China’s millennium calendar was actually understood by this "foreign monk"

Chinese elements have appeared in the watches of many brands, such as various dials with carved dragons and phoenixes, painted zodiac signs, and ink painting elements. However, their expression of Chinese elements only stays on the surface, and to say that the most attractive place for Chinese culture in clocks and watches is to show the extensive and profound traditional calendar.

It is said that foreign monks can recite scriptures, and Blancpain is one of the watch brands that thoroughly researches Chinese culture. In 2012, Blancpain launched the world's first Chinese almanac. In order to cater to the Chinese people's preference for the number 8, the brand also named the series model 00888. Its dial is made of Grand Feu enamel, which incorporates the zodiac year, sexagenary cycle, five elements, hour, and month at the same time. Since then, Blancpain has launched a different number of Chinese annual calendar limited watches.

As the Year of the Tiger is about to usher in 2022, Blancpain once again announced a limited edition Chinese calendar "Wang Tiger" for the Year of the Tiger. This time it is limited to 50 pieces. The new product continues the series of consistent 45 mm diameter "classic double round" case design. The difference is that the hand-engraved pattern on the oscillating weight of the movement is changed to "Wanghu", which is also of great commemorative significance. The watch has both Chinese and Western time systems. Except for the hour and minute scale using Roman numerals and the Gregorian calendar date using Arabic numerals, the other functional sub-dials are marked with Chinese characters, which fully demonstrate the elements of the traditional Chinese calendar.

However, for us who have been accustomed to the AD chronology since childhood, it is not easy to read and understand the various functions on the dial one by one, and we need to have a certain understanding of traditional culture. In fact, the core of this calendar system is the "Zodiac," and we might as well start with it.

Zodiac


Tiangandizhi is abbreviated as "ganzhi", which originated from the observation of celestial phenomena in ancient China. The so-called heavenly stems are A, B, C, D, E, Ji, G, Xin, Ren, Kui; Earthly Branches are Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai . The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches form the traditional Chinese calendar year. It repeats in sixty different combinations, so sixty years are also called "Yijiazi". Take the 2022 Renyin year as an example. The last Renyin year was in 1962, and the next Renyin year will have to wait until 2082.

The "main branches" have a profound influence on traditional culture. The twelve zodiac signs are the visualized representatives of the twelve earthly branches, and the twelve o'clock also corresponds to the twelve earthly branches. Correspondingly, the heavenly stem also has a unique meaning: the heavenly stem corresponds to the five elements and corresponds to yin and yang. Only after we understand the meaning of "the heavenly stems and earthly branches" and its derived meanings, can we better understand the meaning of the various functions in the dial.

As we mentioned earlier, the Chinese zodiac is a visual representation of the twelve earthly branches, which is closely related to the animal worship of the ancients. The zodiac has a cycle of twelve years, and is divided into rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

In the Blancpain Chinese Almanac watch, the zodiac display window is located below the 12 o'clock position, and the image of each animal has been condensed into the size of a character. The vivid portrayal is clear at a glance. Thanks to the brand's self-developed Cal.3638 movement, these unique elements can be fully displayed without interfering with each other. The Cal.3638 movement consists of 464 parts and is inlaid with 39 gems, which can provide up to 7 days of power reserve.

Twelve o'clock

The hour is a traditional Chinese timekeeping unit, which can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. The ancients divided a day and night into twelve segments, and each segment is called an hour, which is two hours in the present.

Below the zodiac display plate is the twelve o'clock dial. We can see that the inner circle surrounds the hour appellations such as "Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao", and the outer circle is marked with Chinese characters, so that people can better understand the correspondence between the ancient time and the modern 24 o'clock.

Lunar Calendar and Run Moon

The traditional Chinese calendar is a combined yin and yang calendar, commonly known as the "lunar calendar." Many people mistakenly think that the lunar calendar is the lunar calendar. In fact, it is not the case. The lunar calendar is closely related to the moon's motion cycle. The time required for the moon to circle the earth is 29.53059 days. If calculated on the basis of twelve months in a year, only 29.53059*12=354.36707 days per year. , Which is about 11 days less than a Gregorian calendar year (365.24237 days). If the calendar is formulated according to the lunar calendar, it may not be five years, and we will celebrate the Spring Festival in summer. For this reason, the lunar calendar adds 7 leap months every 19 years, which is equivalent to adding a lunar month every 2 to 3 years to conform to the true cycle of the four seasons.

The frequent occurrence of Runyue is a great test for mechanical watches, especially watches with annual calendar functions. We rarely see watches designed for traditional Chinese calendars on the market. For this reason, Blancpain’s Chinese calendar is naturally unique. The presence. Regarding the complicated lunar month, Blancpain’s solution is to introduce a display window for the lunar month under the word “wa” which means December. If the current month is a lunar month, a red dot will appear, otherwise, the flat moon will match the dial. The uniform white color can be adjusted by the wearer through the quick adjustment device.

Yin Yang and Five Elements

The five elements of yin and yang are the core of Chinese classical philosophy. The ancients believed that the world is composed of the five basic elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Therefore, the heavenly stem and the five elements of yin and yang complement each other. The small dial at 3 o'clock shows the corresponding relationship between the five elements and the heavenly stems, with a period of ten years, which means that the pointer will only move one grid per year. 2022 is the year of Renyin. The blue steel pointer on the small dial points to "Ren", and we can also know that the five elements belong to "Water".

As we mentioned above, the stem of heaven not only corresponds to the five elements, but also has the distinction of "yin and yang". In simple terms, A, C, E, G, and Ren are yang, and B, D, Ji, Xin, and Ku are yin. Yang is white, yin is black, and yin and yang blend together to form a Tai Chi diagram. After understanding this, I believe everyone can also understand the meaning of this small dial. As for its function, it may provide some help to those who study the Book of Changes, but for most modern people, we might as well regard it as a symbol of traditional culture.

In general, as one of the few watches on the market that are specifically designed for traditional Chinese calendars, the development of Blancpain's Chinese Almanac movement is extremely difficult, and it is sold in limited quantities every year, so it has a certain collection significance. Taking into account the preferences of Chinese consumers, the number 4 is deliberately skipped in the limited number of watches. It seems that the profound Chinese culture is really understood by this "foreign monk".