Chopard dedicates the new L.U.C XP Urushi to the Year of the Monkey
According to Chinese beliefs, at the turn of Chinese New Year on the 8th of February 2016, the theme for 2016 is ascribed to the “Year of the Monkey”. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Chopard releases a new exclusive series of its L.U.C XP, with an original allegory sublimated by an ancestral art, dedicated to the Chinese zodiac
Every year, the Chinese community marks its calendar during the New Year with various themes according to its zodiac system. The traditional welcome to the New Year is a grand affair for the Chinese believers, having celebrations extended for days. Since this annual tradition is a very important part of the Chinese culture, a number of luxury brands pay homage to the commemoration of the occasion. One of which that announced early on a dedicated timepiece to the “Year of the Monkey” in 2016 is the renowned Swiss luxury Maison, Chopard.
The monkey provides the theme for an exceptional Chopard watch, the L.U.C XP Urushi, which flaunts a remarkable lacquered dial. Handcrafted in Japan in small series by a master lacquer artist, the timepiece’s dial depicts a popular scene believed to bring good luck and drawn from Chinese iconography: a monkey gathering peaches.
The many symbols of a superbly made dial
For more than 1,000 years, the monkey of the Chinese zodiac calendar has conveyed positive symbolism. People born in the Year of the Monkey are considered smart, curious and drawn to knowledge. They are cultivated, inventive as well as creative. It is an ‘earth’ sign associated with good sense. Stubborn yet charming, the monkey loves to perform for an audience and is endowed with great self-esteem. The monkey gathering eight peaches is a traditional Chinese theme that symbolises longevity and good fortune, since the peach stands for good health and eight is a lucky number.
In the interpretation chosen by Chopard, a red-coated monkey is perched on a branch laden with fruit. It is gathering peaches beneath a golden sky ablaze with the last rays of the sun. Behind it, golden valleys compose a warm scene in soft tones that make a perfect match with the rose gold of the case.
The excellence of fine workmanship
Urushi lacquer comes from the sap of the “lacquer” or “Japanese varnish” tree. It is skilfully harvested, aged and treated to become a transparent lacquer that is applied in a series of extremely fine layers. The Urushi master uses it to imprison gold dust motifs created using the extraordinarily meticulous Maki-e technique. Each of these delicate gestures, performed exclusively by experienced masters of this exceptional skill who dedicate their lives to improving their art, are driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence.
To create this precious dial, as well as the case for previous L.U.C XP Urushi editions, Chopard has worked with the firm Yamada Heiando, official purveyor to the Japanese imperial family. Raised to the rank of “living human treasure” in Japan and acknowledged as the finest exponent of his art, Master Kilchiro Masumura has designed and supervised the creation of all dials, which were executed by Master Minori Koizumi, an Urushi master chosen by Chopard for his extreme artistic mastery.
The excellence of sophisticated mechanics
This Far Eastern nobility meets Swiss nobility in the form of Chopard Haute Horlogerie, since this exceptional dial is housed in a 39.5 mm diameter L.U.C XP case in 18-carat rose gold. It also flaunts a glareproofed sapphire crystal, a transparent back, an 18-carat rose gold crown with L.U.C logo, and a 30-metre water resistance capability.
Its slender shape and dainty bezel magnificently highlight the creations of the Japanese Urushi artists, while inside it beats with a mechanical self-winding L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L, an ultra-thin movement measuring just 3.30 mm thick.
This entirely in-house manufactured movement is equipped with a 22-carat gold micro-rotor that is incorporated into the overall thickness of the movement so as to combine slenderness with practicality. Equipped with 29 jewels and Twin® technology based on two barrels and ensuring an unprecedented 65-hour power reserve, this calibre is finished according to the highest standards of technical and aesthetic quality. With a frequency of 28,800 vph, this new timepiece has bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève.
Meanwhile, its dial crafted using the Urushi technique with monkey motif is complemented with gilded Dauphine-type hours and minutes hands, where the central display of the hours and minutes is magnanimously placed in the dial.
Fitted with a hand-sewn black alligator leather strap with Alsavel lining and 18-carat rose gold pin buckle, the L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the monkey” comes in a special presentation box also decorated using Urushi techniques. Black on the outside and gold Maki-e inside, it is shaped like an octagon, an oriental symbol of gaiety.
