Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger
Chopard celebrates the Chinese Year of the Tiger with 88 timepieces decorated by hand using the ancestral Asian technique of Urushi lacquer and Make-e.
Unlike our Western tradition of celebrating New Year on a fixed date, the Chinese celebrate the date on the second new Moon after the winter solstice. In 2022, Chinese New Year will fall on the 1st of February and with it a changing of the guard for one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Leaving behind the Year of the Ox, 2022 welcomes the Year of the Tiger, an animal revered in China as the king of all beasts. Since the Year of the Snake in 2013, Chopard has celebrated the Chinese New Year with splendid timepieces dedicated to the zodiac animal and decorated with the ancestral Asian technique of Urushi lacquer. As in past years, the watch selected to host the artwork is the ultra-thin and elegant 39.50mm L.U.C XP in ethical 18k rose gold.
The Year of the Tiger
A recurrent figure in Chinese art, the tiger is associated with courage, confidence, fortune and intelligence. Catalogued in Chopard’s Métiers d’Art section, the roaring tiger and the rich background scenery on the dial is handcrafted using an Urushi lacquer base. The lacquer is obtained from the sap of the Chinese lacquer tree, and the lively details of the dial are accentuated with a sprinkling of gold dust (Make-e). Once again, the 88 dials of the Year of the Tiger have been entrusted to master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi of the century-old Yamada Heiando Imperial lacquerware workshops.
L.U.C XP
The case is carved from a block of 18k ethical rose gold and has a diameter of 39.5mm and an ultra-thin profile of just 6.80mm. The slim polished bezel ensures a broad dial opening to enjoy the scenery, while the case flanks are decorated with a vertical satin brush. To match the elegant rose gold case, the Dauphine hour and minute hands are gilded.
The slimness of the case is achieved thanks to the extremely thin 3.30mm L.U.C 96.17-L automatic movement, which can be seen through the exhibition caseback. Produced in-house, the calibre is equipped with an off-centred micro-rotor made of 22k gold. The weight of the gold rotor ensures the efficient winding of the two stacked barrels (Chopard Twin technology) that deliver a 65-hour power reserve. Decorative flourishes include Côtes de Genève on the bridges and circular graining on the base plate.
The watch is presented on a hand-stitched blue alligator leather strap with a polished 18k ethical rose gold pin buckle. Limited to 88 pieces, the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger retails for EUR 22,900.
More information at Chopard.com.
