In the famous words of Caroline Scheufele’s mother, Karin who at the time was running the company with her husband Karl, “These diamonds are happier when they are free”. This joyous statement basically summarised the ethos of Happy Diamonds in its celebration of joie de vivre (a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life).
When the first Happy Diamonds timepiece was launched in 1976 — sporting a glittery array of dancing diamonds floating freely around the dial — it was considered to be a technical breakthrough amongst watchmakers and something that Chopard became the proud pioneer of.
Given the hardness of the precious gem, these moving diamonds would have inevitably scratched any surface they touched even when held between two sapphire crystals. So what in-house designer Ronald Kurowski did was to cover the diamonds in a delicate film of gold to prevent any friction. This breakthrough went on to win the atelier the BadenBaden Golden Rose d’Or Award — the jewellery industry equivalent of an Oscar — which paved the way for Chopard’s rise to success.
To continue reading our premium articles,
Upgrade your subscription to as low as $8.33/month to gain unlimited access to ALL of our premium articles!
Have an account? Sign In
