GLau
[Patek Moderator]
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Hi 👋 all, As requested by Dr Tabby, WPS’s self proclaimed enamel addict/slave researched and created this post on the whole Chinese zodiac rare handcrafts limited editions.
Thanks for the good folks at Patek (J and M) for providing me with official photos. On my own, I could not have found all the lovely pieces. Tried as I may, I could not find the year of the Pig with a dial which is cute and lovely !
This LE series lasted a complete cycle of 12 years which started in 2002 (year of the horse) and ended in 2013 (year of the snake). Nine zodiacs were made in enamel dials and three zodiacs were made in wood marquetry dials. Apparently the idea came from an AD in SE Asia to cater to the Asian collectors.
For the enamel ones, a set contained 4 pieces with each piece in a different color. Although it remains a secret in terms of number of pieces made, my collector friends said that their best estimate is that less than 10 sets were made for each zodiac (i.e. less than 40 pieces). For the marquetry dials, I received 8 motifs for the Tiger and Rabbit, but only 4 for the snake. Certainly demand outstripped supply for all these pieces.
An important piece of information: these enamel pieces were made by none other than THE Anita Porchet (with her team), world’s most renowned horological enameler ! If any of you want to have an enamel dial made by her, the Chinese zodiac series is a possibility as these pieces do come out in auctions. A set for the year of the rooster was recently auctioned off one by one by Phillips in Hong Kong back in May.
Now, the MOST critical piece of information: Ms. Porchet made the first zodiac, year of the Horse by herself without her team. According to SJX in his blog, the dial was inspired by an enamel bowl made during the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century, and only three sets of four pieces were made. If you fancy a Patek enamel dial made by THE Anita Porchet on her own, you can get one or more of the 12 pieces being 5075G-023 to 026 !
19th century Qing dynasty bowl that inspired Anita for year of the horse 🐴
After 8 years (2002 to 2009) of enamel dials, 2010 year of the tiger and 2011 year of the rabbit marquetry dials were produced. The enamel motif of “cute” animals transitioned to realistic portray of the tiger and rabbit. Thereafter, enamel returned with a cute/comical dragon motif. In 2013, the last year of the series, marquetry dials depicting realistic snakes were back.
Here is a link to individual photos for enamel pieces
Each piece is handmade and is truly unique ! The marquetry dials are amazing and so realistic, but naturally I have a biased preference for the enamel dials. Within the enamel dials and in terms of rarity, my top pick is the horse dials because they were the only ones made Anita herself. In terms of intricacy, my top pick is the rooster due to the additional work within the body.
What are your thoughts on these pieces ? Which one(s) do you prefer and why ?
If you want a certain reference number, please let me know.
Here is a link to individual photos for enamel pieces
Here is a link to individual photos for marquetry dials
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2022-07-25 13:55:07
Hi 👋 all, As requested by Dr Tabby, WPS’s self proclaimed enamel addict/slave researched and created this post on the whole Chinese zodiac rare handcrafts limited editions.
Thanks for the good folks at Patek (J and M) for providing me with official photos. On my own, I could not have found all the lovely pieces. Tried as I may, I could not find the year of the Pig with a dial which is cute and lovely ! This LE series lasted ...
I love the marquetry, those are the best depictions of a tiger I’ve seen
Not a big fan of the enamel animals but I respect the work that goes into making them. I admit I haven’t seen many enamel dials in real life so my opinion might change after seeing more in the metal. My favourites would be the marquetry dials. Nice collec...
Holy Moly! This is awesome, thanks for all your work on this.
The Goat is particularly successful in execution and, of course, all the marquetry!
You are welcome Dr Tabby !
Why do you think the goat is particularly successful in execution ??
Between the wood marquetry and enamell pieces I prefer the marquetry ones
I like execution of the finer details on them e.g. the stripes on the tiger and the fur on the rabbits. To think that it’s done by putting small pieces of wood together is just amazing. However not sure whether long term durability of the dials will be of...
Glad you liked the post and photos 👍 because
it makes it worthwhile to perform the research needed for this post !
Interesting comments !
Why do you think the 12 zodiacs are more popular in Japan than China ?
Thanks Gordan for such an informative thread again.
Personally I prefer the marquetry dials better as they appear to be more realistic and vivid to me. In particular, I like the tigers and rabbits the most.
Glad you enjoyed reading the post !
To me all the marquetry dials are very life like !!
Amazing!!
Loved the whole series as presented. This should be saved into a book to be published on Patek enamel dials! Would be a great read!! I wonder if the wood marquetry dials will discolor over time? Also since it is wood, will the pulp fibers disintegrate due...
Thanks PP888 for your kind comments !
Should I approach a publisher to write a book on Patek enamel dials ? 😅 As to your great questions about marquetry dials, let me ask around and revert. Okay ?
Definitely!
Yes…with your knowledge and resources…certainly a must to try and publish. I’m sure there are many avid collectors, including myself, that would love to see such a publication. As for the marquetry dials, I’ve always wondered the longevity of such dials…e...
Thanks for the
encouragement ! Let me think 🤔 more about it first. Writing a post is one thing, but writing a book will be at a much higher level of research.
Amazing series!
Love that they don't stick to one theme/style throughout the zodiac - so much more interesting. Love the horses also for their link to a historical artifact; that they were made by the Ms. Porchet doesn't hurt 😀. But, wow, those tigers sure are striking! ...
Thanks alwoo888 for your kind comments !
The detective work on this post was a fun project for me, and I am glad that you like this zodiac series.
Hi Henry, Glad that you like this post ! I understand why you like the
tiger ! LOL ! Happy that you agree with me on the rooster having the best enamel dial.
Are these powered by mechanical or quartz movements, Gordon? . . .
. . . and, if mechanical, are the rectangular case models fitted with shaped movements? Best, Art
Hi Art, these watches have
mechanical movements. Whether the square ones contain square movements or not I do not know. Let me ask my contacts. Which one do you like best and why ?
Hi Art, As mentioned in my post, rarity aside,
rooster is my favorite piece because of the motif and the elaborate enamel work ! Here is the characteristics of a rooster (ie you ) based on a Google search: They are deep thinkers and the Roosters' personality is considered to be honest, bright, communi...
Hell, yeah! . . .
. . . ain't nobody's got a slicker t-shirt collection . . . . . . than yours truly . . . ...
Gordon, a BIG thanks for this incredibly in-depth scholarly treatise and photographic review. These threads of yours a great service to the Forum.
As far as my personal preference, the Rousseau Lion, although not shown, is still King of the forest! Best, Patekova
Hi Patekova , thank you so much for your kind words !
Your always friendly and appreciative comments encourage me to create posts as this one. I am so happy that you found the information and photos interesting ! Now I need to think 🤔 what to write next. 😉
This one of the best posts I've seen on the forums!
I love a great collation posts like this which is really great reference for collectors with interest in specific areas, enamel for this case!
Thanks traineract for your kind words!
Glad you liked the post and thought so highly of it ! 👍
