The high-end watchmaking industry is still dominated by European manufacturers but the demand for sophisticated timepieces is global. As the East's interest in the luxury watch market grows, more watchmakers are weaving Oriental elements into their work.
Italian brand Officine Panerai has created the Luminor Marina, acknowledging its Chinese clientele and their culture. This special-edition timepiece encases an auspicious blessing expressed in a style that dates back to the Southern Song dynasty. At six o'clock on the black dial, the character (Fu) - denoting good fortune and happiness - replaces the original numeral on a typical Panerai dial. Set within a 44mm case made of a single block of polished stainless steel, the timepiece is powered by an in-house developed, hand-wound mechanical movement and fitted with black ox-hide straps. The hour markers, Arabic numerals at three and 12 o'clock, along with the hands are painted with a vintage luminous coating. The Luminor Marina costs HK$34,200 and is exclusive to boutiques in Greater China.
As a tribute to the Japanese art of lacquering, Swiss watchmaker Angular Momentum has launched the Kagamibuta (HK$143,500). Initially a technique used on religious ornaments and household items, lacquer was more about function - resistance to water and dirt - than art. On the Kagamibuta's 44mm stainless-steel case is an image of a cuckoo flying against a "combed" background, produced using a technique pioneered by 19th-century artist and lacquerer Shibata Zeshin. Representing the full moon behind the clouds, the time is displayed at the 12 o'clock position.
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The timepiece's antique crocodile strap with silver fittings is reminiscent of 17th-century Japan, when people would hang their belongings from their obi (the sash placed around kimonos). All Angular Momentum timepieces are made on demand (inquiries: