Horological Meandering

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Vager-Hauer: Twelve Shi Chen

Two types of time-keeping cultures meet on the dial of this watch.

I love the idea behind this watch. I conduct a lot of business in China. I have respect for the deep and complex history and culture, and love a cultural intersection. 

This watch tells time in the Western way, as well as displaying Shi Chen time. “Normal” time is told from the center, with a small seconds subdial at 4 o’clock, but the most interesting part is the twelve unit subdial at 9 o’clock that displays the different Shi Chen time periods. 

A Shi Chen is a two-hour period. Twelve Shi Chens are a full 24 hour day. This watch displays the twelve two-hour periods into which a day was traditionally divided, each being given the name of one of the twelve earthly branches. The twelve Shi Chen system began as early as the Western Zhou dynasty. During the Han Dynasty twelve earthly branches（子 Zi，丑 Chiu，寅 Yin，卯 Mio，辰 Chen，巳 Si，午 Wi，未 Wei，申 Shen，酉 Yu，戌 Xa，and 亥 Hai) were introduced. Shi Chen is called the "grand hour". 

To be clear, most of this is simple cut and paste… make of this what you will, but I suggest the use of allegorical interpretation:

子 - 23:00-00:59 - 夜半 - Rat - Rat is the most active at this time

丑 - 01:00-02:59 - 鸡鸣 - Ox - At this time cattle is chewing food that is not digested during the day.

寅 - 03:00-04:59 - 平旦 - Tiger - In this transitional period from night to day, Tiger is very fierce.

卯 - 05:00-06:59 - 日出 - Rabbit - The sun appears and rises slowly. The moon is also called "Jade Rabbit", which is still in the sky.

제 - 07:00-08:59 - 食时 - Dragon - It's time for breakfast, and according to legend, the time for dragons make the sky raining.

巳 - 09:00-10:59 - 隅中 - Snake - Snake is hidden in grasses when noon is approaching.

午 - 11:00-12:59 - 日中 - Horse - The brightest time. Yang has reached the maximum, and Yin is coming. Horse is an animal of Yin-type.

未 - 13:00-14:59 - 日昳 - Ram - The sun is declining. Ram grazes at this time.

由 - 15:00-16:59 - 哺时 - Monkey - Known as the time to eat. Monkey likes to yell at this time.

酉 - 17:00-18:59 - 日入 - Rooster - Sun set time. Chicken starts to go back to nest.

戌 - 19:00-20:59 - 黄昏 - Dog - The sun has fallen. The sky and earth are dim; everything is hazy. Dog starts to guard in front of the door.

亥 - 21:00-22:59 - 人定 - Bear - Human has stopped activity and fallen asleep. In late night, pig is sleeping soundly

Obviously ancient time-keeping systems don’t align perfectly with our modern UTC system, so this is more of cultural nod. I don't subscribe to Western astrology nor do I ascribe a lot of credence to the Lunar zodiac, but I like to know about the folklore surrounding them nonetheless. On that level this time-keeping system reminds me of that. 

40 mm, steel, an automatic Miyota movement with 21 jewels, it is not exactly horological excellence, but it tells two types of time, so for €205 I consider this a wonderful addition to my collection. It helps that its design very loosely references the Lange 1 or the Glashütte Pano, which is why I assume the German-sounding brand name... but you obviously get what you pay for.