New watches to usher in the ‘Year of the Dragon’ from Dior, Longines and more

The auspicious season is coming upon us! And to ring in the new year, we’ve compiled a list of timepieces celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

In the Chinese zodiac, the year of the dragon is associated with some of the most treasured traits in people: charisma, confidence, intelligence — and being naturally lucky and gifted at that. Whatever those born in this auspicious year do, they often do it to the best of their abilities and with the highest standards. And what could be better than adding a top-notch accessory to the lifestyle to match?

To celebrate the forthcoming new year, we’ve put together timepieces of the most elegant and stunning designs that all link back to the central theme: the Year of the Dragon. From Longines’ latest take on its Flagship Heritage collection to Piaget’s ‘rebirth’ iteration on the mythical animal, the watches are certainly worth taking a gander at for their creative interpretations alone.

New watches for the Year of the Dragon:

Longines Flagship Heritage Year of The Dragon

The first Asian Zodiac timepiece ever to be launched by Longines is aptly the Flagship Heritage Year of The Dragon. Limited to 888 pieces worldwide, this special twist on the Swiss watch’s Flagship Heritage moonphase model represents intricacy and integrity. For the design, Longines partnered up with renowned Chinese artist Zinan Lam to create a dragon emblem — in the form of a dragon with its head raised and soaring upwards, engraved on the watch’s case back. The dial is completely awash in red — the symbol of fortune and vitality — for the first time, and is further enhanced by eleven applied gilt hour markers elongated at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock. In place of Longines’ iconic winged hourglass, an auspicious dragon ball is etched, alluding to the perpetual cycles of the sun and the moon.

Learn more about the Longines Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon HERE.

Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon

To usher in the new year, Bell & Ross went all out with its new BR 05 Artline Dragon watch. It is a precious art piece on its own — a bold personality on a sleek body, crafted with an exclusive laser engraving that’s reminiscent of a tattoo. Allowing for freer artistic expression, this variant of the BR 05 is both dressy and ‘cool chic’, playing with light and shadow through the fineness and thickness of each stroke. For the year of 2024, the Wood Dragon reigns; an omen to life and the beauty of nature. Hence the motif on the new BR 05 Artline Dragon: symbolic natural elements including the sun and moon, references to flora and fauna, and finished with a swallow motif. Of course, the dragon is engraved front and centre on the dial — and the piece is completed with a steel folding buckle.

Learn more about the Bell & Ross BR Artline Dragon HERE.

Piaget Dragon & Phoenix Collection

Image credit: Piaget

Back in 2012, Piaget released a special capsule collection to welcome the Year of the Dragon. Now, a 12-year cycle later, the Swiss watch is again introducing a special Lunar New Year capsule collection dedicated to the dragon and the phoenix. Paying tribute to the magnetic energies of this legendary duo — the coupled Chinese symbol of masculinity and femininity, strength and power, hope and rebirth — the collection features 10 stunning designs of Piaget’s High Jewellery pieces. At the centre of the timepiece series are the precious stones: lugs and bezels trimmed with brilliant-cut diamonds; classy grey mother-of-pearls dotting the watches’ dials; snow-set sapphires and mystical black opals adorned on the clasps. Bold and colourful, the Dragon & Phoenix set, with its complex craftsmanship, truly sets the tone for the coming year that extends far beyond the classic Chinese motifs.

Learn more about the Piaget Dragon & Phoenix Collection HERE.

Dior Grand Soir ‘Year of the Dragon’

Another timepiece that celebrates the auspicious year to come is the new iteration of the Dior Grand Soir model. The Grand Soir collection represents the House’s refined expression of creativity, marrying a sense of colour with traits of a classic. And with the ‘Year of the Dragon’, the House brings a clean-cut figure to life. 52 round-cut diamonds, against a yellow gold bezel set, surround the watch’s sun-brushed dial. And the dial itself — anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass — features a golden dragon head and gold-coloured feathers, and is set with four round-cut diamonds. The alluring colour scheme is also complemented with yellow gold coloured hands, and finished with either a silver satin strap with steel ardillon buckle set (featuring 18 brilliant-cut diamonds) or an additional white alligator strap with steel ardillon buckle.

Learn more about the Dior Grand Soir ‘Year of the Dragon’ HERE.

Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon

Ulysse Nardin’s take on the theme is a fiery one. To capture the dragon’s powerful spirit, the Swiss watchmaker combines the edgy with the traditional: bringing to life the ancient magic of Chinese folklore with a black and rose gold design. The dial is instantly eye-catching — a gorgeous red-orange dragon with golden scales handsculpted in 5N rose gold, coils its way around (and through) the skeletonised X structure, as if it is slithering out from within the movement itself. Below its five-clawed hands (during the Imperial dynasties, five-clawed dragons signified the highest prestige), a mythical pearl sits atop the cage of the flying tourbillon. Limited to only 88 pieces, the timepiece truly ‘pops’ with the 3D effect and is completed in a black alligator strap, black rubber “velvet” strap or a 5N rose gold and black PVD titanium folding clasp, to let the dragon truly shine.

Learn more about the Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon HERE.

A. Lange & Söhne LANGE 1 Collection

The luxury watchmaker is bringing a treat for this year’s Year of the Dragon, which happens to coincide with the Spring Festival and Valentine’s Day. Through new iterations of the beloved LANGE 1 watch family, A. Lange & Söhne is presenting a curated collection that blends vibrant hues and harmonious proportions in a unique, quirky off- centre layout. Two yellow gold timepieces (LANGE 1 and LANGE 1 TIME ZONE) embody the spirit of the auspicious dragon, which has long been known for its prosperity and radiant allure of gold. The GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE and LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE, featuring 18K pink gold and an argenté-coloured dial as well as a diamond-set respectively, are stunning pair of tributes to the Lunar New Year. The moon phase indication on the dial is a testament to how closely the moon phase display tracks the actual orbit of our planet’s companion, while the lunar discs, designed in argenté tones, are accompanied by two golden moon motifs that replicate the lunar orbit with precision through astronomical complication.

Learn more about the A. Lange & Söhne collection HERE.

Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Year of Dragon

Limited to just 88 pieces, the Chronomat B01 42 Year of Dragon by Breitling is the ultimate combination of Chinese culture and Swiss watchmaking heritage. The watch dial is awash with a deep burgundy (a symbol of good fortune and prosperity) and a dragon insignia is subtly positioned in the subdial at 9 o’clock as well as on the sapphire crystal caseback, which each watch is individually numbered out of the 88 pieces. As is the Breitling way, the watch’s hands are coated with luminescent Super-LumiNova® for enhanced readability in low light. The Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Year of Dragon is available exclusively at Breitling boutiques in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and South East Asia.

Learn more about the Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Year of Dragon HERE.