Horology Planet Exhibition Series — 07
In October 2026, Beijing becomes a meeting point for Chinese imperial aesthetics, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary design. Held at the National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), the “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition bring together a range of creative works that explore the connections between Eastern cultural heritage and modern craftsmanship.
The exhibition is about more than the objects on display. It also asks how traditional art forms can continue to evolve, finding new relevance through modern materials, innovative design, and precision engineering. From decorative techniques rooted in imperial workshops to the intricacies of independent watchmaking, the works on show offer different perspectives on how the past can inform the present.
As part of this exhibition series, Horology Planet takes a closer look at the participating watch brands and the ideas behind their creations.
Huasuo: Traditional Chinese Craftsmanship in Contemporary Watchmaking
For Huasuo, the watch dial is more than a surface for displaying time. It is a space in which materials, craftsmanship, and cultural memory can come together.
The brand's three featured timepieces draw on artistic traditions once associated with imperial objects and courtly aesthetics. Natural turquoise and lapis lazuli bring the colors of mountains, rivers, and the night sky to the wrist. Mother-of-pearl inlaid into traditional lacquer evokes the shimmering beauty of a celestial expanse. Lacquer engraving and gold inlay, meanwhile, reinterpret the monumental landscapes of Song dynasty painting.
Each piece approaches heritage differently, yet all three share a central idea: traditional craftsmanship can remain relevant when it is adapted thoughtfully to contemporary forms and mechanical watchmaking.
Canglan Gemstone Tourbillon — The Beauty of Stone, the Precision of Mechanics
Natural gemstone dial. Ultra-thin tourbillon. A one-of-a-kind meeting of ancient materials and modern mechanics.
The Canglan Gemstone Tourbillon takes its inspiration from the rich colors of two stones long prized in Chinese decorative arts: turquoise and lapis lazuli. Historically associated with precious ornaments, ceremonial objects, and refined courtly craftsmanship, these materials evoke contrasting yet complementary images. Turquoise recalls the clear blue-green waters of rivers and seas, while lapis lazuli suggests the depth of the distant sky.
Huasuo brings these two natural stones together in a dial that captures the beauty of both. Each stone is carefully sliced, ground, and polished by hand before being arranged in a concentric composition. Bright turquoise forms the central field, surrounded by a darker ring of lapis lazuli. The contrast creates a sense of depth, like a meeting of open water and the vast heavens above.
Because both materials are naturally formed, their mineral patterns are never entirely alike. Each dial carries its own variations in color and texture, making every example visually distinct.
Translating natural stone into a functional watch dial presents considerable technical challenges. Gemstones are brittle, and cutting them into precise circular sections requires exceptional care. The difficulty increases when the dial must also accommodate an aperture for a tourbillon. The opening must be positioned accurately, the stone components must remain securely fitted, and the construction must allow the movement to operate within its required tolerances. Achieving all three demands careful coordination between stoneworking and mechanical engineering.
Through the aperture, the tourbillon turns in precise motion against the stillness of the natural stone. This contrast lies at the heart of the design: the organic character of mineral materials meets the measured rhythm of mechanical watchmaking.
Powered by the Peacock Caliber 5811, a free-sprung tourbillon movement, the watch offers a reported power reserve of 42 hours. Its 38.5 mm stainless steel case and 8.8 mm profile give the piece a relatively restrained silhouette, allowing the dial's natural colors to take center stage.
The Canglan Gemstone Tourbillon brings materials associated with traditional Chinese decorative arts into a contemporary mechanical timepiece. Rather than reproducing the form of an antique object, it reimagines the appeal of precious stones through the precision and wearability of modern watchmaking.
Key Specifications
- Case Diameter: 38.5 mm
- Case Thickness: 8.8 mm
- Overall Length: 45.8 mm
- Dial: Natural turquoise and lapis lazuli
- Movement: Peacock Caliber 5811 free-sprung tourbillon
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Imported calfskin leather
- Buckle: Pin buckle
- Water Resistance: 50 meters
Lacquer Whisper — A Celestial Palette in Mother-of-Pearl
Traditional mother-of-pearl inlay meets lacquer artistry, creating a dial that shifts through iridescent shades of blue, green, and violet.
Traditional Chinese lacquerware has long been admired for its depth of color, refined surfaces, and intricate decorative techniques. Among these, mother-of-pearl inlay, often combined with gold accents, is particularly prized for the way it transforms delicate fragments of shell into luminous compositions.
With Lacquer Whisper, Huasuo brings this tradition to a modern wristwatch. Inspired by the shimmering appearance of mother-of-pearl lacquerware once treasured in courtly settings, the design evokes a night sky filled with shifting colors and scattered points of light.
The dial begins with a natural lacquer base built up through multiple layers. Iridescent abalone shell is selected and cut by hand into small, delicate fragments, which are arranged and inlaid alongside fine gold leaf. The surface then undergoes repeated lacquering, sanding, and polishing. These painstaking stages bring the materials together into a unified finish while allowing the shell's natural iridescence to remain visible.
As the light changes, the dial reveals shifting shades of blue, purple, and green. The arrangement of shell fragments varies from one dial to another, giving each piece its own visual character. No two compositions are exactly alike.
Adapting this traditional craft to a wristwatch introduces challenges beyond those encountered in conventional lacquerware. Mother-of-pearl inlay is more commonly associated with relatively flat decorative objects, while a watch dial demands precision on a much smaller scale and may incorporate a curved surface. Lacquer application and shell placement must also accommodate a central opening for the tourbillon, requiring careful attention to alignment, finishing, and movement assembly.
At the center, the tourbillon provides a dynamic counterpoint to the dial's changing colors. Its mechanical motion brings a sense of movement to an otherwise intricate and contemplative surface, creating a dialogue between traditional decorative craftsmanship and contemporary horological engineering.
The watch is powered by the Peacock Caliber 5711, a free-sprung central tourbillon movement with a power reserve of 100 hours. Its Grade 5 titanium case combines lightness with a contemporary technical character, while the sapphire crystal protects the elaborate dial. An imported French goatskin strap completes the design.
Lacquer Whisper demonstrates how a traditional decorative art can move beyond the display cabinet and become part of an object worn every day. The result is a meeting of material, light, and mechanical precision — a small-scale expression of Chinese lacquer artistry reinterpreted for contemporary collectors.
Key Specifications
- Case Diameter: 42 mm
- Case Thickness: 8.7 mm; 12.5 mm including the crystal
- Overall Length: 49.8 mm
- Dial: Handmade lacquer with mother-of-pearl inlay
- Movement: Peacock Caliber 5711 free-sprung central tourbillon
- Power Reserve: 100 hours
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Imported French goatskin leather
- Buckle: Folding clasp
- Water Resistance: 50 meters
A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains — A Masterpiece of Lacquer and Gold
Traditional lacquer engraving and gold inlay bring the grandeur of a celebrated Chinese landscape painting to the wrist.
Nearly nine centuries ago, the monumental landscape painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains captured an idealized vision of China's mountains and waterways in the rich blue-green palette associated with Song dynasty painting. Its layered peaks, flowing rivers, and mineral pigments created a landscape of extraordinary depth and grandeur.
Huasuo's A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains draws on this artistic legacy, translating the spirit of the historic painting into a contemporary wristwatch. At its center is a dial crafted using traditional lacquer engraving and gold inlay, a decorative technique associated with historical Chinese lacquerware.
The process begins with repeated applications of natural lacquer, building up a layered surface with depth and substance. The landscape patterns are then carefully engraved into the lacquer. Gold leaf is worked into the incised lines, after which the surface is polished to reveal the interplay between the dark background and the delicate gold contours.
The resulting dial recalls the visual richness of the original painting. Mountain ridges emerge in intricate layers, while gold details catch the light across the landscape. Rather than simply printing an image onto the dial, the technique gives the scenery a tactile quality shaped by the craftsman's hand.
Bringing this process to a wristwatch requires considerable adaptation. Traditional lacquer engraving and gold inlay were developed for decorative objects with more generous working surfaces. On a compact watch dial, the lacquer must be applied and finished with precision, while the intricate landscape lines must be engraved by hand at a much smaller scale. Each contour and valley demands careful control to preserve the composition's detail and balance.
Natural lacquer also contributes to the character of the finished work, offering a warm, refined surface with lasting color when properly crafted and maintained.
Unlike the two tourbillon models in Huasuo's exhibition selection, A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains is powered by the Swiss-made Sellita SW300 automatic mechanical movement, with a power reserve of 42 hours. Its 37 mm 316L stainless steel case and blue calfskin strap provide a restrained frame for the elaborate dial, allowing the traditional craft to remain the focal point.
The result is a wearable interpretation of Chinese landscape art. The mountains and rivers of a celebrated historical painting are no longer confined to a museum wall; they become part of a contemporary timepiece, where traditional craftsmanship and mechanical timekeeping coexist.
Key Specifications
- Case Diameter: 37 mm
- Case Thickness: 9.3 mm
- Overall Length: 46 mm
- Dial: Natural lacquer with engraved patterns and gold inlay
- Movement: Swiss Sellita SW300 automatic mechanical movement
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Blue calfskin leather, 19 mm
- Buckle: Pin buckle, 18 mm
- Water Resistance: 50 meter
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Exhibition Guide
- Exhibition Name: “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition, and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition
- Opening Date: October 23, 2026
- Exhibition Dates: October 23, 2026 – December 16, 2026
- Venue: 3rd Floor Art Space, Building D7, National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), No. 3 Jinhang East Road, Shunyi District, Beijing
- Organizer: National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing)
- Academic Support: Research Group on Qing Dynasty Court Craftsmanship Inheritance Examples, The Palace Museum; Watchina
- Executive Curator: Horology Planet
