SINGAPORE – It has become tradition for Swiss luxury watchmakers to release special timepieces featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac every Lunar New Year.

The watches for 2024 are especially interesting since the mythical dragon – which symbolises power, fortune and success – easily inspires the imagination to take flight.

Many of these dragon-themed timepieces are more than just watches – they are also miniature works of art.

Here are eight of the most interesting ones.

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon

Inspired by the Chinese art of paper cutting, this timepiece grabs attention with its 3D silhouette of a dragon, and intricate layering of its hands, wheels and iconic H-shaped screws.

Limited to 88 pieces, this special release also boasts Hublot’s first marquetry rubber strap, one with dragon-like scales. The watchmaker roped in Chinese artist Chen Fenwan. This being the Year of the Wood Dragon, Chen parlays her paper-cutting expertise into paying tribute to wood, using natural fibres.

Fashioned from titanium which is then polished and satin-finished, the 42mm watch is powered by the HUB1710 self-winding movement. It comes with an additional grey fabric velcro strap.

Price: $41,800

Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon

Artistic expression takes centre stage in Bell & Ross’ BR 05 Artline Dragon, an ornate special-edition watch which pays tribute to the art of tattooing through intricate line work. 

A dragon motif which incorporates symbolic elements – including the sun, moon and fauna – is spread out across the entire watch.

The engraved detailing on the case and integrated bracelet is immaculate, a fitting salute to the Chinese tradition of engraving. The heart of the watch – limited to 99 pieces – is the BR-CAL.321, a self-winding mechanical movement with a 54-hour power reserve.

Price: $11,100

Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph

Tag Heuer has skilfully intertwined its racing DNA with Chinese culture in a pair of limited-edition timepieces for the Year of the Dragon.

Available in steel and 18K 5N pink gold, these 42mm special versions of the Tag Heuer Carrera feature sunray-brushed dials adorned with rhodium-plated and pink gold-plated indexes. It has a central red lacquered hand which points to the calligraphic dragon character at 6 o’clock.

A dragon is printed on the caseback, which also features markings denoting the watches’ limited release, with “Limited Edition” and “One of 300” for the steel version and “One of 50” for the exclusive 18K 5N pink gold version. 

Powered by the Calibre Heuer 02 movement, with an 80-hour power reserve, these timepieces are fitted with a red alligator leather strap and are presented in a red box adorned with the dragon symbol.

Price: $9,000 (steel) and $32,050 (pink gold)

Dior Grand Soir Year of the Dragon

Encased in a chic 36mm steel frame, Dior’s Grand Soir Year of the Dragon flaunts a sunburst dial adorned with a majestic golden dragon’s head and its feathery mane, accented by four round-cut and two marquise-cut diamonds. Another 52 round-cut diamonds (totalling 1.3 carats) are set into the yellow gold bezel.

Another dragon face greets you from the translucent sapphire crystal case covering the gold-plated automatic movement when you flip the watch over.

Limited to 18 pieces, it is fitted with a silver satin strap with a diamond-set steel ardillon buckle. There is also an additional white alligator strap with steel ardillon buckle.

Price: $62,000

Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon

A celebration of symbolism and artistry, Chopard’s special offering – limited to 88 pieces – for the Year of the Dragon has an exquisite dial featuring a dragon motif, meticulously handcrafted in Japan using the traditional Maki-e technique.

A lacquer decoration technique, it involves pictures, patterns and letters being drawn on the surface of lacquerware before metal powder such as gold or silver is sprinkled and fixed on the surface.

Renowned artisan Minori Koizumi apparently spent more than 20 hours on each of the 88 dials, housed within a 39.5mm case fashioned from ethical 18K rose gold.

Just 6.8mm thick, the watch is powered by the L.U.C 96.17-L calibre, which boasts a 65-hour power reserve, thanks to twin barrels and a 22K gold micro rotor.

Price: $39,300

IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon 

This special-release Portugieser Chronograph – limited to 1,000 pieces – has a 41mm stainless-steel case with a striking burgundy dial complemented by gold-plated hands and appliques.

The handsome watch features the 69355 calibre and classic column-wheel design. The highlight is its gold-plated rotor, artfully shaped like a dragon and elegantly placed on the exhibition caseback. On the caseback ring is engraved 2024 Year of the Dragon.

It has a 46-hour power reserve and comes with two straps – a black calfskin one and a burgundy rubber option.

Price: $14,500

Franck Muller Cintree Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition

In 2023, Franck Muller scored a big hit with its Chinese New Year offering – the #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard – a piece which artfully marries Swiss watchmaking with Japanese street fashion.

This year sees the watchmaker collaborating with Ryoko Kaneta, a rising star in the Japanese art scene. She has imbued the dragons in the Franck Muller Cintree Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition with a whimsical persona, portraying them as doll-like girls – a Kaneta trademark – interacting with the dial’s indices.

The interpretation is as playful as it is clever, highlighting the curvilinear elements of the Cinetree Curvex case. Powered by the MVT FM 2536-SC self-winding movement, it is limited to 500 pieces and exclusive to the Asia-Pacific.

Price: $18,000

Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon

Ulysse Nardin debuted the Blast in 2020 as a showcase of edgy design and haute horology. It is the maison’s first skeletal tourbillon with an automatic winding micro-rotor movement. 

In this special iteration, the skeletal movement is leveraged to magnificent effect with a hand-sculpted 5N rose-gold dragon coiled around the iconic X structure. The creature guards a magical pearl, perched atop the flying tourbillon cage.

The 45mm watch – crafted from rose gold and DLC-blackened titanium – took two years to develop, as major adjustments had to be made to several features, including the case and bezel, to accommodate the unique design. 

The heart beating beneath is the Calibre UN-172, which boasts three days of power reserve.

Price: $147,200