Chinese New Year 2024: The best watches celebrating the year of the dragon

Bell & Ross

The BR 05 Artline Dragon, limited to 99 pieces, is embellished entirely, from case to dial to bracelet, with the dragon form created through laser engraving. To ensure cohesiveness, each link of the bracelet is engraved individually before assembly. 

See also: Introducing the new Bell & Ross BR 03 in 41mm

Blancpain

Limited to 36 pieces, Blancpain’s Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar watch with a 45 mm case in red gold features a green Grand Feu enamel dial displaying elements of the Chinese calendar, such as the zodiac year and lunar month. A dragon is hand‑engraved on the red gold winding rotor, visible through the caseback.

Breguet

The ultra-thin Classique Dragon 7145 in 40mm rose gold features a crimson red dial with a hand-engraved golden dragon keeping an eye on a pearl, crafted from mother-of-pearl, at ‘4’.

Chopard

Every year, Chopard celebrates the Chinese zodiac with an interpretation of the zodiac animal in the ancient Japanese lacquering technique of urushi. The L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon puts the mythical dragon front and centre, handcrafted entirely in Japan by a renowned artist. The 39.5mm rose gold watch is limited to 88 pieces. 

Corum

Limited to 88 pieces, the Corum Bubble rendition of the dragon watch features a black dial with black clouds against which the golden dragon hovers. There is a moon at ‘9’, crafted entirely in mother-of-pearl.

Dior

The Dior Grand Soir CNY Dragon features a dragon head crafted in gold on the dial. It is set with four round-cut diamonds with its eyes set with marquise-cut diamonds. The polished stainless steel case in 36mm comes with a yellow gold bezel set with 52 diamonds. 

Franck Muller

The Geneva manufacture goes for the whimsical in its depiction of the dragon. It worked with Japanese artist Ryoko Kaneta on this limited-edition Cintrée Curvex, where Kaneta interpreted the dragon in her signature style—cute, girly and playful. The character can be found in various poses and expressions on each of the 12 numerals on the turquoise dial with guilloché pattern. The colour was chosen to symbolise the dragon's role as the rain bringer for a bountiful harvest. Production is limited to 500 pieces.

Hublot

Hublot takes the ‘wood’ element of the Dragon year to heart, and invited Chinese artist Chen Fenwan to create a paper cutout of the zodiac animal. Hublot then interpreted this artwork in the Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon by layering its hands, wheels, and H-shaped screws to form the dragon’s head, with the body extending to the strap. For the first time, Hublot created a rubber strap with marquetry design evoking the dragon scales. Only 88 pieces will be produced.

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IWC Schaffhausen

IWC Schaffhausen is welcoming the new lunar year with the elegant Portugieser Chronograph Year Of The Dragon, featuring a 41 mm stainless steel case, a burgundy dial, and gold‑plated hands and appliques. Taking the form of a dragon, the gold‑plated rotor of the watch’s automatic winding system is visible through the sapphire caseback, and framed by a caseback ring engraved with “Year of the Dragon” and “2024”. Delivered with a black calfskin strap as well as a burgundy rubber strap, the watch is limited to 1,000 pieces.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Reverso becomes the canvas for the artistic expression of the manufacture’s enamellers. The Tribute Enamel ‘Dragon’ in pink gold case is engraved with the dragon against a glossy black grand feu enamel. The reverse side features a grand feu enamel dial with faceted applique hour markets, chemin de fer minute track, and Dauphine hands. This timepiece is only available made to order.

Longines

Longines worked with the famous Chinese artist Zinan Lam on the image of a dragon head engraved on the caseback of this Flagship Heritage watch. The dial comes in auspicious red, with a moon phase at ‘6’. Limited to 888 pieces, the 38.5mm stainless steel watch is powered by the Longines calibre L899.5 with silicon balance spring. 

Piaget

Piaget soars into the new Chinese lunar calendar with not one but two spectacular Dragon timepieces. The first is the 41mm Altiplano High Jewellery Dragon that features a star-filled blue dial created by enameller (and frequent Piaget collaborator) Anita Porchet against which the hand-engraved gold dragon is set. Limited to eight pieces.

The second watch is the 46.5mm Polo Emperador with a flying tourbillon and a dial set with diamonds and blue sapphires. The dragon swirls around the watch from case to dial, creating an auspiciously audacious look.

Read more: Vacheron Constantin celebrates the wonders of the East

Roger Dubuis

The Poinçon de Genève-certified Excalibur Monotourbillon is decorated with a 3D dragon in brass. The sides are coated in black lacquer while the top is given a pink gold galvanic treatment and polished. The 42mm pink gold watch is limited to 28 pieces.

Tag Heuer

A calligraphic Chinese character for dragon stands out against the sunray-brushed silver dial of this special edition of the Carrera in stainless steel. Auspicious red adorns the chronograph subdials, the seconds hand, and the hour markers as well as the alligator leather strap. The image of the dragon is engraved on the sapphire caseback, which also showcases the Calibre Heuer 02. Limited to 300 pieces, there is also a rose gold version which is produced only in 50 pieces.

See also: Tag Heuer's heritage director Nicholas Biebuyck: “The Carrera is the quintessential chronograph”

Ulysse Nardin

The 3D dragon, beautifully sculpted in rose gold, slithers in and out of the X-structure skeletonised dial of this limited-to-88-piece Blast Tourbillon. One of the five-clawed hands clutches a part of the ‘X’, while the other protects the pearl positioned above the tourbillon cage.

In case you missed it: Ulysse Nardin's UFO clock in champagne, created specially for The Hour Glass

Vacheron Constantin 

A showcase of Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in engraving and enamelling, the new Metiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Dragon watches are available in 40mm 950 platinum or 18k 5N pink gold, limited to 25 pieces each. The golden dragon, a symbol of strength, luck, and nobility, is delicately hand-engraved to achieve an uncanny likeness, complete with about 300 scales. It is seen reaching out to a pearl, also hand-engraved; the pearl is a symbol of wisdom.

The dragon is placed against a gold dial decorated with clouds. No hands can be found on the watch so as not to obstruct the view of the majestic beast. Instead, there are four apertures indicating the hour, minute, day, and date. 

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