Six Swatch Group Brands Unveil Red Hot Year Of The Dragon Watches

(This article by Roberta Naas first appeared on Forbes.com.)

 

The Chinese Lunar New Year just began (on February 10, 2024). We have already covered a host of “Year of the Dragon” watches, including Corum, Piaget and Bell & Ross, but today we bring six more – from a host of brands owned by the Swatch Group.

Breguet

This year, Breguet unveils two new Classique Lunar New Year watches. We are focusing on the platinum Classique 5345 Double Tourbillon Dragon special edition. The watch boasts two rotating tourbillon cages with a sculpted, hand-engraved golden dragon between them. The highly complicated 749-part movement, caliber 5888N1, is a hand-wound movement with 60 hours of power reserve. As the tourbillon cages rotate, the dragon swirls around the dial, as well. It is secured to the two barrel bridges and is clutching a pearl made of mother-of-pearl. The sapphire hour circle boasts laser-engraved numerals and minute track that are coated with black varnish. While this is a one-of-a-kind watch, the house of Breguet offers personalization of the color and the dragon’s shape.

Blancpain

Each year for 12 years Blancpain’s master watchmakers and artisans have created a different Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar watch celebrating the year’s designated animal. This year, it reinterprets the symbols of the Chinese zodiac with new artwork. This timepiece marks the first time the brand has created an 18-karat 5N rose gold watch with a green grand feu enamel dial. Additionally, the rotor – visible from the sapphire case back —  is engraved with a stunning dragon with ruby eye. The words  “dragon” and “wood,” the element of 2024, are also engraved on it. It is powered by a 464-part perpetual calendar movement that initially was five years in the making. Just 50 pieces will be made.

Hamilton

This year, Hamilton takes an iconic watch and breathes fire into it. The new Hamilton Ventura – the triangular watch that Elvis Presley loved – pays homage to the Year of the Dragon thanks to a skeletonized motif. The black dial features cutaways with each opening rimmed in gold. Beneath the cutaways a lower level reveals a dragon’s face, including the eye, in colorful tones. The face perfectly fits the geometric shield-shaped dial. Two versions, one in rose gold PVD with green eyes for the dragon and one in black PVD with red dragon eyes. The watches are powered by the H-10-S movement with 80 hours of power reserve. A high-tech Nivachron™ balance spring renders the watch more anti magnetic.

 Harry Winston

The new Harry Winston Chinese New Year Automatic 36mm watch is a study in grace and beauty. The 18-karat gold watch features a cabochon pearl crown nicely placed at 12:00 on the case instead of the traditional 3:00 position – lending a more harmonious look. On the outer portion of the dial, mother-of-pearl clouds swirl and a red imperial dragon intermingles with the clouds. The dragon is made of hand-carved gold scales that are then filled with red lacquer. He holds a single pearl in his mouth.  The center of the dial is in mother of pearl with sparkling diamonds to emulate the evening sky.  The case, bezel and inner ring surrounding the dial are set with diamonds. His eye is made of blue lacquer. In total, the watch is set with 174 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing two carats. It is powered by a Swiss mechanical movement with 40 hours of power reserve and finished with a red alligator strap. Just eight pieces will be made.

Longines

To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, Longines unveils its Flagship Heritage watch with moonphase indication on the fiery red dial. Chinese artist Zinan Lam created the design that features a dragon’s head engraved on the case back. The 38.5mm stainless steel case is inspired by a watch from the 1950’s. The watch is powered by a mechanical movement with silicon balance spring to offer resistance to magnetic fields.

Swatch

Even the Swatch brand gets in on the Year of the Dragon with five different watches in the capsule collection. Watches range in diameter size from 34mm to 38 mm, 41mm, 43mm and 47mm – offering something for everyone. Two versions are made of stainless steel with a golden-hued finish and the other three are made of bio-sourced material in white, black and blue. Each watch dial features a different dragon head motif in an array of bold or pastel colors. The  motifs include Big Bold (pastels), Dragon in Wind pay (black, yellow and red motif), Dragon in Waves (blue with neon lines), Dragon in Motion and Dragon in Gold. They range in price from $85 to $220.