Hands-On With The Celadon Haute Horlogerie Century Cloisonné Jump Hour Double Phoenix

In June of this year, I had a chance to go hands-on with the stunning Celadon Haute Horlogerie Century Cloisonné Collection. It displayed an incredible level of Chinese craftsmanship that I adore. For another hands-on experience, the brand sent us a jump-hour version of its Century Cloisonné Double Phoenix model. While the basics are similar to the two watches I reviewed before, there are also some immediate differences. As you will understand, I was curious to learn more about the Celadon Haute Horlogerie Century Cloisonné Jump Hour Double Phoenix.

Every year, I find that in 12 months packed with new watches, a few hands-on experiences always stick with me. Spending time with the Celadon Haute Horlogerie Century Cloisonné Collection was one of those. From the second the watches landed on my desk until I wrote the final word of the review, I was nothing short of impressed. The watches blended an inspiring level of craftsmanship with the elegance and storytelling of Chinese culture, which is not something we often see in the watch world.

The Celadon HH Century Cloisonné Jump Hour Double Phoenix

What made my time with the watches even more special was that one featured a handmade blue and white dial that reminded me of the famous Delft Blue pottery I adore. As I explained in the previous review, this blue and white tin-glazed earthenware is all around the Netherlands.

The Century Cloisonné Double Dragons

I particularly love the modern reinterpretations of the traditional art form. The Century Jump Hour Double Phoenix features a blue and white dial similar to that of the Double Dragons model in my first Celadon review. The main difference is the time display. Whereas the previously reviewed timepieces had regular hour and minute hands, this model has apertures for jumping hours and scrolling minutes.

Let’s start with some basics of the Celadon Haute Horlogerie Century line. As a little sidestep, please read the review of the previous models, in which I explain more about how the brand started. What is essential to know is that the brand’s founder, Benjamin Chee, started Celadon HH to celebrate the traditional craftsmanship deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

With the Century line of watches, he offers buyers a chance to choose from several standard options. The base is a classically shaped “moon case.” This 42mm × 47.4mm stainless steel case has an 11.5mm profile and a 22mm lug spacing. It also displays a mix of brushed and polished surfaces.

A work of art

The case and finishing feature several design traits that hint at traditional Chinese architecture, making the story more interesting. In addition, they serve as a perfect canvas for the stunning dials. Celadon HH offers several beautiful cloisonné enamel dials. This special enameling technique dates back 600 years in Chinese history and is tied to many historical artifacts and events. The dial makers take 45 steps to create these works of art.

As I explained in the previous article, every dial starts with laying the image out on a solid silver base and deciding the individual enamel colors. The color palette looks simple since it is predominantly blue and white. Zoom in, though, and you will understand that picking just the right blue shades to make the dial come to life is no simple task. Next, gold wires are laid by hand with tweezers to form the outline of the image. After that, each dial is enameled and fired 25 times in a specialized oven reaching 900° Celsius.

The Century Cloisonné Double Phoenix dial

The Double Phoenix dial is one of 10 currently available dial options. Its story is rooted in Chinese history. The phoenix, or fènghuáng in Chinese, is a motif often used for porcelain and paintings. The mythical bird represents the Empress of China, so the image has royal roots. For this special Double Phoenix dial, the designers created the image of two birds in a Ming blue and white color palette, reminiscent of elegant Qinghua porcelain.

Creating the gradient blue pattern that animates the birds is an actual work of art. As you will understand, executing it on such a small canvas takes patience and dedication. But the result is an image of two birds with exquisite depth. It is far more lively than regular blue and white porcelain.

In addition to the artwork, at the 12 o’clock position, you will find the hours on a framed, engraved, and silvered disc. The larger display at 6 o’clock displays the minutes, also on a silvered disc. However, Celadon HH offers the option of changing the color of the hour and minute discs and numbering.

The reason for the Century Jump Hour

Thanks to the jump-hour configuration, you can fully enjoy the depiction of the mythical birds. Due to the lack of traditional hands, the watch always offers an unobstructed view of the artwork. Initially, brand founder Benjamin Chee wished for a jump-hour version of the Century and asked the artists to create a dial depicting Chestnut, his beloved corgi who passed away in 2022.

Lin Yong Hua created a jump-hour version of the brand’s CH5 caliber to allow an unobstructed image of Chestnut. This movement was designated Calibre 4414, after the number of days that Chee and Chestnut spent together. The manual-winding movement operates at 18,000vph and offers 45 hours of power reserve. Additionally, the bridges, balance cock, and click are designed to look like the crested head and tail feathers of a phoenix. Lastly, it features a Breguet overcoil, gold chatons, and a beautiful spoked center wheel.

The caliber is manually finished with black polishing, Chinese scroll stripes, and meticulous hand-beveling on inward and outward angles. Seeing it is nothing short of impressive. Celadon HH offers a range of bespoke options, including a rose or white gold finish and frosted or striped bridges. Lastly, a planetary gear mechanism and grande-sonnerie-style winding click springs make winding the movement incredibly smooth.

Wearing the Celadon Century Cloisonné Jump Hour Double Phoenix

Thanks to the supple blue suede strap, once fully wound, the watch we had in landed nicely on my wrist. Now, yes, I could go on about how the watch is substantial and not for people with smaller wrists; all of that would be true. However, wearing a watch like this is all about the visual impact of the artwork. Wearing the watch is definitely a special experience. The image with its rich, vibrant colors is nothing short of stunning.

Final thoughts on the Celadon HH Century Cloisonné Jump Hour Double Phoenix

Practically, it is easy to read the time thanks to the substantially sized windows that display the hours and minutes. On top of that, these apertures give the two mythical birds enough room to shine elegantly on the dial. Plus, thanks to the substantial white space between the phoenixes, the dial is easier on the eye than the Double Dragons variant. Honestly, I must admit that I like that dial more than this one, but that is purely a matter of personal taste. Both are incredible works of art that you choose because they speak to you.

While I prefer the regular Celadon HH Century over the jump-hour version, it doesn’t take anything away from the incredible craftsmanship that goes into creating these watches. The levels of artistry required to design and execute the dials and the watchmaking expertise needed to develop the calibers are simply stunning. That’s why I applaud Celadon HH for another impressive creation.

The watch you see in these pictures costs US$34,900, but the price can vary based on the calibers and customization options chosen. To give you an idea, if you choose the jump-hour version of the more modest CH1 caliber, the price is US$19,900. Simply let the watch shown here be a shining example of what is possible, and check out the full collection with all its options on the Celadon Haute Horlogerie’s official website. You will be intrigued and amazed by what traditional Chinese craftsmanship offers.

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