Happy Sport is the stroke of genius of a young woman driven by boundless daring and creativity. First introduced by Caroline Scheufele in 1993, it bears within it the countless transformations of an era and embodies Joie de Vivre and the free-spirited attitude to which contemporary women aspire. Having become a quintessential fashion and watchmaking icon, the Happy Sport collection has continued to stage the enchanting choreography of its dancing diamonds through a multitude of variations that have appealed to every generation, embodying a new way of contemplating time. A look back at this true watchmaking legend.
The boldness of a young designer
As a young woman, she sparked Chopard’s first profound transformation by launching the family Maison into jewellery-making with her clown pendant design. Having entered the field of design through this masterstroke, Caroline Scheufele – now serving as Co-President and Artistic Director – was driven from the early 1990s by the idea of a versatile watch whose precious, casual appearance would make it equally easy to wear on a tennis court, at a business lunch or for an evening out on the town. She picked up the concept of dancing diamonds launched by her parents – “these diamonds are happier when they are free”, as her mother exclaimed in 1976 when she initially laid eyes on the first prototype that would give rise to the Happy Diamonds collection.
Yet instead of making freely moving diamonds dance around the watch as was the case with Happy Diamonds timepieces, she decided to place them above the dial. One of her workshop foremen told her it was impossible, before nonetheless promising: “Caroline! If you manage to sell these watches, I’ll give you one rose for each of them.” That only further strengthened the determination of the woman who has always considered that “no” is not an answer. She busied herself with transforming this idea into a viable project. How could one ensure, for example, that the watch – stacked with a movement, dial, hands, two sapphire crystals and several dancing diamonds – would not be too thick?
The result presented in 1993 was a real surprise. For the first time in watchmaking history, here was a watch mingling steel and diamonds, fitted with a soft, comfortable pebble-link bracelet, set with cabochon-cut sapphires on the lugs and on the crown echoing the understated blued hands; and finally, featuring a white dial enhanced by seven diamonds caught up in an animated dance recalling the whirlwind of life itself.
The aptly named Happy Sport became a new casual chic fashion icon, acclaimed by the press and in strong demand in the markets. And the workshop foreman, who had pledged one rose for every watch sold, ended up gifting his Co-President a rosebush. Today, when Caroline Scheufele sees young women entering a Chopard boutique to treat themselves to their first Happy Sport, while remembering the model that their mother and grandmother wore before them, she playfully remembers the abundant blooms of her rosebush. This watch, which she had been told was doomed to commercial failure, has become a success that has consistently appealed to all generations of women.
A watch that accompanied women’s emancipation
As soon as it was introduced, the kinetic energy of its diamonds radiated an entrancing aura of novelty. Combining the precious nature of diamonds with the robustness of steel appeared to upend standard watch industry conventions, mirroring the norms of contemporary society which saw women breaking through the glass ceiling to play roles of unprecedented importance. While more and more assumed positions of responsibility, their influence grew steadily – within the family, in business, and in politics. A new lifestyle was needed for these heroines leading their lives with a free-spirited attitude and real independence – and fashion needed to adapt accordingly. Happy Sport was – and remains – entirely in line with this trend, since it looks just as good with jeans and sports shoes as it does with an LBD and high heels, boldly taking over catwalks, red carpets and women’s wrists. “A watch that I can wear 24 hours a day!”, as Caroline Scheufele describes it.
Over the years, Happy Sport has generated a magnificent array of interpretations equalled by very few other watches. This abundance has enabled the collection to become the first collector’s item ladies’ watch. The most memorable examples that spring to mind are of course the original Happy Sport presented in 1993, as well as a full-set Happy Sport Diamantissimo jewellery version created in 2013 to commemorate the collection’s 20th anniversary, and several tourbillons including a Happy Sport Chrono All Black version. Whether hitting the slopes with Happy Snowflakes or the beach with Happy Fish and Happy Ocean, the collection follows women all the way to the Cannes Film Festival with Happy Palm, the first watch in the ethical gold collection celebrating artistic crafts with a Japanese lacquered Urushi dial graced with a dancing Palme d’Or.
A new way of contemplating time
In almost 30 years of existence, this contemporary watchmaking icon has continued to shine as brightly as ever, ample proof that it both embodies its time and transcends successive decades with their changing styles. Much more than a new way to wear a watch, with Happy Sport Caroline Scheufele has invented a whole new relationship with time. Looking at it is not merely about reading the time, but about delighting in the perpetual ballet of these Happy Diamonds whose infinite dance – synchronised by the movements of the choreographer-wearer – inevitably sparks a smile, an emotion, or a magical moment. More than a watch, Happy Sport is a modern-day talisman, to be taken everywhere in order to share a Joie de Vivre-infused dynamic and a carefree spirit.
The combined dexterity of several Artisans exercising their talents within the Manufacture enables these precious stones to move unhindered. Housed in a thin spinning top-shaped metal capsule, each dancing diamond is placed between two sapphire crystals when the watch is cased-up. This is a delicate task implying great care to prevent any dust being caught up and thus potentially interfering with the movement of the dancing gemstones. Their dance is meticulously controlled so as to ensure that time does not alter the intensity of the show being staged. Chopard proudly cultivates this expertise to perpetuate the Joie de Vivre inherent in its creations. The wide range of skills cultivated in the workshops of the Maison thus include those of the choreography Artisan, whose mission is to set – and keep – diamonds dancing in perfect harmony.
