Skip to content
Chopard "Ellipse" 2152 with Light Grey Dial — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: Collectors Corner NY · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Chopard "Ellipse" 2152 with Light Grey Dial

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Chopard (maker)
Date
c. 1980s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
Product 9709564657940
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 9709564657940)
Catalogue title (original)
Chopard "Ellipse" 2152 w/Light Grey Dial - Very Rare/*Unpolished* (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 9709564657940), this is a wristwatch by Chopard, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY

Founded in 1860, Chopard is a Swiss watchmaker and perhaps best known for their elegant dress watch designs. This "Ellipse" on offer is circa 1980s and was clearly inspired by the Patek Philippe Ellipse which was introduced in 1968. Patek's release was quickly embraced as a forward looking, yet classic design. Its signature elliptical case has distinctive geometry and follows the golden ratio, a proportion believed to be aesthetically perfect. There are only a couple of other documented examples to compare this piece to and we believe it to be quite a rare find as such. This piece has remained in excellent vintage condition with an unpolished case/bracelet. The grey dial has some light wear at the bottom but presents well to the naked eye and pairs nicely against the 18k yellow gold case. We love the extremely elegant feel of this piece with ultra thin dimensions of just 4mm. The woven bracelet is very comfortable and will fit an approximate 7.25 inch wrist.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Detached lever escapementIdentification Centre

Related records