model and distribution
Chopard sells through a network of its own boutiques, authorised watch and jewellery retailers and its own online shop. As a private company it publishes no detailed financial accounts.
Sustainability
Chopard has promoted responsibly sourced gold since 2013, when it began working with Fairmined certified artisanal mines. Its watch collections increasingly use what the brand calls ethical gold, and actress Marion Cotillard has designed capsule pieces in Fairmined gold.
Why it matters
Chopard is a rare example of a large Swiss watch and jewellery house that remains fully family owned while operating at the scale of group-owned rivals. Its combination of in-house watchmaking, jewellery and a visible responsible gold programme gives it a distinctive position between Rolex and Patek Philippe on one side and the jewellery maisons of Richemont and LVMH on the other.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Chopard?
Chopard has been owned by the German Scheufele family since 1963, when Karl Scheufele III bought it from the Chopard family. It is run today by the siblings Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele as co-presidents.
Is Chopard a luxury brand?
Yes. Chopard is a Swiss luxury watch and jewellery house, producing collections from Happy Sport to L.U.C haute horlogerie and high jewellery. It also makes the Palme d'Or for the Cannes Film Festival.