Hop To It With These Timeless Limited Edition Lunar New Year Watches
Watchmakers mark the Year of the Rabbit with limited edition timepieces that marry artistry and horological expertise.
Every year, many watch aficionados look forward to the one-off collections inspired by the animal zodiac sign in the Chinese lunar calendar. As we enter 2023, the Rabbit will take over from the Tiger, and according to the Chinese horoscope, it will be a harbinger of calm and hope. The rabbit also figures in Western and Oriental art and folklore as a symbol for rebirth and renewal, be it the Easter bunny or the jade rabbit in the moon, and it is perhaps a positive sign that its arrival also signals the promise of better days ahead.
This year, four revered horological houses continue the tradition of launching zodiac-themed watches, with the focus on exceptional dial designs where the rabbit takes centre stage, and featuring the centuries-old art of enamelling, a complex process that requires time, patience and impeccable artistry.
A form of Chinese folk art believed to have originated from as early as the 6th century, paper cuttings (jianzhi) were often used to adorn windows and doors. Typically in red, these paper cuttings, with intricate patterns that symbolise happiness and good luck, have traditionally been used as decorations during festive occasions such as Chinese New Year, and this is still a popular practice today.
The art of paper cutting is not exclusive to China. A similar art form can be traced back to the 16th century in central Europe. In Switzerland and Germany, it was known as scherenschnitte (German for ‘scissors cut’) or decoupage (in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland). The cut-outs were usually done on black paper and mounted upon a white background to accentuate the ornate lace-like patterns.
Vacheron Constantin pays homage to both the Chinese and European art of paper cutting in their Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Rabbit timepiece. Chinese-style foliage patterns are etched directly onto the gold plate of the dial, then relief-engraved in varying depths to create the impression that they are floating. Grand Feu enamelling is used to enhance the blue or bronze-hued dials, a technique where enamel is meticulously applied layer by layer, and fired between 800 to 900°C in the furnace. At the centre of each dial is a naturalistic, hand-engraved rabbit in platinum or pink gold.
The hands-free display allows these handcrafted details to shine without distraction. The hours, minutes, day of the week and date, are displayed in four apertures around the periphery of the dial, powered by the Calibre 2460 G4 self-winding movement, developed and produced entirely by Vacheron Constantin. Only nine pieces for each design have been made.
Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Rabbit watch in platinum, $203,000, Vacheron Constantin.
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Also utilising the artisanal technique of Grand Feu enamelling is Breguet, for their Classique 9075 – 2023 Chinese New Year Edition. Six white rabbits in different poses circle the dial, around a central flower and bamboo motif. The blue background depicting the sky, etched with cloud motifs, summon a bucolic vision of playful bunnies frolicking on a beautiful day.
To create this exquisite dial, Breguet’s master artisans need to first make tiny engravings on the white gold base by hand, with the help of a microscope. After thorough cleaning and polishing, layers of translucent blue and opaque white enamel are applied and put through extreme heat. Although it sounds straightforward, it challenges the craftsman’s skill as he has to control the successive applications of the different colours and ensure they remain separate and homogenous throughout the firing process. While the central pattern is engraved beneath the blue enamel, the rabbits are engraved on the enamel, which requires a different technique. Produced in a limited edition of eight pieces, the watch features Breguet’s hand-decorated Calibre 591C self-winding movement with a silicon escapement. The white gold case has 88 diamonds on the bezel and a sky blue alligator strap complements the blue dial.
Classique 9075 – 2023 Chinese New Year Edition watch, Breguet.
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It has become a tradition for many watchmakers to release an animal zodiac watch edition for Lunar New Year, such as this Altiplano Zodiac watch from Piaget.
When it comes to the art of enamelling, one of the most respected masters of the craft is Swiss enameller Anita Porchet, who has been engaged by many important watchmakers whenever they require a special dial. Porchet, who has collaborated with Piaget since 2006, applied her delicate touch to the 38 limited edition Altiplano watches for this year’s Rabbit edition. A pair of white and grey bunnies adorn the dial, which Porchet has decorated using Grand Feu cloisonné enamel. The outlines of the rabbits are traced in fine gold thread, filled with different enamel pigments, then fired several times before the dial is varnished. Through her unparalleled mastery of enamel art, the bunnies come to life with realistic details down to the eye-gaze and the softly textured luminosity of their fur. This marks the twelfth year that Piaget has unveiled an Altiplano Zodiac timepiece.
Besides their impressive appearance, these watches also feature one of the world’s slimmest manual-winding watch movements—Piaget’s emblematic Calibre 430P, which is just 2.1mm in thickness. With a case diameter of 38mm, matte black alligator straps and the addition of 78 small brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel, this makes for an elegant and understated dress watch that is also a rare work of horological art.
Altiplano Zodiac watch, Piaget.
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At first glance, Blancpain’s latest rendition of its emblematic Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar watch does not pop like colourful enamel dials usually do. The devil, however, is in the details—the smooth white Grand Feu enamel dial provides a pristine background for a series of calendar complications. The watchmaker has combined the Gregorian calendar on the rim of the main dial and Chinese calendars on the sub-dials, with the numbers and characters painted in black enamel.
The sub-dial at the 9 o’clock position is a lunar calendar display of the date and month, with a small aperture that turns red when there is a leap month. The sub-dial at 12 o’clock shows the 12 months and 12 solar terms, with a small aperture above showing the zodiac animal. The sub-dial at the 3 o’clock position indicates the current phase of the ten Celestial Pillars (tian gan) and Five Elements (wu xing). The challenge of putting all these into one watch is testament to Blancpain’s expertise in constructing extremely complex calendar watches.
For the Traditional Chinese Calendar watch, which first appeared in 2012, Blancpain developed a specific self-winding mechanical movement, the Calibre 3638. Its oscillating weight is engraved with the zodiac animal for each corresponding year, and for this latest model, a pair of rabbits are visible through the sapphire caseback. Only 50 pieces have been produced.
Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar Year of the Rabbit watch in platinum, $121,500, Blancpain; the oscillating weight engraved with two rabbits.