Chopard Imperiale

The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Chopard blends regal beauty with refined elegance in the Imperiale collection. These women's watches impress with their classic lines inspired by the insignia used by monarchs. For example, the round cases and rod-shaped lugs resemble a Roman emperor's standard that soldiers would carry into battle. Fittingly, Chopard applies Roman numerals to the dials to mark the hours.

Chopard's long history of making high-end jewelry is evident in this collection. Most of the spotless cases are made of rose or white gold, though stainless steel models are also available. Chopard's high quality standards apply to their dials and gemstones as well. Chopard selects only the finest diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and amethysts. Each is cut to the highest level of precision and helps transform these watches into valuable treasures.

Imperiale watches are beautiful both inside and out. Top models feature automatic in-house calibers made in the company's factory in Fleurier, Switzerland. Others come with automatic or quartz movements from the Swiss brand ETA, which Chopard modifies and regulates themselves.

Chopard offers the Imperiale in three sizes: small (28 mm), medium (36 mm), and large (40 mm). All three share the same basic design. A distinctive feature of this collection is the presence of a gemstone on the crown. Depending on the model, this could be an amethyst, tourmaline, or diamond.

The collection's small watches all have a quartz ETA caliber beneath their silver-plated dials. The movements provide these three-hand watches with a date display at 3 o'clock. The simplest model is made of stainless steel and comes on a leather strap. Expect to pay around 4,000 USD for this timepiece. The two-tone edition costs about 5,900 USD. With diamonds on its bezel and lugs, that price jumps to roughly 7,700 USD. The top models come in solid rose or white gold and demand up to 22,500 USD with a diamond-studded case. You can save quite a bit by purchasing a pre-owned watch. Plan to spend between 3,100 and 12,000 USD depending on the model.

The 36-mm Imperiale is also available with a gold, stainless steel, or two-tone case. However, watches in the medium series contain a larger variety of dials than their small counterparts. These include green, brown, gray, or light blue dials, as well as mother-of-pearl models. A quartz or automatic ETA movement powers each timepiece.

Stainless steel watches with a quartz movement are the most affordable at around 4,600 USD new. You can purchase a used watch in good condition for about 3,400 USD. The two-tone version costs slightly more, with prices ranging from 5,300 to 6,000 USD. Models with a gold case, automatic movement, and diamonds demand prices of 19,000 to 33,000 USD.

With 40-mm cases, the largest Imperiale models are sure to garner plenty of attention. Like the smaller versions, these timepieces come in stainless steel, gold, or a combination of the two. Some even feature gem-encrusted dials, bezels, and lugs. Unlike its sister models, Chopard outfits the large Imperiale exclusively with automatic in-house calibers. These movements tick at 28,800 alternations per hour and come with a considerable 60-hour power reserve.

You can purchase a new entry-level model beginning at around 4,900 USD, which will get you an elegantly understated stainless steel timepiece. Pre-owned watches sell for about 1,100 USD less. Two-tone models in stainless steel and rose gold demand an average of 7,600 USD. At 14,000 USD, watches with a solid white or rose gold case cost almost double. The addition of diamonds sends prices upwards of 44,000 USD. Prices for the most ornamented models – such as the rose gold edition with a diamond and ruby-covered dial, ruby-studded bezel, and diamond-set lugs – often exceed 223,000 USD.

Chopard used to produce a chronograph version of the Imperiale. These watches have the same basic design as their three-hand sister models, but feature an additional stopwatch function including subdials for the minute, hour, and second counters. Most watches with a 37 or 40-mm case house an automatic caliber, while the 32-mm edition is powered by a quartz caliber.

Well-maintained timepieces change hands for as little as 3,700 USD. On the other hand, those with diamonds and an 18-karat rose gold case cost around 27,000 USD.