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Chopard’s Beehive Table Clock at a Glance:
- Limited to just 10 pieces worldwide.
- Created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier.
- Developed over two years in collaboration with renowned Swiss clockmaker L’Epée 1839.
- Features a chiming mechanism where the uppermost glass tier acts as an acoustic bell.
- Time is indicated by jewelled bees crafted from 18-carat ethical yellow gold and rock crystal.
Most of the time, when we talk about haute horlogerie, we’re staring at our wrists. But occasionally, a brand creates something so spectacular for the desk that it completely steals the show. Case in point is the newly unveiled Chopard Beehive Table Clock, which was unveiled during Watches and Wonders 2026.
Created to mark the 30th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, this limited-edition release is a wildly complex and decorated Objet d’Art that brings one of the brand’s oldest emblems to life.
To understand this piece, we have to look back to 1996 when Karl-Friedrich Scheufele founded the manufacture. He adopted the bee as the emblem for this new era of in-house watchmaking, reviving a motif originally used by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in the 19th century. The beehive represents labour, precision, and collective skill. Measuring 25.8 cm in height and 16.5 cm in diameter, the clock visually mimics traditional manmade hives, utilising seven tiers of rounded borosilicate glass segments to house a multi-level mechanical movement. These rest on a gilded brass movement plate and steel base, evoking a hive overflowing with honey.
Jewelled Bees That Actually Tell the Time
The exterior is adorned with three intricate bees, symbolising the three generations of the Scheufele family who have steered the brand.
Handcrafted in Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie atelier in Geneva from 18-carat ethical yellow gold, these insects are cast using the traditional lost-wax technique. They are set with 6.45 carats of yellow sapphires, 6.29 carats of black diamonds, and feature black spinels for the eyes. Their wings are carved from rock crystal, which is a direct nod to the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, which Chopard also crafts, and are dotted with diamond brilliants.
They aren’t just there to look pretty, either. Two of the bees function as highly accurate pointers, using their stingers to precisely indicate the hours and minutes across rotating glass rings. The third bee rests near the apex, its head pointing to the active chiming mode on the selector.
Engineering an Acoustic Glass Bell
To bring this towering vision to life, Chopard partnered with L’Epée 1839, the only Swiss manufacture exclusively dedicated to complicated clockmaking. Here, the chiming mechanism is a marvel of engineering, with the uppermost glass tier shaped like a shallow cloche and functioning as an actual bell. When struck by a small golden hammer on its inner surface, it emits a sound that marks the time.
To ensure it sounded perfect, Chopard partnered with HEPIA (Haute Ecole du Paysage, d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture de Genève) to rigorously analyse the acoustic properties of the glass. Through extensive testing, they tuned the glass bell to reproduce the crystal-clear sound that defines Chopard’s legendary chiming L.U.C timepieces.
You set the time by manually rotating the glass segment that bears the minutes, which is fitted with discreet crenellated rings to enhance grip without marking the glass. Winding the double-barrel movement is achieved by rotating the crown on the lowermost tier, clockwise for the timekeeping barrel, and counterclockwise for the chiming barrel. When fully wound, both barrels offer an impressive eight days of autonomy in active chiming mode.
Limited to just 10 pieces worldwide, the Beehive Table Clock will be available exclusively in Chopard boutiques. It’s a stunning, physical manifestation of everything Chopard Manufacture represents: mechanical mastery, artistic crafts, and a deeply respectful nod to its history.
Chopard Beehive Table Clock Specifications
- Dimensions: 25.8 cm in height, 16.5 cm in diameter at its widest point.
- Case material: Borosilicate glass, gilded brass movement plates, and galvanised steel base.
- Time indication: Hours and minutes displayed via rotating glass rings and indicated by 18-carat yellow gold bees.
- Gemsetting: Bees set with yellow sapphires (6.45 cts), black diamonds (6.29 cts), black spinels (3.06 cts), and rock crystal wings with diamond brilliants.
- Chiming mechanism: Glass bell struck by a golden hammer, with active (ON), silent (OFF), and on-demand (DEM) modes.
- Power reserve: 8 days of autonomy for both timekeeping and chiming barrels when fully wound.
- Availability: Limited edition of 10 pieces, exclusive to Chopard boutiques.
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