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 · Imperiale
Chopard Imperiale 38 mm Blue 18k
Reference 97941OR.61
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Chopard
- Collection
- Imperiale
- Model
- Chopard Imperiale 38 mm Blue 18k
- Reference number
- 97941OR.61
- Year / era
- 1988 · 1980s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Perpetual calendar
- Movement
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Integrated steel bracelet
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 38 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Bezel
- Fluted 18k gold
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Integrated steel bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 55D — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Number of jewels
- 25 jewels
- Complications
- Perpetual calendar
- Functions
- Perpetual calendar, leap year
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1988 – 2004
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
Designer
In-house design studio
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Chopard Imperiale 38 mm Blue 18k sits within Chopard's Imperiale line, introduced in 1988. It carries the house codes established since 1860 — 18k yellow gold case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
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.