As the Chinese zodiac cycles into the year of the Wood Dragon, Swiss horologist Hublot honors the occasion with a limited-edition timepiece marrying mechanical ingenuity to Far Eastern artistry.

Inspired by the dragon sculptures of artist Chen Fenwan, master of the ancient Chinese paper-cutting technique Jianzhi, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon emerges as a fusion of Swiss watchmaking and Chinese craft. Its animated dial, evoking paper brought to life, depicts Fenwan’s dragon in multi-layered splendor. Scales and claws stand out in relief, rendered in applied components that mimic intricately cut paper. Skeleton hands resemble brushstrokes, their counterweight formed in Hublot’s iconic ‘H’ shape.

At 42mm wide and cased in brushed titanium, this is a Spirit of Big Bang made grand—fitting for an auspicious dragon. A textured rubber strap integrates the dragon’s scales in colorful marquetry, visible through a transparent top layer. Each scale is nano-vulcanized and positioned by hand in an eight-hour process, making the strap as artisanal as the dial.

Within, the Hublot Caliber HUB1710 automatic movement pulses. Its specifications are understated for a limited edition, speaking more to workmanship than technical bravado. Thematically, however, the watch could hardly be more bold.

Hublot’s 88-piece issue nods eastward from its Nyon, Switzerland base, honoring customs distant in origin yet united by time’s inexorable passage. The Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon is priced at $29,500.