Red Alert: Six Red Watches for the Lunar New Year

Next week, the Chinese community will be celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year. Maybe, it is an excuse to get a timepiece with a red dial to usher in the Year of the Rabbit?

So, for the uninitiated, why red? In the Chinese culture, red is a colour of blessings and all things good. That is why many Chinese love the colour, and they attempt to incorporate it in certain aspects of their life. Of course, watches can be part of that equation too!

Hence, in this week’s article, we have shortlisted a list of six red watches that you might want to consider wearing for the upcoming Chinese New Year.  What are some of the watches that we’ve selected? Let’s find out!

NOMOS Tetra neomatik red

We begin the article with a bold and interesting piece: NOMOS Tetra neomatik red.

The watch, interestingly, is one of the four special edition pieces that are meant to commemorate the 175 years of watchmaking in Glashütte. NOMOS had decided to do so with the intriguing Tetra collection, which features an unusual square case. Beyond that, the piece still features the iconic Bauhaus-inspired design that the watch manufacturer is largely known for. It is unmistakably a NOMOS watch.

This particular special edition timepiece is priced at S$5,350, and it is limited to a production of 175 pieces. The vibrant dial may be a bit polarising, but for someone who likes red, this is certainly a compelling option especially if one loves to have an eye-catching and conversational timepiece in their collection.

Rado Tradition Golden Horse Limited Edition

We move on to Rado with its Traditional Golden Horse Limited Edition.

For our regular readers, the Golden Horse is probably no stranger to everyone. It was covered extensively in our review article, as well as the Throwback Sundays column as well. There is no doubt why the vintage reissue captured our hearts – it has a very palatable case size at 37mm, and its stunning red dégradé dial is a sight to behold. The vintage cues, in addition, lends a very nice rustic charm to the timepiece as well.

The cherry on the top of the cake lies in its price point. The Golden Horse retails at S$2,710, which offers compelling value for new and seasoned collectors alike. We certainly see ourselves wearing this watch regularly, beyond the Lunar New Year for sure.

Cartier Tank Must de Cartier Monochrome Colours Large Model

When Cartier revisited the Tank Must de Cartier (picture courtesy of Cartier) collection in 2021, we were definitely intrigued. This particular series, which features three watches in bold, solid colours, is definitely a looker. This is despite the minimalistic and simple nature of the timepiece.

We reckon the burgundy variant perhaps works best for the festivities. The colour is rather elegant, without being too loud or bold. Then again, Cartier watches are known to be elegant and classy anyways.

Our only gripe is that the watch is fitted with a quartz movement, which is a slight shame. However, Cartier Tanks are often more known for its design, and henceforth we can overlook this minor indiscretion for this particular piece. The timepiece is priced at S$3,950, and it is a great looking piece that can fit into any watch collection easily.

IWC Portugieser Automatic 40

The Portugieser is a staple in the IWC stable, and perhaps even an icon in its own right. For this Lunar New Year, IWC had put a twist into this timepiece to mark the Year of the Rabbit.

Featuring a gorgeous burgundy dial with gold-plated hands and appliques, the Portugieser Automatic 40 Edition “Chinese New Year” (picture courtesy of IWC) is perhaps one of the most stunning versions of the Portugiesers in modern times. The colour combination works brilliantly, and the Easter Egg – in the form of a gold-plated oscillating weight with a rabbit – is certainly a nice touch as well.

Priced at S$12,400, the Portugieser Automatic 40 Edition “Chinese New Year” is a limited edition piece that has a production run of just 500 pieces. We absolutely love the looks of the watch, and given its new 40mm case, it makes this watch even more wearable for many.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Red Magic

If your goal is to paint the town red, then perhaps the Hublot Big Bang Unico Red Magic might be the watch that you would want to don on your wrist.

The most obvious characteristic of the watch lies in its case. The watch is cased in the first “vibrantly coloured ceramic” using technical and aesthetic ceramics. According to Hublot, its proprietary manufacturing process allows them to produce a bright red ceramic case that is extremely dense and hardy – a first of its kind in the industry. The end result is amazing, and its combination with the large 45mm case makes the Red Magic rather conspicuous.

Powering the watch is Hublot’s in-house Unico Calibre HUB1242. It is a self-winding movement that boasts a date function and a flyback chronograph complication. In addition, the 330-part movement boasts a decent power reserve of approximately 72 hours. The Red Magic retails at S$37,200, the limited edition timepiece (of 500 pieces) is certainly something that will stand out in the crowd.

Parmigiani Tonda PF Xiali Calendar

We round up the article with an impressive timepiece, in the form of the Parmigiani Tonda PF Xiali Calendar (picture courtesy of Parmigiani).

Parmigiani’s take on the luxury sports watch segment had been met with great reception, and the brand continues to serenade us further this time with a complicated variant of the Tonda PF. Instead of just featuring the Gregorian calendar, Parmigiani went a step further by introducing a complete Chinese calendar onto the watch. This also includes the inclusion of the Chinese zodiac system, as well as the solar terms which track the ecliptic path of the Sun.

We cannot talk about Parmigiani without mentioning its design. The gorgeous “Imperial Red” dial features the Grain d’Orge guilloché, as well as a blue aventurine moonphase disc. Other noteworthy elements include the coin-edge bezel, as well as the sculptured lugs on the case. This masterpiece is priced at S$98,770, and it is certainly a cool watch that will certainly give the other luxury sports watches a run for its money.

Concluding Thoughts

We have come up with a good selection of watches, but this is certainly the tip of the iceberg. This is considering that there have been quite a number of novelties over the last few years that feature a red or burgundy dial – which have notably gained some popularity as collectors and manufacturers have begun toying with different dial colours. This is certainly great for collectors who are looking beyond the usual suspect (think black, silver and white dials).

Now, do you have a favourite amongst the six pieces that we have chosen? Or do you reckon there are certain deserving timepieces that should have made it onto the list? Let us know in the comments section below!