Nowadays, we are entering the year of the tiger which represent “power” in the Chinese New Year, and haute horology brands has been announcing tiger watches, which are high-level examples of traditional watch art, following through the year of the tiger.
Invented by the ancient Chinese culture 2000 years ago during the period of the Qin Dynasty to classify people according to their personality traits and interpret their future, Chinese astrology determine your sign according to your birth year (bengmingnian), contrary to the usual astrological system. That’s why, the zodiac sign is of each New Lunar Year is of great importance.
And this year, China, the country that has a quarter of the population of the world, welcomes the Year of the Tiger, which is known as the “king of beasts” in China, from February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. Also, it is believed that this will bring luck to who wear red and has several effects on the zodiac. Of course, we will see the effects of the year of tiger on the world of fashion and haute horology.
The Year of the Tiger is celebrated by luxury fashion brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Burberry and Gucci. On the one hand, the haute horology also introduced watches in which the lucky charm tiger on the dials into a work of art in high watchmaking. Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and Chopard are brands that reveals their Year of the Tiger watch.
Piaget Ultra-Thin Altiplano Year of the Tiger
For 10 years, Piaget has been producing limited-edition watches for the Chinese New Year that presenting the zodiac sign of the year with 4,000-year-old art grand feu (high-temperature fire) enamel. This year, 38 limited-edged roaring tiger figures were engraved by master and award-winning enamel artist Anita Porchet.
In closionné embroidery technique, supremely fine gold wires and the inside of the figure is filled with grand feu enamel. Also, dial is fired at 850 degrees. On the dial has been depicted 78 brilliant-cut diamonds that housed in 38-mm white gold and black ceramic case. The watch also is featuring ultra-thin manual 430P movement produced by artisan.
Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of The Tiger
Chopard has also been producing exclusive watches for the Chinese New Year since 2013, which is the Year of the Snake. For tiger, which symbolizes the leadership, the brand used the traditional Far Eastern art of urushi.
Master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi of the century-old Yamada Heiando Imperial lacquerware workshops has been put in charge to decorate all 88 dials of watches in 160 hours. Each watch housed in 39,5-mm rose gold case and diameter of 6.80 mm. With the Maki-e technique, gold dusts were placed between layers of varnish made from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree. This background effect riches the majesty of the tiger in front of the bay.
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Tiger
The model of Vacheron Constantin is the most complicated water tiger watch that is also depicted another Chinese art: Jianzhi, which is a paper cutting art introduced by China to Switzerland as scherenschnitt. This art technique gained a new interpretation on the watch thanks to the watch artisans.
The vegetation motifs engraved on the dial are based on Chinese iconography and apart from layers, which makes the vegetation appears as if they are floating on the dial. After process of enameling, layers of blue and bronze enamel are applied and fired, and the dial is completed with a hand-engraved tiger made of platinum or rose gold. Sitting under the caseback, the movement – has the Geneva Seal as a symbol of quality- is as worth seeing as the dial.
Dior Grand Soir Tiger
The 88-piece limited edition watch’s dial comes to the fore with the combination of gold and feathers that are associated with the year of the tiger festivities. It can be said that 98 feathers on the dial pays tribute to Christian Dior, who says “Women can wear feathers in an elegant and gracious way”.
The tiger figure has five 18-carat gold gallus gallus feathers cut by laser on the dial, and a marquise-cut diamond is used on its eyes and a triangular cut diamond on its nose. The watch features 75 diamonds in 1.50 carats. Another looking is sitting on the back of the fairy-tale-like model: the tiger fur effect.
Ulysse Nardin Classico Tiger
Ulysse Nardin is one of the brands that produces a collectible piece of artistic watch for members of leader, passionate, reliable and fair the year of the tiger. The two-centuries of champlevé and paillonné enameling art decorated by the enamel workshop Donze Cadrans, which joined the brand in 2011, on the dials of 88-piece limited rose gold watches. Few masters can make champlevé, since engraving and enamel are applied directly on the dial. The other technique paillonné in which the stirps cut from a thin gold or silver leaf are placed by hand and covered with enamel and baked. The technique also has a three-dimensional effect by making the moon from silver strips and the stars from three-month gold strips.
Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar: Year of the Tiger
The Year of the Tiger model (and its automatic 3638m caliber) is produced after five years of research and development. The timepiece features some technical details in calendar side, despite other watches: it brings together Gregorian and Chinese calendars. The white grand feu enamel technique is used on the dial of the 50-pieces limited platinum watch with the lunisolar calendar, moon phases, festival dates and traditional Chinese months. This time, the tiger figure is sitting on the rotor at the back of the watch. The calligraphically engraved limited number is also in the same part.
