Bullish on the ox

ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE HOROSCOPE, the year of the Metal Ox is predicted to have "no explosive or catastrophic events", which paves the way for "a favorable year for economic recovery or consolidation, and a year of long-term investments". For watch collectors with investment in mind, the latest timepieces rolled out to greet the lunar new year may well yield good returns - if you have the ox's tenacity to realise it.

JAQUET DROZ

The brand, which fi rst entered the Chinese market 250 years ago, believes gold is the only metal worthy of the Metal Ox. It off ers four models of the Petite Heure Minute Buff alo in red gold case and one in white gold case - all with off -centred hours and minutes. Two of the red gold models - one in a 41mm case for men and the other a 35mm case for ladies - have a miniature painting of a peaceful ox against a background of mist-covered mountains on an ivory enamel dial; the ladies' timepiece is also decked with 232 diamonds on its case. The other two models - the Petite Heure Minute Relief Buff alo - both in a 41mm case but one in red and the other in white gold set with 272 diamonds - feature a relief engraving of the ox that appears to be sauntering across the onyx face towards a gold plum tree with red ruby blossoms. The plum tree symbolises the harmony between humans and nature while the rubies stand for bravery and victory - both values dear to the ox.

Price: S$66,000 for 35mm Petite Heure Minute Buff alo; S$58,000 for the 41mm; S$109,000 for the 41mm red gold Petite Heure Minute Relief Buff alo; and S$127,000 for the 41mm white gold version. Limited to eight pieces each.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Metiers d'Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Ox has the ox hand-engraved in platinum or pink gold - depending on the metal of the 40mm wide case - in the centre of a blue (for a platinum case) or bronze-toned (for a pink gold case) dial, with the intensity of the colours enhanced by successive layers of enamel. The design on the dial carries a foliage motif in an arrangement based on classic Chinese iconography, with the vegetation etched directly in the metal such that they appear to be fl oating over the dial. An in-house automatic movement keeps the hands-free timepiece ticking, while the hours, minutes, days and dates are indicated in four apertures at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o'clock.

Price: S$202,000 (platinum), S$166,000 (pink gold). Limited to 12 pieces each.

BLANCPAIN

The Traditional Chinese Calendar, which took fi ve years to develop, off ers not just the hours and minutes, date and moon phases, but also the main indications of the Chinese calendar: double hours, days, months and leap months, zodiac signs, fi ve elements and 10 heavenly stems. The latter, together with the 12 earthly branches - symbolised by the zodiac animals - produce 60 diff erent pairs forming the sexagesimal cycle of the Chinese time measurement system. The ox appears in an aperture at 12 o'clock above the double-hour counter. Two sub-dials at three and nine o'clock respectively indicate the celestial stems and the fi ve elements. The moon phases that determine the Chinese calendar months are read off at 6 o'clock, while a blue serpentine hand sweeps over the date numerals around the dial circumference. The 45mm watch is driven by a self-winding movement with a seven-day power reserve.

Price: US$83,600 (S$111,188) in platinum (limited 50 pieces); US$66,400 in red gold (unlimited).

CHOPARD

The LUC XP Urushi Year of the Ox captures the ox in gold, mother-of-pearl and coloured lacquer on an Urushi lacquer dial made by Japanese master lacquer artisans. The dial is framed in an ultraslim 39.5mm case that's just 6.8mm thick and made of 18-carat ethical rose gold. The watch has a central display of the hour and minutes, and is powered by an in-house automatic movement.

Price: S$34,000. Limited to 88 pieces.