Swatch welcomes the Chinese New Year with the colorful Legend of the White Snake
MANILA, Philippines - Swatch is proud to present “The Legend of the White Snake,” a Swatch specially created for the Chinese New Year. Set to begin on Feb. 10, the traditional 15-day Chinese New Year celebration brings family and friends together to enjoy a variety of festive events.
Every year, Swatch contributes to the Chinese New Year festivities by creating a special Swatch watch. Year 2013 brings The Legend of the White Snake, a high-spirited new Gent Swatch featuring a multicolored snake weaving its way across a white silicone strap.
The legend goes back at least 1,000 years and has been told in many different ways. One of the most popular stories told in China today speaks of kindness, repayment of obligations, courage, and love. White Snake, as the story goes, practiced meditation and self-discipline for thousands of years. White Snake has managed to take on human form in the guise of a beautiful woman. She encounters green snake, who is the cause of disasters where she lives. In the epic, white snake defeats green snake and the two are soon as close as sisters.
On a visit to the famous West Lake, white snake meets Xu Xian, a charming young scholar. They fall in love at first sight, marry, heal the sick and are soon living happily with their new-born son. However, a cunning monk by the name of Fa Hai traps White Snake under the Leifeng Pagoda. A happy end comes to this romantic tale when White Snake’s son, who grows to be a scholar himself, makes an offering to his mother at the Leifeng Pagoda. The pagoda collapses, freeing White Snake. The family is reunited and they all live happily ever after.
Popular tradition in China associates each year of the 12-year zodiac cycle with an animal. Persons born in a particular year are said to share certain attributes with the zodiac animal. As the key symbol of Chinese Spirit, persons born in the Year of the Snake are smart, flexible and intelligent. The snake is also believed to bring good fortune and wisdom to everyone born under its sign.
The Legend of the White Snake Swatch watch has artfully drawn serpents in brilliant colors that evoke traditional Chinese decorative arts, finely woven silks and embroidered fabrics. The white dial is adorned with Arabic numerals in a variety of colors, and the hour and minute hands appear to curl and twist like snakes in motion. The snake’s multiple colors re-appear in a bright floral variation on the special packaging, a colorful box with a transparent watch case and The Legend of the White Snake wrapped up inside.
Swatch is available at shops in SM Megamall, Glorietta 1, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 5, TriNoma, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Marquee Mall, Angeles, Pampanga, SM Mall of Asia, SM City North EDSA, SM City Davao, Rockwell Power Plant Mall, Greenhills V-Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Festival Mall, Ayala Center, Cebu and Abreeza Mall, Davao.
