A multi-layered dragon with a revolutionary design.

Before we rang in the new year, we'd already published a review of watches dedicated to the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac calendar. We're in 2024 now, but the stream of themed gifts for Asian clients hasn't dried up.

That's because the Chinese New Year only begins in February, so some brands have saved their novelties for the lunar festivities. Hublot's model is one such example, which clearly stands out from dragon novelties by other watchmakers, who relied on gold and exquisite engraving.

Hublot decided to adhere to their revolutionary take on design, which once blazed a trail by marrying a gold case with a rubber strap. The Big Bang Titanium Dragon model from the Nyon-based manufacture has blazed yet another trail by launching a marquetry motif on a rubber strap.

Each scale is an essential element of the overall pattern, and each one of them is colored by hand before it gets nano-vulcanized onto the strap. This is the first time the company has used this technique, and they've calculated that it takes up to eight hours to create each strap.

When it comes to shaping the dial, Hublot has also remained true to their approach of inviting outstanding modern designers and artists to work on the watches.

They've already included the likes of Samuel Ross, Richard Orlinski, Marc Ferrero, and Takashi Murakami. The brand has invited the Chinese artist Chen Fenwan to work on this model.

Fenwan creates 3D figures using the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting, and she's strived to transfer the feel of her work onto the dial of this watch.
 

This isn't the first time Hublot has given creators the freedom to express themselves on a watch: the dial of last year's Spirit of Big Bang Black Ceramic Rabbit watch was painted by the artist Wen Na in her distinctive graphic style.

Thanks to Fen Wan, a multi-layered dragon's head has appeared on the dial for 2024. The "frame" for this work of art also has a contemporary look — the titanium tonneau (barrel-shaped) case with the signature H-shaped screws used for Spirit of Big Bang watches. It measures 42 mm in diameter.

The novelty is equipped with an automatic HUB1710 movement based on the Zenith Elite 670 with a 50-hour power reserve. Availability of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon is limited to 88 pieces.