As a young man, Louis-Ulysse Chopard quickly grasped the fact thatit was the comptoirs or watch dealerships that earned the greatest profit fromthe work of the framers. Each spring, the agents picked up the movements,fitted the dials and hands, cased up the finished movements and they marketedthe finished watches. It was therefore better to work independently and Louis-Ulyssewanted his own brand. He created his L.U.C manufacturing company in Sonvilier,Switzerland at the age of 24, in 1860.
No watches were mass-produced but his clever blend of artistry andfunctionality soon won over a large number of customers. Having grasped thatforeign markets represented the future of his timepieces, he set off to canvasscustomers in Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia. In 1912, he visitedPoland, Hungary and the Netherlands with his finest creations. Chopardchronometers and watches marked the passing of time at the court of Nicholas IIof Russia. Louis-Ulysse Chopard had won himself an international clientele.
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