From ancient Chinese legends to Western folklore, dragons hold a universal fascination. In addition to their fantastical narratives, these mythical creatures seamlessly integrate into contemporary popular culture.
In 2024, they grace watch dials to commemorate the Year of the Dragon. Much like the serpentine creatures, these eight timepieces embody authority and elegance, offering wearers a unique connection to cultural symbolism while elevating the art of watchmaking.
1. Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar in red gold, from Blancpain
Blancpain‘s Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar commences its second 12-year cycle with a new Year of the Dragon special edition boasting a green grand feu enamel dial that perfectly complements the 45 mm red gold case. The watch features a dragon engraved on the red gold rotor against a frosted background, accompanied by a red ruby and Chinese character engravings of “dragon” and “wood”, the element of 2024.
The dial displays the Chinese calendar through four dedicated hands, a window unveiling the Zodiac sign, and a leap month window. These elements collectively represent Chinese hours (each lasting 120 minutes), the 60-year cycle of elements and Yin/Yang, the 12-year Zodiac cycle, and details regarding Chinese days, months, and leap months. The Gregorian date is elegantly indicated by a traditional serpentine hand, while the moon phase is presented in a classic window at six o’clock.
The product of five years of craftsmanship in Blancpain’s Le Brassus grand complication workshop, the movement comprises 464 components, surpassing the complexity of a perpetual calendar. It boasts a seven-day power reserve and is limited to 36 pieces.
2. L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon in ethical rose gold, from Chopard
Featuring a majestic dragon flying through a spangled sky, this artistic masterpiece represents a significant milestone for the L.U.C XP Urushi series. In its 12th edition, it completes a full cycle in the Chinese calendar. The watch effortlessly blends technical expertise and artistic finesse, boasting a dial decorated with Urushi lacquer, gold powder, and mother-of-pearl inlays, crafted by a skilled artisan in Japan using the maki-e technique. The watch features a 39.5 mm ethical rose gold case that houses the slim in-house L.U.C 96.17-L calibre with a micro-rotor, epitomising the excellence of the Chopard Manufacture. To celebrate the 12th consecutive year of this series, Chopard has created a commemorative wooden case that contains all 12 L.U.C XP Urushi watches.
3. Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition in stainless steel, from Franck Muller
Franck Muller has created a unique timepiece in collaboration with Japanese artist Ryoko Kaneta, which breaks from traditional depictions of dragons. The watch features doll-like figures, a signature of Kaneta’s artwork, offering a playful twist on the mythical creature. Kaneta’s unique style presents nature through anthropomorphic beings in a “chibi” style, which is influenced by Japanese pop culture’s fascination with all things kawaii, while exploring traditional Japanese philosophies such as Shinto. The figures on the watch are in black and white with aqua-blue accents, symbolising harbingers of rain and connecting to the dragon’s ties to water. The lacquered turquoise dial boasts a textured guilloché pattern, adding visual depth and complementing the matching strap. The watch is housed in Franck Muller’s iconic 5850 Cintrée Curvex case and is powered by the MVT FM 2536-SC self-winding movement for daily reliability. This edition is limited to 500 pieces and is exclusive to the Asia Pacific region.
4. Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon in titanium, from Hublot
Hublot’s collaboration with artist Chen Fenwan fuses traditional Chinese art with modern design. It features a distinctive dragon silhouette with hands, wheels, and H-shaped screws arranged in multi-dimensional layers that mimic the art of paper cutting, a traditional Chinese craft dating back 2,000 years. In Chen’s interpretation of Hublot’s tagline, the Art of Fusion, she presents a dragon that embodies the features of nine different animals—the eyes of a prawn, the horns of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the nose of a dog, the whiskers of a catfish, the mane of a lion, the long tail of a snake, the scales of a fish, and the claws of an eagle. The dragon has undergone a metamorphosis over several thousand years, resulting in its current form.
The dragon’s symbolism is also depicted on a rubber strap with an intricate marquetry design by Chen. Each scale is coloured and nano-vulcanized by hand, taking approximately 8 hours per strap. Presented in a 42 mm titanium case, this special edition runs on the HUB1710 automatic movement that delivers a power reserve of 50 hours. Limited to 88 pieces.
5. Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon in stainless steel, from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen ushers in the Year of the Wood Dragon with a limited edition Portugieser Chronograph, a tribute to the rare celestial alignment occurring once every 60 years. Limited to 1000 pieces, the watch boasts a 41 mm stainless steel case, burgundy dial, and gold-plated hands and appliques, capturing the vibrant hues traditionally associated with fire and longevity in Chinese tradition. Powered by the IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre, it features a dragon-shaped gold-plated rotor visible through the sapphire case back. Delivered with both black calfskin and burgundy rubber straps, it celebrates the energetic, confident, and generous traits associated with the dragon sign.
6. Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Dragon’ in pink gold with enamel, from Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre continues the legacy of its iconic Reverso with this homage to the Year of the Dragon. The pink gold case is intricately engraved with a majestic dragon surrounded by glossy black Grand Feu enamel. Using modelled engraving, a technique that maximises volume, depth and requires 80 hours of precision work, the dragon exudes movement and power. The opaque black enamel dial complements the case back and showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technical expertise and meticulous artistry from its inhouse enamelling atelier.
7. Excalibur Monotourbillon Dragon in pink gold, from Roger Dubuis
With the new Excalibur Dragon Monotourbillon, Roger Dubuis creates a bold design that pays tribute to the revered traits of the dragon – intelligent, charismatic, and confident. The depiction of this fearless creature is executed with a confident conceptual rhythm, encouraging interpretation, and inviting the wearer to unleash their imagination. The dragon, meticulously crafted from 27 brass pieces covered in lacquer and pink gold, and across 25 different levels, exhibits striking volume. Turn the watch over and a mirror image of the same dragon appears – this time metallised on the inside of the caseback’s sapphire crystal.
The watch is powered by the skeletonised monotourbillon Calibre RD512SQ, which has been certified with the prestigious Poinçon de Genève certification. The tourbillon’s performance has been enhanced by using non-magnetic titanium and mirror-polished Cobalt Chrome. This rare and elaborate tribute to the Year of the Dragon is limited to only 28 pieces.
8. Les Cabinotiers Grisaille High Jewellery Dragon in white gold with diamonds, from Vacheron Constantin
Part of Vacheron Constantin‘s Les Cabinotiers – Récits de Voyages collection, this pièce unique boasts a green grisaille enamel dial (a first for the brand) and features a mythical five-clawed dragon that symbolises power, nobility, and good fortune. The dragon is always accompanied by a pearl, which is an emblem of wisdom. The 40 mm white gold case is adorned with 146 baguette-cut diamonds (7.1 cts) and boasts the elegant pairing of grisaille enamel and gemsetting, another first for the brand. It is driven by the ultra-slim Calibre 1120 and features a remarkably slim 8.9mm thick case.
