Come January 23rd, it's Enter the Dragon time. No, we're not referring to a Bruce Lee marathon but, rather, to the official start of a new Year of the Dragon. Deemed the mightiest of the twelve signs in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is said to be an independent thinker with a fiery character and an ambitious disposition that often culminates in professional success. Those born in a Year of the Dragon (1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012, for instance) are said to possess these traits, though their specific attributes can be further distilled by looking at whether they're Earth, Fire, Water, or Air Dragons.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year and the commencement of the Year of the Dragon, Swatch released the Year of the Dragon watch ($65 at Swatch.com), which features an inky blue illustration of the revered fire-breathing creature along the white silicone band, its whiskered head, pointed horns and clawed hand positioned along the upper half and its scaly tail undulating along the bottom half of the watch. Fire balls and cloud-like formations float around the mythical creature, while whimsical, Pop Art-ish arches made to resemble rounded ocean waves are stacked atop one another at the very bottom of the strap, near the row of notches.
The watch's dial, meanwhile, features a geometric grid of lines that adds a dose of modernity to the piece, balancing the traditional dragon symbolism and the Chinoiserie-worthy blue-on-white color scheme .
Even if you weren't born in the year of dragon, you should still scoop one up — after all, dragons are believed to bring good fortune in China and they've long been affiliated with imperial power.
