Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt: straw marquetry meets an ultra-thin calibre

In the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt, a humble material produces the sort of geometry normally associated with lacquer, enamel or fine metalwork. Craftspeople split and flatten rye straw from Burgundy, cutting it into numerous shaped fragments that create a skyline-like composition on a brass dial. The pattern changes its reflections as the light moves, bringing contemporary visual art into the unmistakable octagonal-bezel Alpine Eagle case.

Reference 298635-3001 was created as a one-of-one for the TimeForArt 2024 charitable watch auction, rather than launched in October 2026. The 41mm Lucent Steel case measures just 8mm thick and is rated to 100m water resistance. Through the exhibition back, Chopard's ultra-thin automatic L.U.C 96.17-L reveals a 22K gold micro-rotor and two stacked barrels delivering 65 hours of power reserve.

The watch was auctioned in New York on 7 December 2024 to support contemporary artists through the Swiss Institute. Its design avoids printing an image on the dial: the physical texture of straw becomes the artwork. This is a compelling illustration of why decorative technique and mechanical miniaturisation can belong in the same watch.