
Chopard’s Animalistic Turn
Flash As A Rat With A Gold Tooth? Or, A Worthy Collectible.
Related articles
Be honest, is this watch a little too, ahem, ratty?
The rat isn’t the most glamorous animal around – and making it the face of one of your special edition watches could be argued as a somewhat feral move.
Yet despite planting an elevated reworking of Ratatouille on the face of its latest watch, Chopard are again honouring Asian traditions – using the Japanese art of Urushi to highlight the next zodiac sign in the Chinese calendar.
The 40mm diameter 18-carat rose gold case is home to the intricate and highly symbolic design. The depiction of the rat has been entirely hand crafted using traditional Japanese lacquer in a technique known as Urushi, which combines the lacquer with gold dust. In the scene, the golden rat, stands on an ear of corn and in front a persimmon, symbols of abundance and longevity.
Despite general grievances, the rat is known to represent intelligence, passion and resourcefulness – as well as being a faithful friend.
And much like the zodiac, there’s substance here behind the scenes – the special edition timepiece backed by Chopard’s watchmaking excellence and powered by the L.U.C 96. 17-L calibre, which can be admired through a transparent sapphire case-back and boasts a formidable 62-hour power reserve.
Limited to only 88 pieces, the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Rat is available in Chopard boutiques.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Recommended for you
The 7 Best Watches of the Week, From Lewis Hamilton’s IWC to Gordon Ramsay’s Rolex
Celebs pulled out all the horological stops for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
November 27, 2023
The Rolex Daytona Le Mans Proves That Racing Watches Aren’t Going Out of Style Anytime Soon
The timepieces have a romance and history to them that few others can match.
By Bryan Hood
November 21, 2023