Get happy with the Chopard watch that will always put a smile on your face
Chopard’s Happy Sport watch sparked a sports-luxe revolution for women’s watchmaking in the early 1990s – and its newest designs deliver just the same joy
For so long, the divide between sports watches and stylish watches for women was stark, separating those designed for high-octane athletic pursuits and those that could be worn alongside fine jewelry or even with an evening dress, into two distinct camps. In 1993, however, a unique new trajectory was carved out for women’s watches. Swiss watchmaker Chopard launched the Happy Sport – the first women’s steel watch to be set with diamonds – and, rather than reserving the timepiece simply for sporting endeavors, the iconic maison astutely identified that women needed a watch that would perform under pressure in every area of their lives. The Happy Sport could be worn everywhere and anywhere, as it embodied practicality, style and a dash of unbridled optimism – all prerequisite qualities for ambitious and independent women in the early ’90s.
The Happy Sport was an elegant timepiece with a classic silhouette, able to withstand daring athletic adventures and offering effortless versatility, yet it was also wildly different to every other women’s watch out there, thanks to its dancing diamonds. Inspired by the dizzying gems first used upon the maison’s Happy Diamonds timepiece launched in 1976, the Happy Sport featured a sprinkling of jewels that would roam with careless abandon around the watch dial, sent spinning by their wearer’s movements, and bringing a dose of unadulterated glamour and whimsy to the wrist. It was impossible to watch these carefree gems in all their vivacious glory without a smile of admiration on your face.
And so, a new era of smart-casual, sports-luxe women’s watchmaking was born – one which has never been more relevant than today – as the lines between our working, leisure and sporting wardrobes are more blurred than ever before. Those of us not lucky enough to boast an entire watch wardrobe require a timepiece with chameleon-like versatility and charm – it must be able to accompany us to a board meeting or a working lunch, perhaps a dinner date, or even prevail against the probing of tiny hands. It would have been so easy to make such a watch and make it, well… boring, but the unique addition of Chopard’s whirling, twirling diamonds elevated the Happy Sport from a practical timepiece to a gamesome jewel with stylish sporting credentials.
Almost 30 years later, the newest Happy Sport designs remain true to the ideology of their predecessors. Sleek steel models continue the sporting heritage of the original design, while two tone timepieces integrate the lavish beauty of rose gold. Those seeking a sports-luxe silhouette with extra opulence will admire the entirely rose-gold models, but each watch features the same joy-inducing troupe of sparkling stones. Holding each of these timepieces in turn, it is easy to see why Chopard looked to Hollywood actress Julia Roberts to embody the spirit of the Happy Sport in 2021. Roberts epitomizes the multifaceted nature of womanhood, and indeed of the Happy Sport spirit itself: depth, soulfulness and strength – all delivered with a smile.
It’s time to put a smile on your face
Press play to watch Hollywood star Julia Roberts express the sheer joy that wearing a Chopard Happy Sport can bring
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