There has always been a watchmaking tradition of creating watches in celebration of the Chinese zodiac – China and Hong Kong have historically been one of the fastest growing markets for watches in the past few decades, though 2025 has seen that growth stall somewhat. Typically, those watches are launched ahead of or around the beginning of the lunar new year. However, while they might be a little late to the party, that hasn’t stopped Awake getting involved with the launch of their new Awake Sơn Mài Year of the Sssnake by The Dial Artist.
As you may have gathered, this watch is a collaboration between Awake and Scottish artist Chris Alexander, aka The Dial Artist. His work in the industry is quickly gaining notoriety, placing him on a similar level to other watch artists like seconde/seconde/ (who also tackled the concept of the Year of the Snake). The Dial Artist is particularly known for his use of colour, with several examples where a black base forms the canvas for bright, multi-coloured designs.
That concept is true also of the Sơn Mài Year of the Sssnake. It features a black Sơn Mài (a traditional Vietnamese lacquer) base upon which the Artist has painted the texture of snake scales using colours with almost an iridescent effect. He then applies a thin, textured layer of clear material, called a pellicle, that gives the piece a three-dimensional appearance to drive home the scale-like texture. Awake describe the pattern as being very rock ‘n’ roll and I suppose it is in some ways, if you think of Alice Cooper or tight snakeskin trousers.
Beyond the dial, the case of the Awake Sơn Mài Year of the Sssnake by The Dial Artist is pretty standard. Though that’s no insult as Awake produce a very nice case. It measures 39mm in diameter with a smooth bezel and polished lugs. It’s quiet enough to let the feature dial do all the talking, which is what you want from a piece with such an intense design.
Inside the case is housed the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic calibre with tungsten rotor, one of the premier third-party movements in modern watchmaking thanks to its 68-hour power reserve and high level of finishing. It’s visible through an exhibition caseback that’s also engraved with the watch’s limited-edition number and the moniker Year of the Snake, where the S is given as a playful Sss, and the e curls into a forked tongue.
The Awake Sơn Mài Year of the Sssnake by The Dial Artist is limited to 50 pieces at a price of €2,100 (approx. £1,790) excl. tax. The first batch of 30 watches are expected for delivery in July with the second batch of 20 in September. It’s exciting to see Awake do collaborations with other artists but personally I think it would be more interesting to see the artists have more involvement in the actual lacquer processes, rather than using it as a simple base onto which they paint. Still, you have to make first steps somewhere and this is a striking way to do it.
Price and Specs:
More details at Awake.
