Telling time in the Year of the Rabbit
Watch brands continue the tradition of launching zodiac timepieces to welcome the Chinese New Year.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY HAVE killed the tradition for some, but many watch brands continue to greet each Chinese New Year with new timepieces embellished with the relevant zodiac animal. This year, the rabbit takes centre stage, and in festive colours of red and gold – symbolising happiness and prosperity for the Chinese. Here’s a look at the creative ways that some brands have incorporated the fluffy animal into their watch designs.
IWC Schaffhausen
Portugieser Automatic 40 ‘Chinese New Year’
IWC has dressed the classic Portugieser in a striking burgundy dial with gold-plated hands and appliques, all wrapped in a 40.4mm stainless steel case. And just in case anyone still doesn’t get it, the see-through sapphire case back of the watch reveals the rabbit in gold-plated metal, acting as the oscillating weight in the watch’s automatic movement. Engraved boldly on the case back ring is ‘2023 YEAR OF THE RABBIT’ for posterity.
Other features that also make the Portugieser Automatic 40 Chinese New Year what it is, are more subtle. While many people know that burgundy is a charming variation of red, non-Chinese may not know that red is an auspicious symbol for the Chinese. Also, collectors can trace the origins of Portugieser Automatic 40 to the first model released in 1939, but not many may bother to identify it as a rabbit year. The Portugieser Automatic 40 Chinese New Year is a limited edition of 500 pieces.
Price: S$12,400
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TAG Heuer
Carrera Chronograph ‘Year of the Rabbit’
Offering an understated nod to Chinese New Year, the sporty chronograph features rose gold-plated hands and indices with red lacquer set against a “never seen before” black dial. The rabbit is not on the dial but its presence is there. The zodiac animal appears only when you flip the watch over, to see it printed in red on the sapphire case back. The watch is a limited edition of 500 pieces.
Price: S$9,800
Blancpain
Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar
Blancpain’s greeting for the rabbit year is a perpetual calendar with a twist. The watch showcases both the Chinese and Gregorian calendar, including the leap months, zodiac months as well as the five elements and 10 celestial pillars – all painted in enamel on a white enamel dial. Moon phases are also on display.
The Traditional Chinese Calendar, according to Blancpain, is similar in complexity to the perpetual calendar – and this puts it in the category of the hardest-to-make timepieces. Indeed, both the Chinese and perpetual calendar models are made in Blancpain’s grand complications workshop, where only a few watchmakers are capable of mastering their construction.
But where’s the rabbit? A pair of them have been engraved on the oscillating weight of the movement mechanisms. The 45mm Traditional Chinese Calendar, which is available in rose gold and platinum, is a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Price: S$91,900 (rose gold); S$121,500 (platinum and boutique exclusive)
Piaget
Altiplano Rabbit
Piaget only began celebrating Chinese New Year 10 years ago and this makes the Altiplano Rabbit its first for this zodiac animal. The ultra-slim mechanical timepiece showcases two white rabbits in Grand Feu cloisonne enamel, which requires a specialised artisanal technique that depicts each rabbit in amazing detail.
In the hands of Anita Porchet, among Switzerland’s most recognised and respected enamellers, the rabbits are so realistic that they seem to come alive on the enamel dial. The dial is framed in a 38mm white gold case which is given an extra sparkle by brilliant-cut diamonds set on its bezel. The Altiplano Rabbit is a limited edition of 38 pieces.
Price: S$103,000
Vacheron Constantin
Metiers d’ Art The Legend of the Chinese zodiac ‘Year of the Rabbit’
As in past years, Vacheron Constantin presents two timepieces for the rabbit year, one crafted in platinum and one in pink gold. Both are works of art and technical sophistication.
The zodiac animal is hand-engraved onto the centre of each dial – blue for the platinum and bronze for the pink gold model. There are no moving hour or second hands to distract you from admiring the rabbit, thanks to the in-house automatic movement. This redirects the hours, minutes, days and dates to be displayed through the four apertures at one, five, seven and eleven o’clock. The Legend of the Chinese zodiac is limited to nine pieces each.
Price: S$203,000 (platinum); S$167,000 (pink gold)
Breguet
Classique 9075 ‘2023 Chinese New Year’
This watch pays homage not only to the rabbit year, but also to women. In a limited edition of just eight pieces, the self-winding mechanical timepiece displays six rabbits hand-engraved on an enamel dial, framed by 88 diamonds on the horns and bezel of a 33.5mm white gold case. It depicts the zodiac animal playing amid the greens against a backdrop of fluffy clouds, conveying its playfulness and intelligence – a manifestation of women’s own astuteness and nimbleness.
Price: S$63,000
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