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

Chinese New Year 2024 will fall on Saturday, the 10th of February, heralding the Year of the Dragon. The dragon holds a special place in Chinese culture, representing power, strength, and good fortune, and brands have started to announce their dragon-themed watches. Among these, Chopard had just unveiled the latest addition to its Chinese Zodiac collection – an L.U.C XP featuring a dial adorned with a captivating dragon motif meticulously crafted in Urushi lacquer.

The superb dial of this limited-edition watch is handcrafted in Japan by Minori Koizumi, a craftsman specialising in the delicate Maki-e technique. Each dial requires no fewer than 20 hours of meticulous work. Rendered in exquisite detail, the dragon gracefully adorns the dial. Several layers of Urushi lacquer are applied and decorated with paint, gold flakes and mother-of-pearl inlays.

As in past years, the watch selected to host the artwork is the elegant L.U.C XP in ethical 18k rose gold. With its 39.50mm diameter, the watch is remarkably elegant and comfortable on the wrist with its lithe 6.80mm profile. This thinness is made possible thanks to a movement of great pedigree, the automatic L.U.C 96.17-L. Visible via the exhibition caseback, this 3.30mm thick calibre is wound by a 22k gold micro-rotor. It runs at 4Hz, and thanks to two stacked barrels, its autonomy is 65 hours when fully wound. As you have come to expect with the L.U.C collection, the movement is finely finished with Cotes de Genève, perlage and beautiful anglage. The micro-rotor is decorated with a sunburst pattern and the L.U.C logo.

The Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon is presented on a hand-stitched black alligator leather with nubuck lining. The pin buckle is in polished ethical 18k rose gold. The watch is released in a limited edition of 88 pieces. The price is set at EUR 30,100 or CHF 26,600. 

Chopard presented its first L.U.C XP Urushi series back in 2013. With the 2024 Year of the Dragon, the brand completes a 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. On this occasion, a box set gathering the 12 L.U.C XP Urushi editions will be presented in 2024. For more details, please visit www.chopard.com.