Shanghai Watch × Jacky Tsai — A Tiger in Time
A Year of the Tiger special edition, 2022
29th Nov 2022
For the Year of the Tiger in 2022, Jacky Tsai collaborated with Shanghai Watch on a special-edition timepiece for its Artists collection. The collaboration translated his tiger imagery into an intimate, wearable format, bringing the colour and texture of his paintings onto the wrist.
Chinese imagery and a contemporary pop sensibility meet within the circular frame of the dial. Moving from a painted canvas to a working watch, the tiger becomes a small artwork encountered throughout the day.
A painting in miniature
The three-dimensional dial recreates the appearance and tactile character of acrylic paint on canvas. Raised contours give the tiger a sculptural presence, while contrasting upper and lower lugs extend the composition beyond the dial, echoing the animal’s ears.
Swiss Super-LumiNova® adds a second reading after dark: luminous details bring the tiger’s gaze to life as the surrounding colours recede. The design changes with the light, making time itself part of the experience.
Art on the wrist
The collaboration brings Tsai’s visual language into an object made to be worn and used. Its appeal lies in that change of scale: the energy of a larger painting is concentrated into a watch, with surface, colour and light carrying the image.