Avoid any fashion faux pas this Chinese New Year with our guide to appropriate wrist candy.

 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding

Let’s face it—gold is the way to go this Chinese New Year. Or every Chinese New Year, for that matter. Even better if it’s yellow gold because you know that’ll please the older folks who absolutely love the hue. This self-winding option from Audemars Piguet comes with a glare-proof sapphire crystal so you can clearly admire the silver ‘Grande Tapisserie’ dial pattern, a signature of the brand’s Royal Oaks.

HYT H1 Full Gold

Apart from the obvious fact that the watch case and lugs are sheathed in a season-appropriate rose gold, the dial of HYT’s classic H1 model allows time to be read in a most unconventional way, thanks to the use of opaque black fluid in the hour capillary. Also, the transparent caseback and unstructured dial offer a front row seat for viewing the manual-winding movement with beautifully finished Côtes de Genève bridges and rhodium-plated bellows.

Franck Muller Vanguard Gravity

We know what you really want to wear for Chinese New Year is black, you little rebel. So here’s your get-out-of-jail-free card: this iconic Franck Muller timepiece comes in a sexy black sheen, endowed with just enough red to get you safely through the front door of grandma’s house. Both sporty and avant-garde, the watch features an unusual elliptical tourbillon, housed in Franck Muller’s quintessential Cintrée Curvex case.

Bulgari Lucea II Giardino Paradiso

Ladies, this watch has everything you need for this time of the year: red, gold, bling, a feathered friend in flight (you know, Year of the Rooster and all), and oh, just a little tourbillon at six o’clock to help you start conversations with relatives you haven’t seen in 12 months. Or if you find yourself getting just a little overwhelmed by all the frenzy around you, take a breather, sit down and get lost in the beautiful métiers d’art dial with its vibrant bursts of colour on a gorgeous blue mother-of-pearl base.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Small Model

If you can’t handle a full-on chunk of yellow gold on your wrist (granted, it’s not a look for everyone), opt for a more understated pink gold. This Vacheron Constantin ticker is perfect for feminine wrists with the marque’s signature half-Maltese cross links, and is paired with a translucent rosy beige lacquered dial that’s sunburst satin-finished with a velvet-finished minute track. While minimalist, you’ll also attract envious glances, thanks to the 84 diamonds around the bezel. Way to get some attention at the reunion dinner.

 

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