The Chinese Year of the Dragon is almost over, and coming up next is the new Year of the Snake, which will officially begin on February 10. To celebrate this new beginning, Vacheron Constantin has unveiled an exquisite timepiece that is part of the Métiers d’Art series.
The watchmaker’s relationship with China began back in 1755, so it’s no surprise that for 2013 it created a new luxury timepiece inspired by the country’s fascinating culture. The design is quite obviously inspired by the Chinese iconography, with a beautifully crafted snake in bronze, gold or platinum. The fabulous gold-enameled dial was manufactured using the famous Grand Feu technique, invented and best practiced in Geneva, Switzerland.
There are four windows cut into the dial, showing the hours, minutes, seconds, and days. With a 40mm hull, the case is made of either rose gold or platinum, and it safely holds inside a mechanical self-winding movement with 22-carat gold oscillating weight (28,800 vph). Only 12 examples of each version will ever be created, and all of them will feature elegant alligator straps, and the “2013” engraving on the casebacks. You can only learn their prices upon request.
