The Lunar New Year is such an awesome time to reset and restart. Celebrated in many countries all across the world, it not only marks the beginning of the new year but also the start of the Spring Festival. One rather exciting aspect of the new year festivities is finding out which Chinese Zodiac animal will represent the coming year. Starting February 1st, according to Chinese Astrology, we have stepped into the Year of the Tiger.
In celebration of this most majestic and beautiful of animals, many haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie Maisons have debuted special Year of the Tiger limited edition time pieces. Each of these creations is a brilliant work of art.
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Tiger Watch
Vacheron Constantin watch lovers look forward to seeing the latest addition to the Maison's Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac watch collection every year. For the Year of the Tiger, Vacheron Constantin have released two different, but similar, limited edition watches. One is mounted in pink gold while the other in platinum, and each version comes with matching alligator skin straps. The beauty of these watches lies particularly in their enamelled and engraved dials, depicting a tiger at the centre which is surrounded by stylized vegetation.
Chopard L.U.C. XP Urushi Year of the Tiger Watch
This year, Chopard’s addition to its L.U.C. Collection is a stunning Year of the Tiger watch. With an ultra-thin case and a dial embellished with Urushi lacquer, this 18k ethically sourced rose gold watch is quite a head turner. The dial shows a tiger, all magnificence and splendour, crafted with lacquer and gold flakes, so typical of the traditional Japanese Maki e technique. Swiss haute horlogerie and delicate Urushi Maki e lacquering, could a watch be more refined?
Piaget Altiplano Year of the Tiger Watch
Piaget decided to roar into the new year with an exquisite addition to their Altiplano watch collection. Master enameller Anita Porchet used the cloisonné technique on the dial of this special edition watch to breathe life into its tiger design. Gold ribbons separate the different miniature partitions of the design, crisply delineating the tiger motif. Coloured enamel pigments applied separately to each partition or cloisonné is a detail that is simply mind-blowing. Handcrafted with artistic skill and meticulous precision, this diamond and enamel watch is an haute horlogerie collector’s happiest dream come true.
Ulysse Nardin Classico Tiger Watch
Ulysse Nardin also debuted a limited edition, ” watch for the Year of the Tiger, the rose gold Classico “Tiger watch. For this watch, Ulysse Nardin chose to use both the champlevé and the paillonné enamelling techniques on the dial to represent their tiger design. The complexity of the dial design, the fine details and the richness of colours, makes the Classico a stunning addition to the world of watches.
Dior Grand Soir Year of the Tiger Watch
Dior decided to launch a tiger-faced Grand Soir watch to celebrate the Year of the Tiger and it is a fabulous addition to their Grand Soir collection. Refined and sophisticated, a polished and etched gold tiger face sits atop a bed of gold and white feathers. The dial has a frame of diamonds. Worn either with a cream silk taffeta strap or a black satin one, true to Dior’s DNA, this watch has been made to start conversations.
IWC Watch Chronograph Year of the Tiger
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Year of the Tiger watch is perfect for anyone who wants to savour IWC’s expert watch making while enjoying the blessings and positivity of the tiger symbol. The bold burgundy dial of this stainless steel watch matches its burgundy calf-leather strap. However, the see-through sapphire glass back not only gives you a full view of IWC’S very fine caliber but also of a rotor shaped like a leaping tiger. How awesome is that!?
Breguet Classique Collection Year of the Tiger Watch
Breguet’s addition to their Classique Collection roster for the Year of the Tiger is a wonder of expert guiolleché enamelling and hand engraving, done inhouse by Breguet’s own artisans. The dial shows a tiger mid-stride. Each sinew and angle of the tiger oozes strength and vitality. It took more than a week’s worth of work to craft each of the eight dials for this limited edition CNY 2022 collection. The skill and dexterity of the artisans is clear to see in the sculpted and engraved tiger motif on the dial. This watch is a gorgeously crafted piece of high horology.
Graff Endangered Species Tiger Watch
Graff’s selection for the Year of the Tiger 2022 is a stunning timepiece with a dial set with diamonds and sapphires, on a background of deep blue aventurine. The hand finished tiger motif on the dial has been crafted with an outstanding technique called diamond marquetry, whereby custom-cut diamonds and yellow sapphires have been inlaid into blue aventurine, thus adapting traditional marquetry techniques to haute horlogerie. This watch was originally part of Graff’s Endangered Species collection but continues to turn heads as it marks the start of the Lunar New Year.
Harry Winston Premier Automatic Chinese New Year Watch
Harry Winston’s limited edition Premier Automatic Chinese New Year watch can only be described as adorable. This pink gold and diamond watch with red alligator skin straps is adorned with two tiger cubs in rose gold and red beaded Mother-of-Pearl. Surrounded by rose gold rosette motifs and multicoloured peonies in beaded Mother-of-Pearl, the cubs seem to gambol across the 18k rose gold dial. This eight piece collection stands apart from the other Year of the Tiger watches, in that the tiger design is cute and captures the frolicsome nature of baby tigers in the most delightful of ways.
Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar Year of the Tiger Watch
Finally, Blancpain’s Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar Year of the Tiger watch pulls out all the stops as far as unique and genuinely unexpected design elements go. A medley of Chinese and Gregorian calendars on a white enamel dial with a platinum case, make this watch quite eye catching. However, just like IWC, Blancpain also decided to feature the tiger motif at the back of the watch case. Engraved on the oscillating weight, which can be seen through the clear sapphire case back, the tiger design is hyper realistic, as if immortalized mere moments before it pounced on its prey. With just one gemmy adornment, a cabochon cut Madagascan ruby, the watch has an undeniable but beautifully understated appeal.
Author: Reema Farooqui
Instagram: @thecultureofpearls
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