WATCHES & TIMEPIECES
L . U . C XP URUSHI YEAR OF THE TIGER
88-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat rose gold
A tribute to the art of Urushi lacquering for the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac calendar
It ’ s become a tradition : Chopard Manufacture annually presents a new timepiece eagerly awaited by collectors for its timelessly elegant dial adorned with a motif inspired by the Chinese zodiac calendar according to the perfectly preserved ancestral Urushi lacquer technique . This year , the L . U . C collection welcomes the L . U . C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece , an 88-piece limited series dedicated to the Tiger . Housed in an ultra-thin case , its L . U . C 96.17-L movement testifies to the watchmaking expertise of the Artisans at Chopard Manufacture .
Since 2013 , Chopard has dedicated a collector ’ s timepiece to the sign of each Chinese zodiac year , designed on the basis of the L . U . C XP ultra-thin model , featuring a dial adorned using the Urushi Maki-e technique – combining lacquering and gold dust – within a highly symbolic stage-setting and systematically produced in an 88-piece limited series . In 2022 , this tradition is embodied in an exceptional version eagerly awaited by collectors and made from ethical 18-carat rose gold : the L . U . C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger .
A highly symbolic timepiece
The Year of the Water Tiger will begin on 1 February 2022 and end on 21 January 2023 . A sign of Earth and recurrent emblem in Chinese artistic depictions , the tiger has long been associated with the figure of the emperor and state dignitaries . It symbolises fortune , wisdom , intelligence and creativity . It is therefore a resolutely optimistic zodiac sign , an auspice that Chopard has seized upon in interpreting one of its most artistic creations .
The result of a meticulous craftsmanship process
True to tradition , Chopard works with the finest Japanese lacquer craftsmen , who produce dials using the ancestral Urushi lacquer technique . The 88 dials of the L . U . C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece are produced in the workshops of the century-old company Yamada Heiando and crafted by Master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi who devotes no less than 160 hours to this meticulous task .
80 The Art of Luxury Issue 50 2022