New Bell & Ross BR 05 pays tribute to the Year of the Dragon

When it comes to the Chinese zodiac, there are some signs which are easy to celebrate and others which aren't – take that from someone born in the Year of the... erm, Rat. If you're involved in something more glamorous, like the Year of the Dragon, it's much easier to make a song and dance about it.

That's exactly what we're about to move into, and it has spawned a lot of inspiration among the watch industry. We've seen new releases from TAG Heuer, as well as a five watch collection from Swatch.

Now, Bell & Ross are joining the fray. Their new BR 05 Artline Dragon takes inspiration from the dragon design with a laser engraved case and bracelet.

That's not a random choice, either. Engraving as a practice has been part of Chinese culture for more than a millennium, and this is designed to pay homage to that.

For the BR 05 we're looking at here, that means a painstaking process. Each individual piece of the case and the integrated bracelet is engraved before it is assembled.

And let's be frank – this is likely to split opinions. The engraved case design is far from standard fare. I strongly suspect that will make around half of prospective users very excited, and the other half wince and grimace.

Whatever your opinion is, though, you won't have long to hesitate. Limited to just 99 pieces, this watch is likely to sell out pretty quickly – even with a slightly eye-watering £7,200 price tag.

Personally, I'm a fan of this. Okay, are you going to wear it to that crucial once in a lifetime business meeting? Probably not. But let's be serious – many of these are unlikely to see much wear anyway. Short limited runs like this will almost exclusively be snapped up to sit in a safe for 20 or so years.

But if you're looking for a quirky piece to add some intrigue to your collection, this is a great option with a timely inspiration.