About Chopard

The history of Chopard dates back to the 19th century.  In 1860, Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded his own watch factory in Sonvilier, in the Swiss Jura.  Relying on his family tradition for watch making and his own innovative ideas, the company soon acquired an excellent  reputation for its precision watches.  The watches were so precise, that the became one of the main suppliers to the Swiss railway - known for their punctuality.    

In 1920, the company moved from Sonvilier to Geneva, the capital of prestigious watches. In 1904, in another town and country, Karl Scheufele founded his own company - Eszeha - in Pforzheim, Germany.  The company specialized in bracelets and jeweled watches. Karl Scheufele, the founder's son, would travel around the globe with a big trunk, containing the firm's entire collection. New markets soon opened up to the company's products, among them Russia, China, Eastern European coutnries and the United States.

During the 10 years prior to World War II, the company enjoyed a tremendous growth. During the war, nearly 80% of Pforzheim was destroyed, and nothing remained from the Eszeha company.  As of 1950, the Scheufele family set itself to rebuild their heritage.

Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Chopard experienced a decline in the number of employees and the production decreased. Yet, the quality of the company's watches remained impeccable. Both great grandsons of Chopard's founder did not wish to continue in the family business. The only solution was to sell the company, but only to the right purchaser.

It was in 1963 that Karl Scheufele, grandson of the founder, purchased Chopard.  His ambition was to develop the company, using modern marketing methods, while maintaining and respecting the impeccable standards and the tradition that have built Chopard.

Today, Chopard is known globally, as a company with a wide collection to suit any taste and personal style, who always aspires to innovation, superior standards, precision and perfection.