The Chinese legend of the Phoenix and the Dragon is graphically enacted on the dial of this new limited edition Traditionnelle tourbillon watch .
TRADITIONNELLE
TOURBILLON
ARTISTIC CRAFTS PAYING TRIBUTE TO CHINESE MYTHOLOGY
At the heart of a finely engraved 18K 5N pink gold case , the legendary creatures take shape in the form of sculpted appliques on a hand-guilloché dial . The tourbillon is that of the ultra-thin Calibre 2160 , an in-house movement equipped with a peripheral rotor .
LEGENDARY CREATURES
Forming the perfect couple and embodying the balance between strength and grace , the Phoenix and the Dragon have been intimately bound up with Chinese culture for centuries . Given their status as supernatural harbingers of peace and symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife , any sightings of one or both through the ages were considered to herald a glorious period of peace and prosperity of the people and the country as a whole . This is reflected in the Chinese saying : “ When the dragon soars and the phoenix dances , the people will enjoy happiness for years , bringing peace and tranquillity to all under heaven .”
Although the details of their morphology vary from period to period , dragons are invariably composite creatures to symbolise the unity of power , featuring various body parts derived from snakes , alligators , lizards , carp , eagles and tigers . Inhabiting palaces beneath the oceans , dragons had the power to regulate the water essential for corps , ending droughts and stopping floods . Another supernatural ‘ spirit ’, the Phoenix – king of birds whose finery is inspired by the peacock , pheasant , parrot , duck , rock and crane – embodies the five essential virtues of benevolence , righteousness , prosperity , sincerity and wisdom .
Highly revered and much-loved , these fabled creatures have thus been subject of
THE ART OF LUXURY Issue 57 2023