2024 is the Year of the Dragon, and while Chinese New Year doesn’t officially begin until 10th February, top watch manufacturers have already been releasing dragon-themed watches to pay homage to the Chinese Zodiac.
The Year of the Dragon is seen as one of the most fortunate and potent years, so if you want your 2024 to be filled with power, honour and energy, these special edition dragon-inspired watches will (hopefully!) bring you some luck this year. The best watch brands on the market have tried their hand at creating their own special edition timepieces to celebrate the Chinese New Year, including TAG Heuer, Blancpain, Hamilton, Swatch, and many more.
From intricate dragon designs and scale detailing to Chinese iconography and laser engraving, I’ve rounded up the top 11 Year of the Dragon watches you need to add to your collection.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Dragon
For the Year of the Dragon, TAG Heuer launched two limited edition Carrera watches that fuse the brand’s racing-inspired designs with Chinese symbols. The Year of the Dragon TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph in 18K 5N rose gold is based on the popular Carrera Chronograph, and uses the Calibre Heuer 02 automatic movement. It measures 42mm and features two red azure subdials on the watch face. A calligraphic dragon character sits at the six o’clock position above the date window and a black and orange dragon loops around the watch movement on the case back, showing off scale detailing and an open mouth with sharp teeth.
Hamilton Ventura Dragon
The Hamilton Venture Dragon has a truly unique design that builds off its successful triangular case. Sticking with the angular theme, the case is bold and unconventional, but the new dragon dial design is what catches the eye. The skeletonised dial showcases a close-up dragon face that sits clockwise at 90° to add to the geometric shield shape of the watch. The dragon’s face is made more expressive with its colourful eyes: one version has a rose gold case and black skeleton dial with emerald green eyes, and the second features black PVD and flaming red eyes.
Arnold & Son Luna Magna Year of the Dragon
The Arnold & Son Luna Magna Year of the Dragon combines the moon and dragon together to create a beautiful limited edition watch. Powered by the Calibre A&S1021 3D Moon Phases movement, this elegant 44mm watch has an 18ct red gold hand-engraved dragon that weaves around an opal hour dial and peers at the onyx moon that sits towards the bottom of the dial. The detailing of the dragon gives the watch face a 3D effect, and the watch is completed with a black alligator leather strap.
Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon
The Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon pays tribute to Chinese culture with its laser engraved watch case and bracelet. Engraving as a practice has been part of Chinese culture for over a millennium, and this watch takes inspiration from that with its dragon motif design. The dial features a black and white dragon with an open mouth that borders the date window at the three o’clock position. The watch hands are filled with black lacquer to highlight the dragon’s whiskers, and the dragon’s tail runs along the laser-engraved steel strap. The design is complete with subtle smoke detailings and the watch is powered by the calibre BR.CAL-321 mechanical movement with automatic winding.
Blancpain Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel
Blancpain has taken a different approach to the Year of the Dragon with its Calendrier Chinoise Traditionnel. Instead of making the dragon the centre of the piece, a small gold dragon motif sits at the top of the watch and is flanked by ‘dragon’ and wood’ Chinese characters and a red ruby. The red gold and green enamel watch is focused around the new 12-year cycle and the Chinese calendar which is displayed via four dedicated hands, cycle of the elements, Yin/Yang, and Chinese days, months and leap months.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dragon
The most expensive pick on this list is the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillion Dragon. The expertly designed and manufactured watch features a brass dragon on a skeletonised dial. The dragon wraps around the openwork movement displayed on the dial, adding to the luxury and artwork of the watch. A blend of black and gold colours, the dragon’s eye is red, adding a hint of darkness and colour to the design. It’s an eye-catching timepiece but it doesn’t come cheap at £204,500 (although the website states ‘price upon request’).
Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon
Known for its Freak collection which has no dial, no hands and no crown, Ulysse Nardin steers away from that design with its Blast Tourbillon Dragon. Equipped with a UN-172 manufacture movement, the 45mm watch combines dragons and pearls, and has a flying tourbillon and escapement wheel for a luxurious-looking design. Made from 18ct rose gold and titanium, the 3D dragon slides underneath the watch hands and reaches towards a pearl at six o’clock.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Dragon
Known for its Reverso design that dates back to the 1930s, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the Year of the Dragon with its Reverso Tribute Enamel Dragon. With the trademark swivelling case, the watch dial and case back are made from opaque black Grand Feu enamel which is completed with white and gold details in the hands, markers and crown. The case moves around to reveal a gold dragon surrounded by clouds hidden on the pink gold caseback. The dragon’s scales and finer details were all hand-drawn with black rhodium which took 80 hours of engraving!
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon screams colour with its blue, purple and pink scale detailing. The 42mm watch has a HUB1710 self-winding movement, and puts the dragon at the forefront of the design with its large face, scales and teeth adorning the dial and strap. The multi-level dial has a fun 3D effect, and the case and bezel is completed with satin-finished and polished titanium to make the dragon’s colours stand out.
Swatch Dragon In Motion
Swatch launched a five watch collection to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, including Dragon In Cloud, Dragon In Gold, Dragon In Wind Pay!, Dragon In Waves and Dragon In Motion. The latter has the boldest design and is the only watch in the collection with a set of sub dials. Running on a quartz movement, the stainless steel watch has a close-up of the dragon’s face on the sub-brushed red dial with the two dials overlapping the design. The strap has a multi-coloured print in red, blue and yellow, and towards the buckle is ‘Year of the Dragon' wording.
G-Shock MT-G Golden Dragon
A far more subtle design than is expected with G-Shock, the G-Shock MT-G Golden Dragon is a combination of black, gold and red colours, with three subdials sitting on the watch face. The dragon-inspired design isn’t too over-the-top but if you look closely, you can see scale-like patterns and textures around the gold case and the strap and buckle of the watch.
