Chopard Greets the Lunar New Year with Ancestral Japanese Craft

Every year, Chopard welcomes the Lunar New Year with an annual tradition: releasing a new timepiece inspired by the Chinese zodiac calendar and created using the ancestral Japanese Urushi lacquer technique.

This year, the collection ushers in the year of the Water Rabbit. Limited to a series of 88 pieces, the Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Rabbit watch is a testament to the traditional craftsmanship of gold and lacquer.

The 39.5 mm-diameter case, crafted in Chopard’s signature ethical 18-karat rose gold, surrounds a black dial. A whimsical scene plays out as two rabbits frolic amid Chinese olive trees, bathed in the light of a full moon—a nod to the ancient Chinese legend of the Jade, or Moon Rabbit.

Handcrafted by Japanese master artisan Minori Koizum, the dial is made with Urushi lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlays, and gold powder using Maki-e, a technique that places gold flakes between each lacquer layer.

The ancestral Urushi lacquer technique is named for the special tree from which resin is harvested once a year. Three to five years after being collected, the resin is treated to become a highly resistant lacquer that the Urushi Master applies in extremely fine layers.

Over 160 hours of work go into the crafting of each Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi dial, with the artisan drawing on years of expertise passed down through generations. Only a few rare masters possess the skills required to apply this intricate technique.