The familiar and beloved dragon takes on new guises for the incoming Year of the Dragon, as various brands unveil their interpretations of the mythical creature to mark the Chinese zodiac’s procession.
The rise of the Chinese market in luxury watchmaking may not have a clearly defined moment, but 2012 was arguably a watershed year. That was the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Dragon, which inspired various brands to release special edition timepieces themed on the mythical creature, traditionally a herald of luck and prosperity. Thus began a practice that has since become a regular feature for these manufactures. This year, the cyclical procession of zodiac animals continues – with the dragon taking centre stage once again. Here are our top picks for the timepieces marking 2024’s Year of the Dragon.
Vacheron Constantin – Les Cabinotiers Grisaille High Jewellery Dragon
Vacheron Constantin has unveiled a few models to mark the Lunar New Year, with the highlight among them being the Les Cabinotiers Grisaille High Jewellery Dragon. The timepiece has a deep green dial bearing a motif of the creature, in a style that immediately recalls Chinese art. Note the dragon’s claws – the five-claw dragon has been exclusively reserved as a symbol for the emperor of China since the Han dynasty. It has, quite fittingly, been depicted using the exceedingly difficult grisaille enamelling technique here, and for the first time in green, no less, with baguette-cut diamonds set into the bezel, lugs, and case middle to frame it with scintillating brilliance. This is a pièce unique.
Piaget – Polo Emperador Dragon High Jewellery Watch
Piaget has unveiled various high-jewellery creations this year as well. The most unique one is arguably the Polo Emperador Dragon High Jewellery Watch, which sees the dragon winding seamlessly around the watch against a starry blue sky. To achieve this effect, the dragon has been brought to life via engraving, while the graduated backdrop was created using snow-set diamonds and sapphires.
Chopard – L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon
Metiers d’art is often a complex interplay of artisanal and technical savoir faire. In the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon, Chopard demonstrates this by exploring the dragon motif on an ultrathin timepiece measuring just 6.8mm high. The dials of this objet d’art have been individually crafted in Japan by an artisan specialising in the maki-e technique, which uses gold powder to accentuate the lacquered surfaces, while a mother-of-pearl inlay completes the scene by depicting an opaline “pearl”.
Jaeger-LeCoultre – Reverso Tribute Enamel “Dragon”
The Reverso’s swivelling mechanism was originally conceived to protect the watch’s crystal during polo matches, but its case back has since evolved to serve as a canvas for different forms of metiers d’art. The Reverso Tribute Enamel “Dragon” is but the latest example, with the eponymous creature realised through a combination of engraving and enamelling. The usage of black enamel stands out here – it is by far the most difficult colour to achieve given its unforgiving tendency to show the smallest imperfections. The challenge is compounded by the sequence of metiers. In this watch, enamelling must be completed first, which necessitates the utmost care by the engraver during the second half of the process.
Arnold & Son – Luna Magna Red Gold “Year of the Dragon”
The Chinese dragon is often depicted with a flaming pearl as a nod to an old legend. Arnold & Son has iterated on this by using its signature complication – the large, three-dimensional moon phase display – as the focal point for the dragon on the dial. The moon has been rendered here in red gold and pietersite, with the latter also serving as the dial. A separate reference uses onyx, thus trading the blue, veined surfaces for a jet black one.
Ulysse Nardin – Blast Tourbillon Dragon
Ulysse Nardin’s creation for the previous Year of the Dragon was the Classico Enamel Champlevé Dragon, which used champlevé enamelling to depict a dragon chasing after a pearl. Fast forward 12 years, and the same imagery has been reinterpreted in 3D. In the Blast Tourbillon Dragon, the pearl now sits atop the tourbillon cage to rotate at a steady cadence, while the dragon intertwines with the skeletonised movement as it approaches the pearl. This is an exercise in contrasts, with the faceted, angular designs of both the case and movement pointing to the brand’s penchant for the avant garde, in stark contrast with the traditional mythology being explored.
Harry Winston – Chinese New Year Automatic 36mm
Harry Winston’s entry here is clearly meant for the ladies, and comes dressed in rich crimson to allude to both femininity as well as prosperity. On the dial, an imperial dragon with red lacquered scales weaves through clouds with a pearl in his jaws, while a circular row of diamonds lend some sparkle to the scene. This case parallels this with two concentric rings of diamonds set into the bezel, topped off with the crown – inlaid with a pearl – at 12 o’clock.
Corum – Bubble 47 Dragon
Corum’s Bubble has long served as a platform for the brand to explore various motifs, with the model’s outsized crystal acting like a magnifying glass to further accentuate the dial’s various elements. Here, a dragon soars in the night sky, with its only companion being the moon, which has been rendered in mother-of-pearl. What’s especially interesting here is how the thick crystal distorts the view depending on the angle from which one looks at the watch – a striking effect that adds to the mystical aura of the subject matter.
Images courtesy of respective brands featured, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
Related Links:
Vacheron Constantin x Rolls-Royce: For the Pursuit of the Finest
The Piaget Polo: Bold in Green
Jaeger-LeCoultre: Secrets and Diamonds
