Pursuing its longstanding involvement in celebrating life’s finest milestones as well as honoring traditional Chinese arts, Chopard is taking things to a new level with an extraordinary new one-off creation: the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Chinese zodiac. Chopard has created an entirely hand-engraved rose gold case depicting the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac.

With this timepiece, Chopard is further extending the approach that has driven the manufacture to create a yearly edition of the L.U.C XP Urushi. This year, the entire Chinese zodiac is portrayed on the case middle of this stylised unique piece, with a black patina coating adorning rose gold. The 12 signs are individually represented using the champlevé engraving technique where little cavities are hollowed out before being filled with black patina. Of course, the 12 animals are ordered chronologically, symbolising the Chinese calendar. The tiger’s head is perched on the crown while his body fits the case. A dragon and a snake are coiled between the lugs.

The case houses a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and an over one-week power reserve ensured by the four barrels of the Quattro system of the L.U.C claibre 02.15-L. The perpetual calendar  is indicating the complete date while taking account of the variable durations of the months, including leap years.The tourbillon sits enthroned at 6 o’clock on the dial, topped by a polished and blackened steel bridge. By constantly spinning on its axis, it releases the rate of the watch from the influence of gravity.
The solid gold dial of the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Chinese zodiac is adorned with a hand-engraved motif inspired by traditional Chinese iconography and also featured on the bezel and the buckle.

We’re sorry to say, that the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Chinese zodiac is a limited edition of one piece. It will be the object of an exclusive presentation to Asian collectors at a private exhibition in Beijing.