Chopard Watches Make a Splash on St. Barts

By Amy Elliott | January 23, 2025

My last post dived into a jewelry collection inspired by French and Italian Riviera resort towns. Now I am (theoretically) off to the Caribbean—specifically, the island of St. Barts. For this occasion, it’s a new limited-edition Chopard timepiece that has dropped me in another version of paradise: the achingly glamorous resort Eden Rock, on St. Jean Bay.

The name of the watch is Happy Ocean, an existing Chopard model that has been reimagined in Eden Rock’s red-and-white color scheme. Think red-roofed villas overlooking a white-sand beach and crisp red-and-white stripes adorning everything from loungers to pergolas. (See more examples of this peppy peppermint-stick story on the hotel’s glorious Instagram.)

Hotel EdenRock St BarthsLifestyle — *The Eden Rock resort is on an island that’s been a celebrity hideaway since the 1950s. (Photo: Romain Reglade/Eden Rock St. Barths)*

The first Happy Ocean model was released in 2018 and represented a new nautical-inspired chapter of a collection known as Happy Sport. Introduced in 1993, Happy Sport is a chic sportif “family” of watches that were designed for active jet-set lifestyles and 24-hour wear.

Happy Sport watches incorporate Chopard’s signature dancing diamonds—in a more casual and free-spirited way. In one of the most enchanting aspects of the Eden Rock Happy Ocean watch, the traditional dancing diamonds are swapped out for a pair of free-floating gold and diamond flip-flops.

Chopard happy Ocean Eden Rock St Barths red strap — *Eden Rock versions of Chopard’s Happy Ocean model come with either a red rubber strap (above) or a striped fiber strap (pictured at top).*

This beachy detail is the heartbeat of the design: “The carefree world into which I plunge when observing the dial of the Happy Ocean Eden Rock is a window into the happy memories of my life,” Chopard copresident and artistic director Caroline Scheufele said in a statement. “I wanted this watch to be a talisman that whisks you off to the shores of the Caribbean, wherever you are and whatever the time of day or night.”

Chopard Happy Ocean Eden Rock St Barths back — *Only seven watches in the Eden Rock Happy Ocean edition are 18k gold; each is engraved on back with the number of the edition and the hotel’s and watchmaker’s branding.*

Chopard is making only around 60 of its Eden Rock Happy Ocean timepieces, and they are available exclusively at the resort (price on request). Think of the watch as the ultimate tropical holiday souvenir, albeit one far more luxe than a beach towel or sarong.

The strap of each Eden Rock Happy Ocean is either rubber or—as shown at top—Seaqual fiber, which is produced from upcyled plastic waste recovered from the ocean. In this limited edition, seven watches are all 18k gold, 27 watches are made of Chopard’s proprietary Lucent steel with rotating aluminum bezel, and 27 are a mix of steel and gold.

Chopard Happy Ocean Eden Rock St Barths bench — *Taking steps: Chopard’s dancing flip-flops in the production phase*

Happy Ocean timepieces have generally been inspired by diving watches (for the record, they’re water-resistant to 300 meters and fitted with a caliber that delivers a 60-hour power reserve). But it’s the flip-flops for me, forever dancing against the mother-of-pearl dial as the hours tick by. Time is precious, I know.

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