Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Chopard · Happy Sport
Chopard Happy Sport 37 mm Black Ceramic
Reference 18611OR.98
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Chopard
- Collection
- Happy Sport
- Model
- Chopard Happy Sport 37 mm Black Ceramic
- Reference number
- 18611OR.98
- Year / era
- 1987 · 1980s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- GMT / second time zone
- Movement
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- NATO textile strap
- Water resistance
- 100 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 37 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Fluted 18k gold
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Blued steel Breguet-style hands
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- NATO textile strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 4F — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Number of jewels
- 40 jewels
- Complications
- GMT / second time zone
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, small seconds
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1987 – 2001
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Jörg Hysek
Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.
Historical significance
Chopard Happy Sport 37 mm Black Ceramic sits within Chopard's Happy Sport line, introduced in 1987. It carries the house codes established since 1860 — ceramic case, black lacquer dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Chopard
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1860
- Founder
- Louis-Ulysse Chopard
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Luxury
- Major collections
- Alpine Eagle, Happy Sport, L.U.C, Mille Miglia, Happy Diamonds, Imperiale
- Signature technologies
- Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Composite and ceramic case materials · Proprietary case-hardening and polishing
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic, chronometer certified · In-house manual-winding · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house automatic chronograph
- Notable watches
- Chopard Alpine Eagle 44 mm Mother-of-pearl Ceramic (1953) · Chopard Alpine Eagle 42 mm Slate Sapphire (1950) · Chopard Alpine Eagle 44 mm Black 18k (1952) · Chopard Alpine Eagle 38 mm Blue Sapphire (2000)
Brand history
Chopard has spent more than 166 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Alpine Eagle, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Louis-Ulysse Chopard established Chopard in 1860, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Chopard calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1860
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founds Chopard in Switzerland.
1899
Chopard earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Chopard to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Chopard enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Chopard continues to produce Alpine Eagle, Happy Sport, L.U.C and other icons in limited numbers.