Celebrate Lunar New Year With These Year-of-the-Dragon Limited-Edition Watches
A collective of 8 from Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Breguet, Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Parmigiani Fleurier, and Vacheron Constantin.
Breguet Classique 7145
Another lunar new year is upon us. Every year, a handful of the watch industry’s most revered brands celebrate the occasion through artistic novelties that highlight the zodiac animal of the year: this time it’s the dragon. Represented by the only mythical—and the most powerful—creature of the 12-animal Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon is special. Those born under the sign of the dragon are celebrated for their energy, strength, confidence, intelligence, and generosity.
The dragon is considered the luckiest of the 12 animals, and as 2024 is a year when the dragon reigns supreme, watch enthusiasts can celebrate this auspicious occasion by adding a zodiac dragon to their watch collection.
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Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon
Bell & Ross has a street art aesthetic to mark the Year of the Dragon. The BR 05 Artline Dragon is a bold design that presents more as artwork than timepiece. The tattoo effect on this commemorative piece is realized by a particular engraving technique on each individual link before assembly. The case houses a BR-CAL.321 self-winding mechanical movement and has a 54-hour power reserve.
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Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar
Each year, Blancpain releases a special limited-edition timepiece for lunar new year. The premiere of the Traditional Chinese Calendar was in 2012, an intricate model that incorporates a moon phase complication as well as Chinese and Gregorian date calendars. This latest rendition inaugurates a new cycle for the Chinese zodiac with a transparent caseback that provides an unobstructed view to the highly complex 3638 calibre. Composed of 464 components, the movement is equipped with a seven-day power reservice. An engraved dragon motif is found on the red gold winding rotor. This timepiece is limited to 50 pieces.
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Breguet Classique 5345 and 7145
Breguet plays tribute to the Year of Dragon with two new watches. The Classique Double Tourbillon Dragon 5345 is a display of Breguet’s prowess and craftsmanship: featuring two independent tourbillons, each rotating once per minute. The mechanisms are part of the complex calibre 588N1 movement made-up of 749 components. The Classique Dragon 7145 is a testament to Breguet’s mastery in Grand Feu enamelling and limited to just eight pieces.
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Chopard’s Year of the Dragon timepiece stands out from the crowd. The 88-piece L.U.C XP Urushi boasts a dial handcrafted by Japanese craftsman Minor Koizumi who utilized the Maki-e technique, sprinkling gold powder on a lacquered surface. The impressive dragon, pride of place on the dial, clasps a mother-of-pearl gem. Although the self-winding movement is thin, just 3.3 mm, the timepiece delivers a brilliant performance.
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Longines Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon
A symbolic red dial and a dragon’s head on the case back marks Longines’s first watch to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Chinese artist Zinan Lam was invited to create this special model of the Flagship Heritage Moonphase Year of the Dragon, fitted with a black alligator strap and the new Heritage pin buckle.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Dragon
The Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso needs no introduction. This lastest edition is a made-to-order timepiece honouring Chinese New Year. When the watch case is swiveled to its reverse side, a dragon appears. The movement powering the watch is the manually wound calibre 822.
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Parmigiani Fleurier Tempus Fugit
Parmigiani Fleurier celebrates the lunar year with a one-of-a-kind timekeeper. The Tempus Fugit Objet Art is a showcase of haute horologerie. The Imperial Dragon boasts 585 scales made from jade and is comprised of more than 1,000 components requiring over 5,800 hours of work. This creation draws inspiration from the legend of the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge, powerful symbols rooted in Chinese culture.
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Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac
This series of watches, the Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, has become a recurring theme for Vacheron Constantin. To celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, Vacheron Constantin is releasing two new versions of its classic, high-end calendar watch. The familiar display combines both engraving and enamelling with the dragon chasing a flaming pearl across the clouds.
