Limited edition watches with the symbol of the year according to the Chinese calendar have become a good "New Year" tradition. As a rule, these are limited collections intended for the Chinese market, however, they are not only bought by customers from the Middle Kingdom. After all, the zodiac image is often far from traditional Chinese symbolism.
This time Konstantin Chaikin turned to the symbol of the year. The Russian watchmaker creatively reworked his iconic model Clown from the series of "wrist monsters": the Wristmon "2019 Unique Pig" dial turned pink, and a nice patch appeared between the dials-eyes showing the hours and minutes. The recognizable smiling mouth is still an indicator of the lunar phases.
Officine Panerai has been following the traditions of the Chinese calendar since 2009: the current new Luminor Sealand - 44 mm with the zodiac symbol is already the eleventh. Each of the 88 pieces is decorated with an antique Italian hand-engraved sparsello. Grooves are made on the steel surface of the watch lid, which are then filled with gold threads in several layers. Then they are tamped down until they completely fill these grooves, eventually forming the figure of a pig and an exquisite ornament.
Harry Winston presents the Premier Chinese New Year Automatic 36mm. A cheerful pig with a diamond eye poses against a bright red background of the dial, its body is inlaid with magnolia petals made of multi-colored mother-of-pearl.
- Wristmon "2019 Unique Pig", Konstantin Chaykin
- Luminor Sealand - 44mm Officine Panerai
- Metiers d'Art. Chinese Zodiac Legends: Year of the Pig, Vacheron Constantin
- LUC XP Urushi Year of the Pig, Chopard
- Petite Heure Minute, Jaquet Droz
- Premier Chinese New Year Automatic 36 mm, Harry Winston
- Altiplano Year of The Pig, Piaget
- Gem of New Year, Swatch
- Petite Heure Minute Relief Pig, Jaquet Droz
© press service
Chopard releases watches with animal symbols every year, renewing the LUC XP line with an in-house caliber. Master Kiichiro Masamura used the Japanese urushi varnish technique to create the 2019 model.
The Jaquet Droz watchmakers dedicated two Petite Heure Minute models, issued in 28 pieces, to the symbol of the year: a picturesque miniature on the dial depicts a pig against a wheat field. Two more Petite Heure Minute Relief Pig models showcase the craftsmanship of the engravers: a boar figure stands out against a black onyx background, surrounded by eight oak trees.
In the Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art series Legends of the Chinese Zodiac, pig sculptures in platinum or rose gold rest in the center of a hot enamel dial with four apertures for the hour, minute, date and day of the week. Both collectible models are available in 12 pieces.>