The Chinese New Year ushered in the Year of the Dragon, symbolizing power, energy, honor and peace. Largely unlike Western astrology, Chinese astrology will begin celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Dragon on February 10. In the 12-year cycles of the Chinese Zodiac calendar, each year represents an animal: tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The animal of the year determines and characterizes the zodiac signs of people born that year.
According to Chinese mythology, the Dragon symbolizes benevolence, strength, honor, vitality and success, unlike the frightening fiery creatures of Western mythology. The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is the most important festival celebrated among families in East Asia and is usually marked by fireworks displays lasting several days.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, zodiac signs such as monkey, rooster and pig are considered lucky this year, while more efforts and difficulties are foreseen for those born in the year of the rat, ox, dragon, horse, goat and dog.
China’s luxury market plays an important role, especially in the watch industry. According to FH (Swiss Watch Industry Federation) data, Switzerland increased its exports to China by 7.6% to CHF 2,762.5 million in 2023. China’s luxury manufacturing companies, especially watch manufacturers, are trying to gain a foothold in this growing market by designing special products according to Chinese Astrology every year.
Many famous watch brands have designed special models for the Year of the Dragon 2024. For example, Hublot’s Spirit of Big-Bang Titanium Dragon features a colorful dragon pattern, while IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser and Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers Grisaille Dragon also represent this special year.
Each brand has a different approach to design. For example, a special model of Chopard’s L.U.C XP Urushi series for the Year of the Dragon features a special dial by Minori Koizumi, one of the most important names in Japanese lacquer art.
In addition to famous brands, Swatch, Corum, Hamilton, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Piaget also celebrate the Year of the Dragon with their own designs. The exclusive models of these brands stand out with their colorful and striking designs, each interpreting the symbolism of the Year of the Dragon in a unique way.
Finally, jeweled watch collections have also been specially designed for the Year of the Dragon. For example, Piaget’s Altiplano Zodiac and Anita Porchet’s special designs feature dials enriched with dragon and fenghuang decorations.
