Galloping into 2026: 6 extraordinary timepieces celebrating the Year of the Horse
The horse holds profound meaning in Chinese culture, symbolising courage, strength, integrity, loyalty, grace and power. The seventh sign in the Chinese zodiac, horses have been central to Chinese mythology for millennia, embodied in legendary creatures like the longma (dragon horse) and tianma (flying horse). These timepieces honour not just an animal, but thousands of years of cultural reverence and artistic tradition—making them far more than watches, but wearable pieces of heritage that bridge Eastern symbolism with Western horological excellence.
As the Year of the Horse arrives this February, these six masterpieces invite collectors to embrace the untamed energy and auspicious fortune this zodiac year promises to bring.
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Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold Year of the Horse
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold Year of the Horse (Photo: courtesy of Arnold & Son)
Arnold & Son’s tribute to the Fire Horse is nothing short of celestial. The 41.5mm red gold case houses a hand-engraved 18-karat red gold horse set against shimmering black aventurine, accented by luminous constellations and a mother-of-pearl moon. Hand-painted details with gold powder and Super-LumiNova transform under dim light, revealing hidden depths.
At its heart beats the manual-winding A&S1512 calibre, delivering astronomical moon-phase precision so accurate it would take 122 years to drift by a single day. With dual moonphase displays and a 90-hour power reserve thanks to twin barrels, this watch arrives on a black alligator strap with red lining and gold buckle. The watch is limited to eight pieces.
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse (Photo: courtesy of Vacheron Constantin)
Vacheron Constantin continues its second 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac tributes with a stunning 40mm creation powered by the calibre 2460 G4. This selfwinding movement displays time through four peripheral apertures rather than conventional hands. The dial showcases a three-dimensional horse sculpted from 18-karat white or pink gold, leaping over a rock against a delicately painted enamel background. Three days of work unite grand feu enamelling, miniature painting and relief engraving to create visual depth and dynamic movement. The master engraver’s hand-patinated finish enhances every detail of the horse’s mane and tail, while softly graduated enamel colours lend a dreamlike quality. The 40-hour power reserve movement bears the Hallmark of Geneva, with the pink gold edition on brown alligator leather and the platinum version on blue alligator. Each reference is limited to 25 pieces.
See also: Why this is Vacheron Constantin’s most poetic ode to its 270-year-old craft
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ Series
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ Series (Photo: courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre)
Honouring both the Reverso’s polo heritage and Chinese artistic legacy, Jaeger-LeCoultre presents three white gold timepieces featuring miniature reproductions of works by Xu Beihong (1895-1953), the father of modern Chinese painting renowned for his masterful ink-and-wash horse depictions.
Each caseback required 80 hours of enamel painting to miniaturise paintings originally over one square metre onto surfaces just 2cm² in size. Three models are offered: “The Running Horse” with Evergreen Pine Green enamel over 120-line sunray guillochage, “Two Horses” with Distant Mountain Blue enamel over barley-seed guillochage, and “The Standing Horse” with Crimson Dawn Orange enamel over herringbone guillochage. Powered by the manually wound Manufacture Calibre 822, each piece fuses Métiers Rares mastery with Reverso’s iconic art deco elegance. Each of three models are limited to 10 pieces.
Breitling Top Time B01 Shadow Rider
Breitling Top Time B01 Shadow Rider (Photo: courtesy of Breitling)
Breitling’s retro-modern chronograph captures the horse’s spirit of freedom and speed in a 38mm stainless steel cushion-shaped case. The black-and-white dial features the signature elliptical “dashboard” motif with distinctive “squircle” chronograph subdials—the small seconds at 9 o’clock showcasing a dynamic shadow rider’s head silhouette.
Vibrant red accents on the 30-minute counter and central chronograph seconds hand ignite passion, while “Year of the Horse” inscribes the tachymetre scale between 12 and 2 o’clock. The COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 delivers exceptional accuracy with a 70-hour power reserve. A beige perforated racing calfskin strap completes the vintage driving aesthetic, whilst the caseback bears “One of 288” and the shadow rider silhouette—a tribute to both Chinese zodiac culture and 1960s motorsport heritage.
Hermès Slim d’Hermès Faubourg of Dreams
Hermès Slim d’Hermès Faubourg of Dreams (Photo: courtesy of Hermès)
In true Hermès style, the Slim d’Hermès Faubourg of Dreams turns watchmaking into theatre. A limited edition of 24 pieces, it houses the manufacture H1950 in white gold, with a dial that’s cosmic whimsy—aventurine base spangled with gold, hand-painted planets, and a sapphire ring populated by floating objects: bag, horseshoe, headphones. The image is London-based illustrator Stuart Patience’s reimagining of the maison’s Paris shop at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré as a space capsule. The hero motif is a sculpted steel horse rendered through abrasion-dyeing, creating facets across its silvery form. At 39.5mm it’s métiers d’art meeting the maison’s playful irreverence—miniature painting and engraving deployed with proper Parisian insouciance.
IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse (Photo: courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen)
IWC Schaffhausen’s celebration takes a more accessible approach with 500 pieces of the Portugieser Automatic 42, featuring a slender 42mm stainless steel case and burgundy dial inspired by auspicious Lunar New Year red tones. The true star reveals itself through the sapphire glass caseback: a gold-plated rotor shaped as a galloping horse.
The IWC-manufactured 52011 calibre’s efficient Pellaton winding system employs virtually wear-free ceramic components for an impressive 168-hour (7-day) power reserve. Elegant box-shaped sapphire crystals grace both front and back, whilst two interchangeable straps—black alligator leather and burgundy alligator leather with stainless steel folding clasp—offer versatility for any occasion.
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