Introducing: The New CIGA Design Legend Of Serpent
CIGA Design produces watches that are different from the norm. It’s immediately apparent that this isn’t the typical timekeeper with central hour and minute hands. The round, UFO-like cases also stand out in a futuristic way. Now we see two new models that represent a departure from prior pieces. The Legend of Serpent editions use an exciting case material and precious metals.
As an Asian brand, CIGA Design places great importance on symbolism. The serpent, per the press material, can represent several important characteristics, including wisdom, healing, and rebirth. Therefore, it’s not surprising to find an artistic form of the reptile on the dial of the new Legend of Serpent watches. However, the surprise is that the head and tail tell the time. Oh, and did we mention that the case is made from a gemstone?
The new CIGA Design Legend of Serpent
CIGA Design’s most renowned model (and a GPHG Challenge Watch Prize winner) is the Blue Planet. This watch debuted the brand’s asynchronous movement with separate hour and minute rings and a rotating globe. With the Legend of Serpent editions, two new watches are available. The globe is gone, and in its place is a ribbon-like snake that traverses the dial. Interestingly, while the two watches look identical aside from the color of the serpent, each uses a different movement. More on that shortly.
Each watch has a perfectly round, lugless 46.5mm diameter and a 15.6mm thickness. A flush-fitting sapphire crystal completes the form, creating a lozenge-like appearance from the side. A black DLC-coated stainless steel crown is the only detail peeking from the case. Despite the large expanse of sapphire and lack of a traditional bezel, the watches have a 30m water resistance rating.
A textured honeycomb dial with precious metals
The Legend of Serpent watches have a honeycomb-pattern dial sitting below the minute and hour rings. An 18K yellow gold snake weighing one gram or a 925 silver version hovers above this textured surface. Reading the time is quite simple, actually. The serpent’s head points to the hours on the outer ring, and the tail indicates the minutes on the inner ring.
An onyx case for the Legend of Serpent!
While the dial and time display are certainly distinctive, on the Legend of Serpent editions, the case is the sleeper hit. Instead of using DLC or PVD over metal, CIGA Design has chosen something very different. Onyx, a type of agate stone, has been shaped into a watch case.
The info is relatively scant, but CIGA mentions using a combination of CNC cutting and manual polishing to form the round shape. As someone who enjoys gemstones, I find this exciting news. Regarding longevity, onyx has a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7, so it has decent durability. However, considering that sapphire ranks as a 9, owners should treat the Legend of Serpent pieces with care.
Two Swiss-made movements
Both the gold and silver versions of the Legend of Serpent use Swiss-made, CIGA custom-designed automatic calibers. The gold version houses the CD-04-S, which has a frequency of 28,800vph and 41 hours of power reserve. The silver one sports the CD-04-E, which has a slower frequency of 21,600vph and a similar power reserve of 40 hours. Each movement is visible through the case back’s sapphire display.
Pricing and availability
Each Legend of Serpent piece will come with a 925 silver snake on a thin chain, with the gold version’s accessory bearing a plating of 18K gold. Regarding availability, these watches are currently available on the CIGA Design website with prices of US$2,399 for the gold edition and US$1,499 for the silver. Furthermore, the silver reference is a serial-production model, while the gold one is individually numbered and limited to 365 pieces. There’s no doubt that these watches differ from most we review here on Fratello, but there’s a place, and likely a wrist, for everything. Kudos to CIGA Design for continuing to evolve this interesting display and for creating a stone case.
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