CHOPARD, L.U.C. XP URUSHI “SKY PEACOCK” REF. 161902-5049, A FINE ULTRA-THIN GOLD WRISTWATCH WITH HANDMADE JAPANESE URUSHI AND MAKI-E LACQUERED DIAL

Kiichiro Masumura is a Japanese artist who has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) by the Japanese government for “Kyushitsu”, the oldest technique of lacquerware. In 2011, he collaborated with the Swiss brand to created a unique series of dials for Chopard’s wristwatches that sit within the L.U.C. XP Urushi collection.

The dials feature traditional Japanese lacquering techniques like Urushi and Maki-e. Urushi is the ancestral Japanese art of lacquering and is named for the Urushi tree, which is indigenous to Japan and China. The varnish used in the lacquer is made from the sap of the Urushi tree. Maki-e is a lacquerware technique wherein the design is made by sprinkling or spraying wet lacquer with metallic powder, usually gold or silver, from a dusting tube. Both techniques are used to create the attractive "Sky Peacock" motif on this dial.