In recent years, an increasing number of watch brands have produced watches with zodiac motifs. In 2022, the Year of the Tiger, various brands announced watches with tiger motifs. Let’s introduce the Year of the Tiger models of seven brands full of individuality.
Originally published on watchtime.net
Text by Sabine Zwettler
Article published on February 1, 2023
Ulysse Nardin “Clásico Tiger”
Ulysse Nardin “Clásico Tiger”
Automatic winding (Cal.UN-815). 21 stone. 28,800 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 42 hours. 18KRG case (diameter 40mm). Water resistant to 50m. Limited to 88 pieces worldwide. Discontinued (6,193,000 yen including tax at the time of release). Contact: Sowind Japan Tel.03-5211-1791
Powered by the C.O.S.C. certified UN-815 automatic calibre, the Ulysse Nardin Classico Tiger uses two enamel techniques: Chaanlevé and Paillon. Both techniques are now highly rare and few craftsmen have mastered them. This model is made by the enamelers of Donze Kadlan in the dial making workshop of Ulysse Nardin, who use these techniques to make the dial.
A tiger depicted by engraving and champlevet techniques. A gold tiger shines on the blue dial.
The Champlevé technique is used in the tiger pattern. Ingots are carved into a depression, enamel is poured into it, and fired. The moon and stars in the night sky are painted with paillon decorations. A motif made of cut out silver or gold leaf is placed on top of an enamel dial that has been fired once, and then covered with translucent enamel to sandwich the motif between two layers of enamel. In this model, the moon is represented in silver leaf and three stars are represented in gold leaf.
Chopard “L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger”
Chopard “L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger”
Automatic (Cal.L.U.C 96.17-L). 29 stone. 28,800 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 65 hours. 18K ethical RG case (diameter 39.5mm, thickness 6.8mm). Water resistant to 30m. Limited to 88 pieces worldwide. Discontinued (3,597,000 yen including tax at the time of release). Q. Chopard Japan Press Tel.03-5524-8922
Since 2013, Chopard has been using lacquer techniques to present annual watches depicting zodiac animals on the dial. Sold in a limited edition of 88 pieces worldwide, the L.U.C XP Urushi Toratsu is a model in collaboration with Yamada Heiando makie craftsman Sankyo Koizumi.
The production time that can be spent on a single dial of this model is more than 160 hours. The maki-e tiger stands looking back, with a star-studded night sky, a cove surrounded by cliffs, and pine trees with green leaves.
The dial is delicately drawn with a thin brush. Yamada Heiando, to which Sankyo Koizumi, who handles dials, belongs, is a long-established lacquerware store founded in 1919.
The 39.5mm diameter case is made of ethical rose gold. It is equipped with a thin L.U.C 96.17-L calibre with a microrotor and has a power reserve of about 65 hours.
From the caseback, you can admire the movement. The L.U.C 96.17-L calibre features an off-center microrotor.
Jaeger-LeCoultre “Reverso Tribute Enamel “Tiger””
Jaeger-LeCoultre “Reverso Tribute Enamel “Tiger””
Manual winding (Cal.822A/2). 21 stone. 21,600 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 42 hours. 18K pg case (length 45.5×27.4mm, thickness 9.73mm). Water resistant to 3 ATM. Discontinued. Q. Jaeger-LeCoultre Tel. 0120-79-1833
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Enamel “Tiger” is a seemingly simple black dial. However, when the case is flipped, a tiger appears. Engraved in a pink gold case, the tiger is as if it pops out of the opaque black Grand Feu enameled background.
In order to emphasize the volume and depth of the engraving, a technique called model engraving is adopted, which uses chisels of different sizes, and craftsmen carve metal in millimeters. Due to the delicate and precise work required, it takes about 55 hours to make the dial.
The Reverso Tribute Enamel Tiger dial features the same opaque black Grand Fu enamel as the caseback.
The Art Deco dial for displaying hours and minutes is also decorated with Grand Fou enamel. In order to achieve jet blackness, enamel is layered on top of each other and fired one by one. Powered by the 822A/2 hand-wound calibre, it was built to order in its workshops in the Vallée de Joux.
Vacheron Constantin “Métiers d’Art Year of the Tiger”
Vacheron Constantin “Métiers d’Art Year of the Tiger”
Automatic (Cal.2460 G4). 27 stones. 28,800 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 40 hours. 18K pg case (diameter 40mm, thickness 12.72mm). Water resistant to 3 ATM. Limited edition of 12 pieces worldwide. Discontinued. Q. Vacheron Constantin Tel. 0120-63-1755
At Vacheron Constantin, the “Métiers d’Art Year of Tiger” with a tiger motif in the center of the dial appears. It was available in two models, a pink gold case and a platinum case, and was sold in a limited edition of 12 pieces worldwide.
The dial is decorated with hand-engraved tigers and plant motifs. The unique plant motif comes from the traditional Chinese paper-cutting “shearing”. Skilled goldsmiths and enamelers combine traditional Chinese techniques with Swiss decorative techniques.
Platinum 950 specification “Métier d’Art Year of Tiger”.
To make the most of the decoration on the dial, the movement was equipped with the 2460 G4 calibre, which did not require an hour and minute hand. The hour, minute, date and day of the week are digitally displayed in four windows. The hour, minute display shifts slowly, and the date and day of the week display jumps. Acquired with the Geneva seal and carefully finished, the movement can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Piaget “Altiplano Zodiac”
Piaget “Altiplano Zodiac”
Manual winding (Cal.430P). 18 stone. 21,600 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 43 hours. 18KWG case (diameter 38mm). Water resistant to 3 ATM. Limited edition of 38 pieces worldwide. Discontinued. Q. Piaget Contact Center Tel. 0120-73-1874
In 2022, Piaget unveiled the 12th watch with the Chinese zodiac symbol, the tiger-motif Altiplano Zodiac. Since 12, the famous enameler Anita Porsche has been responsible for the production of the dial. Using the croisonnay technique, also known as wired cloisonne, he depicted a white tiger on a white dial.
A dial in the middle of production and a completed Altiplano Zodiac. Enamel is poured in first, starting with the smallest parts.
In the croisonnay, the outline of the motif is first drawn with a thin gold line. Enamel is poured into the gap, and firing at high temperature is repeated. In the final process, lacquer is applied to protect the coloration. The Altiplano Zodiac is equipped with the 430P calibre, an ultra-thin movement with a thickness of 2.1 mm. The diamond-set bezel complements the tiger on the dial.
The first process of croisonry. Thin gold lines are arranged according to the sketch.
Blancpain “Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar”
Blancpain “Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar”
Automatic (Cal.3638). 39 stones. 14,400 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 168 hours. PT case (diameter 45mm, thickness 15mm). Water resistant to 3 ATM. Limited edition of 50 pieces worldwide. Discontinued. Q. Blancpain Boutique Ginza Tel. 03-6254-7233
Blancpain has been developing the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar for 10 years, equipped with a Chinese calendar display mechanism. Calibre 3638 has a complex structure that differs from the Perpetual calendar, and in addition to the lunisolar calendar combined with the Gregorian calendar, it also has the ability to display the Chinese calendar.
The white Grand Fou enamel dial is decorated with gold indexes, and the hollowed-out leaf-shaped hands move smoothly over it. Gregorian dates are indicated by bluesteel serpent hands.
The white gold self-winding rotor is engraved with a tiger.
At 12 o’clock, in addition to the zodiac window, there is a subdial with a 24-hour display. The 24-hour display is the 12 o’clock table.It is written and Chinese numerals. At 3 o’clock, the five elements (Thursday, Saturday, Wednesday, Tuesday, and Friday) and the 10 boars are displayed in a 10-year cycle. At 9 o’clock, there is a Chinese lunar month (12-month cycle), a date (30-day cycle) and an intermediate month display.
The zodiac signs form a 60-year cycle in the Chinese calendar, and the moons that play an important role in them are also displayed by the moon phase at 6 o’clock. The movement with such a complex mechanism can be admired from the sapphire crystal caseback.
Arnold & Son, “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon
Arnold & Son, “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon
Manual winding (Cal.A&S1512). 27 stones. 21,600 vibrations per hour. Power reserve about 90 hours. 18KRG case (diameter 42mm, thickness 12.16mm). Water resistant to 30m. Limited to 8 pieces worldwide. Discontinued production (7.59 million yen including tax at the time of release). Contact: Arnold & Son Counseling Office Tel. 0570-03-1764
Arnold & Son’s iconic moon phase display and tiger motif are fused with the “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon. The dial is made of hematite, a rare mineral, and a lively tiger is depicted on the 3 o’clock side, and a waterfall seems to calm its ferocity on the 9 o’clock side. The tiger is based on rose gold and finished by carving.
The large moon in the moon phase is made of mother-of-pearl and has a deep black aventurine glass background. The moon phase display is controlled by calibre A&S 1512, a high-precision movement with an error of only one day every 122 years.
Part of the motif of the moon phase display and dial is coated with Super-LumiNova, which emits a fantastic light in the dark.
