Burrowed time: rabbit watches for the Chinese new year

The 2023 crop of Chinese New Year watches celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. According to legend, the rabbit came fourth in the Jade Emperor’s race to decide the order of the signs of the zodiac. Exhausted, the animal nearly failed to make it across the river to the finish line, but was saved by a floating log.

Images of floating logs don’t feature on the faces or backs of any of these watches, but there are cute bunnies in all styles and degrees of artistic sophistication, from Swatch’s cartoony rendering with “What’s Up, Doc?” protruding teeth to Piaget’s Altiplano in grand feu cloisonné enamel by maestro of watch painting, Anita Porchet. 

Dior Grand Soir Year of the Rabbit, £29,000

Breguet Classique 9075 Chinese New Year Edition, £31,600

Piaget Altiplano Zodiac, £60,000

Chopard LUC XP Urushi Year of the Rabbit, £23,700

Swatch New Gent Bioceramic, £87

Bulgari Diva’s Dream, €65,000

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Rabbit, £5,800

Gucci Lunar New Year G-Timeless, £860

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, £124,000 (platinum) OR £102,000 (pink gold)

Ulysse Nardin Classico Rabbit, £39,590

Harry Winston Premier Chinese New Year Automatic, POA

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Ceramic Rabbit, £34,500