Lifestyle

From IWC to Hublot, luxury watchmakers honour the Year of the Snake with exquisite, limited-edition timepieces that embody tradition and artistry.

By Florence Sutton

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As the Year of the Wooden Snake dawns on 29 January 2025, it heralds a time of transformation, introspection, and strength. This celestial year is one of profound evolution and self-improvement, making it the perfect backdrop for luxurious timepieces that reflect timeless artistry and bold design, setting new standards in zodiac-inspired horology. As one will come to see, many of these timepieces are limited to just 88 pieces, symbolising good luck while reinforcing an element of exclusivity. LUXUO discovers the finest zodiac-inspired timepieces for the Year of the Wood Snake.

 

IWC

 

IWC introduced its Chinese New Year watch at Watches and Wonders Shanghai 2024 in September. This Portofino model — limited to 500 pieces — features a burgundy dial and an automatic winding rotor shaped like a snake. The design remains largely unchanged from the standard model, with the primary difference being these two distinct elements. This follows a trend seen with previous editions, where burgundy dials were paired with thematically shaped rotors. The approach began with the Pilot’s Chronograph for the Year of the Tiger in 2022, continuing with the Rabbit watch in 2023. The possibility of completing a full 12-year zodiac cycle with specific design elements adds to the appeal for collectors, despite earlier disruptions due to pandemic-related challenges.

 

Longines

The Conquest Heritage Year of Snake model closely follows the standard Conquest Heritage time-only watch design, with a gradient red domed dial and an engraving of a snake holding a Lingzhi mushroom on the closed caseback. Over the years, Longines has released several zodiac symbol watches following a similar design approach, although the brand does not specify how far back this tradition extends. This limited edition — with 2,025 pieces — has the highest availability among the Longines Chinese New Year models.

 

 

Regarding the history of the wide circulation of Lunar New Year watches at Longines, it is possible that the brand only began this tradition last year with the Dragon model, which had a limited run of 888 pieces. The Year of Snake model — like its predecessor — features a collaboration with Chinese artist Wu Jian’an, who conceptualised and executed the motif on the caseback, inspired by The Legend of the White Snake. Similarly, The Dragon watch involved a collaboration with artist Zinan Lam, suggesting that this series may continue as a regular feature for Longines.

 

Bvlgari’s Serpenti Collection

To usher in the Year of the Snake, Bvlgari pays homage to the serpent’s rich symbolism and its deep ties to Chinese culture with the introduction of Serpenti Infinito — a new concept symbolising the transformative power of the snake as a representation of infinity. Continuing the legacy of its iconic emblem, Bvlgari unveils 13 new Serpenti creations, including jewellery, watches, and leather goods, that seamlessly blend the brand’s distinctive serpent design with elements of nature.

 

 

Capturing the pure essence of the serpent, the Serpenti Viper pieces are reimagined in rose, yellow, and white gold, adorned with dazzling diamonds. Two new jewellery sets — crafted in either rose or yellow gold — feature a sleek necklace with the signature serpent head gracefully curling around its tail. Accompanying the necklace are hoop earrings, a looped bracelet, and rings enriched with white gold and diamond pavé, showcasing stylised serpent scales. For a more artistic expression, four Serpenti rings draw inspiration from Bvlgari’s High Jewellery creations. Crafted in rose gold, these rings are adorned with multi-sized diamonds, and feature sapphire, ruby, or emerald beads on the serpent’s body, with matching gemstone eyes. A stunning white gold version, embellished with a baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds, adds a touch of luxury to this collection. In the realm of watches, the Serpenti Seduttori combines the elegance of stainless steel with a diamond-set bezel and a bracelet inspired by the scales of a serpent. Meanwhile, the Serpenti Tubogas seamlessly weaves rose gold and stainless steel with pavé diamonds, forming a flexible, solder-free bracelet that coils gracefully around the wrist.

 

Breguet

 

Breguet has crafted a limited edition of eight Classique 7145 watches, showcasing the brand’s creative artistry through métiers d’art techniques such as guilloché and engraving. The 40mm rose gold case houses an ultra-slim automatic movement. The dial is hand-engraved in bas-relief, depicting a snake figure with scales and foliage. Guilloché patterns are applied for texture and depth, accentuated with a black galvanic treatment and hand-painted translucent green leaves. The 40mm rose gold case has a slim profile of 6.5mm, with straight lugs and a delicately fluted caseband. The open-tipped hour and minute hands, combined with subtle rose gold indices, complement the handcrafted dial. The Breguet calibre 502.3 is an ultra-thin 2.4mm automatic movement, featuring a 22k gold rotor adorned with hand-guilloché decoration.

 

Jaeger-LeCoultre

 

The Reverso Tribute Enamel serves as a stunning homage to the 2025 Year of the Snake, crafted at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atelier des Métiers Rares. Featuring deep black Grand Feu enamel dials on both the front and reverse, the watch embodies meticulous artistry through its layered enamelling process and multiple kiln firings at 800°C. The reverse of the watch showcases a majestic snake, intricately engraved amidst fiery motifs, a detail that took over 80 hours to perfect.

 

Harry Winston

 

Harry Winston celebrates the Chinese Year of the Snake with an exclusive, limited-edition timepiece — the Chinese New Year Automatic 36mm. Crafted in 18K rose gold, this distinguished watch blends the artistry of fine watchmaking with the symbolism of ancient Chinese culture and mythology. Adorned with a meticulously lacquered snake on the dial, the piece reflects the serpent’s revered role as a guardian of hidden treasures, symbolising the timeless value of time itself. The dial, complemented by green beaded mother-of-pearl and adorned with Harry Winston diamonds, captures the essence of transformation and infinity. With only eight pieces in existence, this limited-edition timepiece embodies the fusion of heritage, luxury, and artistry, making it a rare gem for collectors and connoisseurs alike.

 

Arnold & Son

 

Arnold & Son celebrates the Lunar New Year with the release of the Perpetual Moon 41.5 “Year of the Snake”, a limited series of eight exquisite timepieces crafted in red gold. This masterful creation combines the brand’s hallmark features: a manufacture calibre, a large astronomical moon, and an aventurine glass dial base. Adding to its allure, the watch showcases intricate artisanal craftsmanship, making it a stunning tribute to the Year of the Snake.

 

 

The highlight of the timepiece is the hand-engraved snake, meticulously carved from 18-carat rose gold. Its lifelike details, including fine scales, a forked tongue, and a broad, flat head, are set against a shimmering blue aventurine glass dial. Enhancing this celestial scene is a large mother-of-pearl moon, complete with realistic shadowing and overlaid with Super-LumiNova for a soft luminescence. The dial also features the constellations Ursa Major and Cassiopeia — delicately painted with luminescent material — creating an ethereal night-sky effect. The case back houses a secondary moon phase display, allowing precise and swift adjustments. At the heart of this timepiece is a manually-wound calibre renowned for its extraordinary precision. The movement tracks the lunar cycle — lasting 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds — so accurately that it would take 122 years of continuous operation to accumulate a 24-hour deviation from astronomical reality.

 

Franck Muller

 

To celebrate the Year of the Snake, Franck Muller has unveiled the Silhouette CX Snake — a limited-edition timepiece that blends serpentine elegance with technical innovation. Marking the debut of the Silhouette CX case, this creation redefines the brand’s legacy, presenting an asymmetrical design inspired by the snake’s fluid motion and enigmatic charm. Crafted in 18k rose gold, the Silhouette CX Snake embodies the snake’s mystique through undulating curves that suggest its form without fully revealing it. Guided by co-founder Vartan Sirmakes, the new case is a bold evolution of Franck Muller’s iconic Curvex designs, offering a tactile and visual experience that is as dynamic as it is elegant. Limited to just 28 pieces, this Asia-Pacific exclusive timepiece builds on the brand’s tradition of crafting unique zodiac watches, following last year’s Vanguard Year of the Rabbit edition and the Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon.

 

 

The Silhouette CX Snake’s intricate dial mirrors the asymmetrical case, with carefully aligned numerals and a snake motif handset with emeralds in a snow-setting technique. The glittering emeralds form a dazzling, mysterious pattern across the dial, capturing the snake’s allure without overt depictions. Completing the design is a green calf leather strap embossed with a snakeskin texture and reinforced with a rubber underside for durability and comfort.

 

Hublot

Since 2016, Hublot has honoured each Lunar New Year with exquisite limited-edition creations from its Spirit of Big Bang collection. For 2025, the Swiss watchmaker presents the Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake — a masterful celebration of this symbolic creature — available in an exclusive series of 88 pieces. At the heart of this timepiece is a mesmerising gold-plated snake, brought to life with extraordinary three-dimensional detail. Using cutting-edge laser engraving technology, Hublot has etched the serpent with remarkable precision, capturing its lifelike scales and fluid movement.

 

 

The black, barrel-shaped ceramic case — a hallmark of the Spirit of Big Bang — is paired with Hublot’s innovative “One-Click” strap changing system for effortless versatility. The ceramic bezel is engraved with an intricate snake-scale pattern, a motif that extends seamlessly onto the black rubber strap. Finished with a unique velvet texture and subtle shimmer, the strap demonstrates Hublot’s ingenuity in creating luxurious details from a single piece of rubber through advanced embossing techniques.

 

Vacheron Constantin

 

In honour of its historical connection to China, Vacheron Constantin introduces a new chapter in its Métiers d’Art series, titled “The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Snake”. This annual tradition celebrates the zodiac sign with exceptional artistry, showcasing the Maison’s dedication to blending traditional craftsmanship with horological excellence. For 2025, Vacheron Constantin unveils two limited editions of 25 pieces each, crafted in pink gold and platinum. The dials feature the snake, a symbol of wisdom, renewal, and prosperity, meticulously rendered as a coiled cobra atop a textured rock. This motif pays homage to the centuries-old relationship between Chinese and Swiss cultures, dating back to Vacheron Constantin’s early explorations into Asia in the 19th century when the brand created intricately decorated jewellery watches for Chinese dignitaries.

 

 

The “Year of the Snake” timepieces exemplify Vacheron Constantin’s mastery of engraving and enamelling, combining these two métiers to produce breathtaking detail. The cobra and rock are sculpted by a master engraver, who painstakingly carves pink or white gold over three days to create intricate textures and lifelike relief. The cobra’s ochre tones on the pink gold model and anthracite grey hues on the platinum version are enhanced with patina and miniature painting. The dial’s background is crafted using Grand Feu enamel, showcasing a gradient effect that transitions seamlessly from the centre to the edges. The flora, painted using the Geneva technique of opaque flux-coated enamel, adds further depth.

 

Piaget

 

Piaget captures the season’s brilliance with exquisite timepieces that shine with vibrant colours and masterful craftsmanship, celebrating life’s golden moments. At the heart of this festive collection is the Limelight Gala Watch, a true testament to Piaget’s artistry and timeless glamour. An icon reimagined, the Limelight Gala Watch draws inspiration from the bold sophistication of 1970s design. Its 32 mm case — crafted in 18K rose gold — is adorned with 62 brilliant-cut diamonds, highlighting the watch’s asymmetrical lugs that gracefully embrace the wrist. The diamond-paved bezel enhances its refined silhouette, exemplifying the signature allure of the Limelight Gala collection. The watch’s Milanese bracelet is a work of art in itself. Meticulously engraved by Piaget artisans, the bracelet features a scale-like texture that shimmers with iridescent brilliance, turning every movement into a statement of luxury. The boutique-exclusive Limelight Gala Precious Watch elevates opulence with its round rose gold case set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 4.736 carats, further highlighting the Maison’s commitment to craftsmanship and grandeur.

 

Parmigiani Fleurier

 

Parmigiani Fleurier’s TONDA PF Xiali Complete Calendar is a landmark creation in watchmaking, honouring the intricate beauty of the Chinese calendar. This world-first timepiece seamlessly blends technical mastery with cultural homage, showcasing the complex lunar-solar calendar system in an elegant and innovative design. The Chinese calendar combines lunar and solar cycles, synchronised through the addition of an intercalary (13th) month approximately every three years. It divides the solar year into 24 terms reflecting the agricultural seasons, while the lunar year follows a 60-year cycle governed by zodiac animals and elemental associations. This meticulous system ensures that Chinese New Year — marking the arrival of spring — aligns with specific astronomical conditions between 21 January and 19 February in the Gregorian calendar.

 

 

The TONDA PF Xiali Complete Calendar embodies this complexity through its intricate mechanics and refined aesthetics. The watch features a 42 mm stainless steel case — polished and satin-finished — with Parmigiani Fleurier’s signature platinum 950 fluted bezel. Its imperial red dial — adorned with hand-guilloché Grain d’Orge detailing — is a stunning centrepiece, complemented by rhodium-plated 18ct gold appliqué indices and skeletonised delta hands. The dial displays a remarkable array of information, including the year and zodiac sign, the day and month, and indicators for leap months and long or short months. The TONDA PF Xiali celebrates the precision of the Chinese calendar, honouring its blend of tradition, astronomy, and symbolism. With its perfect marriage of technical innovation and cultural heritage, the TONDA PF Xiali Complete Calendar offers a fitting tribute to the Year of the Snake.

 

Blancpain

 

Blancpain marks the arrival of the Year of the Wood Snake in 2025 with its latest Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel, a timepiece that beautifully bridges Eastern and Western traditions. For the 14th year, Blancpain commemorates the Chinese zodiac with a limited-edition creation, featuring a newly designed snake motif engraved on the watch’s 22K white gold rotor. This edition debuts an elegant platinum case paired with a green Grand Feu enamel dial, a first for the collection. The Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel is renowned for its groundbreaking integration of the Chinese calendar with the Gregorian calendar and moon phases. First introduced in 2012, it embodies Blancpain’s commitment to blending cultural heritage and technical mastery. With the transition into its second 12-year zodiac cycle in 2024, Blancpain refreshed the designs of the zodiac animals, now showcased through an aperture at 12 o’clock. For 2025, the intricately detailed wood snake appears for the first time on this remarkable timepiece.

 

The snake — symbolising intuition and wisdom — takes centre stage on the meticulously engraved rotor. Crafted in Blancpain’s Métiers d’Art workshop, the design includes Chinese characters for “serpent” and “wood,” as well as a natural ruby accent. The dial layout ensures that the extensive calendar indications remain legible and intuitive. At 3 o’clock, the watch displays the five elements and their Yin-Yang associations linked to the sexagesimal cycle, while 9 o’clock features Chinese days and months. Double Chinese hours and the zodiac sign of the year appear at 12 o’clock, alongside an aperture for the Chinese leap month. A serpentine hand indicates the Gregorian date, while Blancpain’s signature moon phase is positioned at 6 o’clock. Limited to just 50 pieces, the Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2025 is a fitting tribute to the Lunar New Year and the wisdom and renewal symbolised by the snake.

 

Dior

 

The new Dior Grand Soir celebrates the Year of the Snake. Within Chinese mythology, the snake is the symbol of wisdom and strength. The rose-gold-adorned snake is placed in a miniature Toile de Jouy landscape, navigating through a foliage of leaves and flowers delicately made of mother-of-pearl. This mysterious and magical environment is punctuated with rose gold butterflies, echoing the scales of the gliding snake.

 

CIGA Design Year of the Snake

 

CIGA DESIGN captures the Lunar New Year with a stunning timepiece that embodies wisdom, vitality, and prosperity. The watch features a golden snake crafted using sculptural techniques and symbolic abstraction. Set against an abstract snakeskin-inspired pattern, the satin-textured, gold-plated snake radiates elegance. The snake itself is more than decorative — it rotates to tell time. The snake’s head indicates hours while its tail tracks minutes. As a nod to Eastern traditions, the watch case is made from jadeite, a material with thousands of years of cultural history. Its jade-like warmth enhances the design, reflecting the fusion of modern aesthetics with timeless heritage. The use of jadeite not only symbolises prosperity and vitality but also highlights the watch’s distinctly Eastern character. CIGA DESIGN’s Year of the Snake watch represents a harmonious blend of culture and contemporary innovation, bringing a fresh perspective to zodiac-themed timepieces.

 

Perrelet

 

Perrelet unveils the Turbine Snake, a striking timepiece dedicated to the Year of the Wood Snake. Limited to just 88 pieces — a number symbolising prosperity and luck — the watch celebrates the zodiac sign known for its wisdom, creativity, and mysterious allure. Associated with the element of wood, the Wood Snake embodies resilience and renewal, heralding a harmonious and opportunity-filled year.

 

 

The Turbine Snake exemplifies this vision, combining Swiss precision with symbolic storytelling while adhering to cultural themes and rituals. The Turbine Snake is a visual masterpiece. Its red lacquered sub-dial — a nod to luck and protection — is adorned with gold-etched ideograms symbolising well-being and prosperity. At its heart lies a gilded, three-dimensional snake, its head poised above intricately textured coils. This dynamic reptilian motif is revealed in full when the 12 black anodised aluminium blades of the watch’s signature rotating turbine spin with the wearer’s movements. With only 88 pieces available globally, the Turbine Snake is not merely a timepiece but a collector’s item imbued with cultural symbolism and artisanal expertise. Perrelet’s latest creation offers aficionados a unique blend of mechanical precision and artistic expression, making it a fitting tribute to the Year of the Wood Snake.

 

Raymond Weil

 

In celebration of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Snake, Raymond Weil introduces the Millesime Burgundy — a limited-edition masterpiece that seamlessly blends tradition with contemporary elegance. With only 88 pieces available, this exquisite timepiece captures the transformative symbolism of the snake, embodying wisdom, prosperity, and refined craftsmanship.

 

 

The Millesime Burgundy honours Raymond Weil’s legacy of fine watchmaking while embracing bold design and understated sophistication. Its deep burgundy dial, a rich symbol of good fortune and prosperity, serves as the centrepiece. Complemented by a matching leather strap and encased in polished stainless steel, the design achieves a harmonious balance between classic simplicity and modern allure. Powered by the RW4200 central seconds automatic movement, the Millesime Burgundy showcases the precision and artistry for which Raymond Weil is renowned. The engraved “ONE OF 88” on each piece underscores its exclusivity, transforming the watch into a coveted collector’s item that celebrates the intersection of time and culture.

 

Panerai

 

For the Year of the Snake, Panerai presents a collection of timepieces that seamlessly blend tradition and innovation. Inspired by the snake’s wisdom, grace, and transformative nature, these watches symbolise change and the continuous flow of time. Panerai’s Perpetual Calendar captures the passage of time in its most refined form. With intricate mechanics, it not only tracks every moment but also embodies the enduring essence associated with the snake, making it the perfect companion for this significant occasion.

 

Here are three stand-out red-dialed watches from the collection:

 

Luminor Perpetual Calendar PAM01688

 

The Luminor Perpetual Calendar PAM01688 — a limited-edition watch, with only 100 pieces available, features — a burgundy dial paired with Panerai Goldtech, this combination represents prosperity and longevity. The reference number 88, deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, pays homage to good fortune and the cycle of prosperous years ahead.

 

Luminor Due PAM01424

 

The Luminor Due PAM01424 showcases a 42mm steel case with a burgundy dial that transitions from a lighter center to a deeper gradient at the edges. Its sandwich dial design includes a date display at 3 o’clock and a small second hand at 9 o’clock, complemented by white Super-Luminova that glows in the dark.

 

Luminor Due Metal Bracelet PAM01539

 

The Luminor Due Metal Bracelet PAM01539 features a polished 42mm steel case and bezel. Its burgundy sun-brushed sandwich dial, with a soleil finish that lightens towards the center, is paired with white Super-Luminova for a bright, luminous effect.

 

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