Bring a Loupe: A Skeletonized Chopard, An Honest Wittnauer Chronograph, And A Dishonest Heuer Carrera

Yes, the Chopard brand name is prominently displayed on this watch, but its history is more tied to Armin Strom. Before the modern brand you may know and love, Armin Strom, the man, started his career by pioneering skeletonized watches. He opened his workshop in Burgdorf, Switzerland, in 1967, and believed that a watch’s beauty lay in its movement. By 1984, he created skeleton pieces branded under the Armin Strom name, but the core of this business was providing openworked and hand-engraved calibers to bigger brands. This Chopard dates to the mid-to-late 1980s, and by 1992, Strom was contracted by Omega to help produce the Speedmaster Jubilee 27 CHRO C12 Skeleton, ref. 3696.50.81.