Watch returned by Bolsonaro costs BRL 800 thousand – 03/24/2023 – Market

The jewelry box that former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) delivered this Friday (24) to Caixa Econômica Federal includes one of the rarest watches in the world, valued at approximately R$800,000.

Introduced in 2014 and with only 25 units produced, the Chopard LUC Tourbillon Qualité Fleurier has a case molded in gold of controlled origin. The company guarantees that the process of extracting the metal was done by hand by regularized workers, without exploiting the workforce.

The mines are in South America, but the company did not say in which countries.

Active since 2004, Qualité Fleurier is an entity that monitors production and offers certifications in the fine watchmaking segment. Chopard is one of the initiative’s partners.

Even the alligator leather strap has a controlled origin – unfortunately for alligators. In this case, the certificate is issued by CITES (English acronym for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Species).

But this Chopard goes far beyond gathering raw materials considered noble. The tourbillon movement used in the watch is the apex of the segment.

The functions applied in watchmaking are called complications. In this case, it is indeed very complicated.

The caliber of this model –which, roughly speaking, is the machine that makes everything happen– is called LUC 0213-L1. It is necessary to wind it manually for it to start working, but after this procedure, it will be about nine days of absolutely precise operation.

That’s what the dial positioned just above the main hands is for: there’s an analog scale that displays the time the watch will keep running until it needs to be wound up again.

The movement can be seen: the back of the watch is made of sapphire, a scratch-proof material that is also used on the front.

On the edges appear a series of letters and numbers that guarantee the origin and exclusivity of this Chopard. The Au750 nomenclature, for example, determines that there is 75% pure gold in its manufacture. Even the bracelet closure system is made with noble metal.