As is tradition, Vacheron Constantin has created a pair of limited edition timepieces for the upcoming Chinese Zodiac year, featuring a hand-made enamel dial and the watchmaker’s novel self-winding movement without hands.

As a prelude to the upcoming SIHH 2016 watch fair in January, Vacheron Constantin is marking the Year of the Monkey that starts in February 2016 with a Métiers d’Art La Légende du Zodiaque Chinois limited edition. Featuring a fired enamel dial with a golden monkey in relief, the Year of the Monkey timepiece is equipped with the caliber 2460 G4 that tells the time with no hands at all – the only hands on the dial are those of the monkey. Just like the Year of the Goat limited edition of 2015, four windows on the dial reveal the day, month, hours and minutes. Both the day and month jump instantaneously at midnight, while the hours and minute discs turn at a slow pace throughout the day. Because the windows are situated on the edge of the dial, it becomes a canvas for the decorative arts. 

The dial is a disc of solid gold that’s engraved with leaf motif, then painted with enamel and fired in an oven. In blue or bronze to match the case metal, the enamel dial is glossy and translucent, revealing the engraved foliage below. A hand-engraved monkey, made of platinum or pink gold depending on the case material, is mounted on the centre of the dial.

Limited to 12 pieces each in pink gold or platinum, the Métiers d’Art La Légende du Zodiaque Chinois Year of the Monkey is priced at €80,000 in pink gold and €100,000 in platinum.