The Chopard Happy Diamonds concept started as a jewelry collection inspired by droplets of water cascading from a waterfall and sparkling in the sunlight. The pieces sport diamonds set in bezel mounts and placed between transparent sapphire crystals, where they move freely as the wearer moves.
In 1993, Chopard copresident and artistic director Caroline Scheufele translated the concept into a line of watches, and the Happy Sport was born. Scheufele’s goal was to combine the robustness of steel with the elegance of diamonds in a go-anywhere watch that was sophisticated yet sporty. Above all, the timepieces were meant to be a joyful, playful departure from conventional watch design, especially with respect to gem setting. Seven diamonds dancing between two crystals over a watch dial certainly added a new kind of “movement” to a traditional watch.
Over the years, there have been many iterations of the Happy Sport, but this 2007 version, offered by myGemma, with its oval case and gem-set bezel, is one of the chicest. Like the original design, it radiates a sporty vibe with a case and bracelet made of stainless steel, rather than the yellow, white and rose gold of other versions. In a graceful touch, the oval links on the bracelet mirror the case shape, and the bezel is set with 110 diamonds totaling 1.43 carats.
The dial has a traditional backdrop with a railroad-style chapter ring and Roman numerals. At 30 millimeters wide and 9 millimeters thick, it is a perfect cocktail watch, but with its steel construction, it is ready to go anywhere. It’s not a dive watch, but with its 30-meter water-resistance rating, you don’t need to worry about getting caught in the rain. In fact, the dancing diamonds will look right at home surrounded by raindrops.
