Coveted

TAG Heuer is going for gold with its majestic tribute to the Year of the Dragon, but it begs a question: Should a maker of tool watches be making them more precious?

- JONATHAN HO

THE FORTHCOMING LUNAR NEW YEAR ushers in the dragon's reign, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, TAG Heuer has released a limited-edition watch, capturing the spirit of the Year of the Dragon by fusing the richness of Chinese culture with the watchmaker's racing heritage in the guise of a gold chronograph (more on this later).

While I can understand why some might scoff at the idea of an affordable watch being lavished and embellished, I find it endearing, particularly when driven by curiosity about the thought process that went into creating something like this. TAG Heuer obviously believes its watches will sell, else why make them?

Precious And Desired

Gold's numerous desirable qualities - including its brilliance, density and resistance to corrosion - are widely known. Due to its softness, however, gold is typically alloyed with other elements to make itself tougher and less prone to shape shifting. Historically speaking, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered, in 1925, the gold funerary mask of Tutankhamun, from 14th-century BCE in Egypt, which weighed in at a hefty 11kg. And although made of gold, the death mask was astonishingly well maintained.