January 22 of this year marks the Lunar New Year, which is a massively important celebration across many east Asian countries. For as long as I?ve been interested in watches, we?ve seen many large brands release a selection of limited edition watches tied to the Lunar New Year celebration, often exclusively for the Chinese market. The occasion is a natural fit for a limited edition watch on a number of fronts. First, it reinforces the importance of the Chinese and east Asian market to high end, global, luxury watch brands. And it also offers these brands an opportunity to produce watches that are extravagant while also being somewhat playful. Lunar New Year watches are almost tied to the Chinese Zodiac, so as we close in on the year of the rabbit, don?t be surprised if watches fit for Bugs Bunny start to take over your Instagram feed. 
This year, among a handful of Lunar New Year watches, one that stands out for its sheer opulence is a new release from Vacheron Constantin, through their Metiers d?Art line. The Metiers d?Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Rabbit (a mouthful of a name) finds a rabbit sitting in the center of a dial that displays the time, day, and date within a series of four separate apertures. The rabbit here is very much center stage, which is the whole point of Metiers d?Art watches. 
While handcraft and exceptional finishing are foundational to the Vacheron Constantin story, the Metiers d?Art watches are laser focused on dec...