Chopard

The aesthetic is from the 2005 model - L.U.C 4T.

I like this tourbillon bridge as it resembled the L.U.C insignia and it is beveled with interior angles!


The 18K rose gold case is 39.50mm in diameter.  The crown and the base material of the guilloché  dial is gold too.






Kong






Related Read :

Press release :
chopard.watchprosite.com

There's been a glut of dragon watches lately, so I'm a little burned out by them, but this is very attractive!

Hello Daos

Burned is the correct word as Dragon breathes fire   That's part of the reasons why I'm glad L.U.C only commissioned just 8 pieces.
However it is interesting to see various work of dragon-watches from various brands.  Sometimes, I wonder if they research on the culture before embarking on such work.  There are certain pointers which must be correct for Chinese Dragons.

Thanks for viewing.

Kong

Kong,

I always appreciate the effort shown by Chopard in trying to do something different.

I like the old engraving skill.  You will find the similar skill used in wood carving in China.  Of course, the skill shown on the movement plate will be more challenging.

The well-defined dragon head is "fierce" and the scale of the body is well done.  However, the body of the dragon leading to the edge of the plate is not proportionate and the tail of the dragon is too short and "weak" - they do not display the strong presence like the head.  Perhaps, it is due to the constraint of space.

Are you happy with the dragon?

Regards

Ling

P/s: Apart from the Chopard Dragon, is there any art works produced by this Master Engraver? It would be interesting to find out more.

Hi Ling

Thanks for your observations.

My take, if the watch is seen in metal, you would see much details from far and may not even realise the eyeballs are present.  It also take a few seconds to find the head of the dragon for me   These shots are postiion so the dragon motif could be easily located and close up of the details could be seen

As for  if 'I'm happy with the dragon' (which I've mentioned in the post), it is not as supreme & majestic, though as you mentioned fierce (which appeared to be fierce at a certain angle). As this is handcrafted, it may look different with another piece/s. 
No doubt the space available is small.

As for the work of this Master Engraver ... it is a L.U.C Tourbillon Esprit de Fleurier, also on gold platine and bridges :




Kong

Hi Kong, thanks for the photos. I think the engraving work is nice but perhaps I am a bit overwhelmed by Dragons this year, so many ( too many?) of them by almost every single big brand. Cant deny that China is a big consumer these days but looking at all the Dragons this year, its really a bit overwhelm for me even as a Chinese. I wonder if any European or American would appreciate this Dragon sculpture apart from just Asia ?

I appreciate this Chopard's artwork but definitely not the most impressive Dragon I've seen, sorry to say that. If any to cross reference, I think the one done by Richard Mille for Jackie Chan is very good.

 

Regards

Hi Jacky

Thanks for the candid inputs.
Understand some may be 'jelat' due to too many dragon watches.

From business perspectives, it is inevitable.  It is one of the best approach to get awareness to the Chinese for brands which do not have the mind-share yet, especially in North Asia.  It is also an opportunity which comes every 12 years!  Cannot miss it. 

Like it or not, many Chinese just like this supreme zodiac sign.  As you may already know, birth rate always spike for the year of Dragon, and the after effect is huge for the supply and service chain afterward

Have some friends (Europeans and Americans), they also like Dragons, and they believe in metaphysical FengShui too

As for Dragons, I have seen many too...but the designers in most of the brands did not take it seriously, as the essence of the Dragons are not designed in correctly, though most got the 5-claw correct.
The RM piece, the execution is grand with cut-out (or skeletonised then engraved) but the red eyes are really a No-No.

The one with the better dragons is the previous collection from Glashutte Original which took inspiration from the the Nine-Dragon Wall at the Forbidden City.

Kong

The one that done by Kees Angelbarts for PSM is very nice - alive!

Regards

Ling

the latest  Immortal Dragon is best among all his dragons.

It is alive, I believe he has studies the work on the Beijing Nine Dragon Wall, the essence is the eyes of the Dragon.

Kong

Jacky asked if Europeans and Americans would like dragon motif on watches.

I'm not sure that I qualify but I'll give it a go.  Genetically, I may be 87.5% (or 93.75%) Chinese; family tree is poorly documented with two World Wars, Invasions, Revolutions, Communist Insurgency, Fires, Floods and Illiteracy involved. 

I am also a British citizen (Welsh like dragons) and have worked in Japan and Singapore for UK-US or American-Swedish-Italian or Japanese companies as a cross-cultural 'bridging' management specialist. My brother-in-law is French and the current Mrs MTF is from French-Welsh-Irish-(english) stock.

Mrs MTF taught me to collect mechanical watches and she likes engraved or skeletonised ones.

Generically, all cultures have varying degrees of emotion towards dragons....mostly respect. All cultures have stories about dragons or serpent-like creatures; that, I believe has links to our distant past.  They appear on family crests and national flags. I think the generic answer is YES, we all like them as art.

 

Specifically, this discussion revolves around the conflict between 'authenticity' and 'impressionism' for a real-world representation of a mythical (virtual) creature. Who knows what a real dragon looked like? Do they have different species?

All than Man can do is to draw upon the emotions to portray those characteristics of a Dragon that are important to him. In this case, the artist is showing what he believes a dragon engraving should evoke (within the constraints of space and shape on the movement plate and bridges).  Location Location Location.

 

I like the Chopard dragon foremost because of its 'Hidden Dragon' location. One can have a nice accurate tourbilllon that happens to have another side to enjoy.

 

The second reason is the technique, which is an allegory for "That which is Hidden". The artist is removing stuff that is Unseen to reveal the Seen. What you actually see is up to your mind to interprete. Head too big? Tail too short? Face too fierce?  All these are individual responses salient at THAT time to the observer. Another time......another emotion?

 

Finally, I like the exclusivity of only 8 PoT able to enjoy the 'hidden pleasure' of this watch.  (PoT=Person of Taste)

I wish I could be one of them but I already had my ultimate LUC watch for Christmas and Mrs MTF got her (secret) Ultimate LUC too...... 

This message has been edited by MTF on 2012-05-11 09:45:27

Hey hows it going? Anyway I guess I understand where you coming from about the Dragon. Indeed, a matter of art is very personal and really have no right or wrong, just purely personal. What I meant was in general I think Chinese would appreciate these Dragons more than Europeans just like how we have more dragon motive on just about anything as compare to Europeans, they dont. Rolls Royce did a LE with a dragon motive as well for China if I am not mistaken.

Anyway, the dragons in this year's offerings by the various watch brands are mainly ''Chinese Dragons'' so to speak or at least to my limited knowledge. I would say usually the Europeans' imagination and idea of dragon is slightly different, some with wings, and some look like lion with wings and never in green with scales like the Chinese way. Of course nobody knows if such creature of myth exist, I guess not.

Just interesting to know what purist from Europe and America or outside Asia have to say bout Dragon

Thanks for your input anyway. Its a good read Cheers.

 

 

Regards