What time is it?
The season of celebration continues as we enter 2026, with the Lunar New Year only a month away. Naturally, festive fashion and celebratory dining offer choices galore. And now, the world of watches gives us even more reason to saddle up and gallop into the Year of the Horse with the most stylish of accessories.
From wild mane-inspired designs to pieces embodying the fearless spirit of the horse, here are timepieces that give free rein to artistry.
Images: Respective brands.
The Mane Event
Patek Philippe Ref. 5278/500G-001 “Horse”
Twenty limited edition white-gold watches marry Patek Philippe‘s minute repeater with India’s Chunar horse tradition. Here, hand-engraving defines every surface. Observe the applied equine ornament, the mane-patterned bezel, found even on the buckle.
Elsewhere, a gradated varnish coats the granulated dial. Then, the calibre R 27 movement chimes on cathedral gongs visible through sapphire crystal. With its chocolate strap and dauphine hands, this limited edition masterpiece represents horology meeting heritage.
For more from Patek Philippe, visit here.
Annual Tradition
Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese zodiac – Year of the Horse watch, Vacheron Constantin
True to form, Vacheron Constantin releases its annual Métiers d’Art homage to the Chinese zodiac, this time in honour of the Year of the Horse. A mark of genuine artistry, the 40mm timepiece features a three-dimensional gold horse leaping over a bed of rock across hand-enamelled foliage. Impressively, sculpting and colouring the horse and rock alone required three days of meticulous work.
Likewise, grand feu enamel provides the backdrop, fired repeatedly at 800°C to achieve its graduated tones. Uniquely, powered by the hands-free Calibre 2460 G4, the watch displays time through peripheral apertures. Thus, the dial is left uncluttered for decorative work. A thing of beauty made available in pink gold or platinum, limited to only 25 pieces each.
Learn more about this exceptional timepiece here.
Some Burgundy, Perhaps?
Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse watch, IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen welcomes the Year of the Horse with characteristic precision. Behold, the Portugieser Automatic 42, limited to 500 pieces, arriving in stainless steel with a burgundy dial. The real charm? A gold-plated rotor shaped like a galloping horse, visible through the sapphire case back.
Moreover, this watch is powered by the manufacture 52011 calibre with a seven-day power reserve. Better still, the model comes with both black and burgundy alligator straps for versatility. The result is a watch that bridges Swiss craftsmanship with Eastern symbolism.
For more on this watch, go here.
Golden Gallop
Dior Grand Soir Year of the Horse watch, Dior
Like a page from a fairy tale book, Dior’s Grand Soir celebrates the Lunar New Year with a rose-gold horse. In essence, the creature picks its way through a mother-of-pearl meadow, complete with pink gold butterflies for company.
At its heart, the watch captures Chinese New Year symbolism without the usual fanfare. Limited to 30 pieces, this is horology as miniature landscape, launching in China mid-December before trotting worldwide this January.
Visit here to learn more.
Eastern Grace
Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’, Jaeger-LeCoultre
Trust Jaeger-LeCoultre to bridge cultures through horsepower. Fundamentally, this Reverso Tribute Enamel collection honours Xu Beihong, the father of modern Chinese painting, with three limited timepieces (ten each) featuring his iconic horses on the caseback.
And so, the 1931 polo watch gets an artistic update. Here, miniature enamel paintings requiring 80 painstaking hours meet jewel-toned dials in symbolic Chinese hues. Running Horse, Two Horses, Standing Horse. Each manually wound, each in white gold, each a rather compelling argument for wearing art on your wrist.
For more from jaeger-LeCoultre, visit here.
Painterly Strokes
Master Collection Year of the Horse edition watch, Longines
Talk about artistic excellence. Longines marks the Year of the Horse with a Master Collection edition that pairs Swiss watchmaking with Chinese artistry. Naturally, the 42mm timepiece features a gradient red dial and moonphase complication. Whereas the gilt rotor bears an engraving from Peon Xu’s celebrated painting “Galloping Horse”, courtesy of the Peon Art Museum.
With calligraphy by the artist’s son, Qingping Xu, and the L899.5 self-winding movement beneath, the watch is a considered fusion of Eastern symbolism and mechanical prowess. Limited to 2,026 pieces worldwide.
Visit here for more info.
The Legend of Qianlima
G-SHOCK GBM-2100CX-9A “Thousand-Li” Winged Horse watch, Casio
G-SHOCK‘s Year of the Horse edition arrives with serious confidence. The GBM-2100CX-9A features a gold-ion-plated bezel engraved with flowing mane details. Furthermore, red accents honour the mythical Qianlima, the fabled steed said to traverse 500 kilometres in a single day.
Of course, beyond its lustrous exterior lies Smartphone Link functionality and Tough Solar technology, all within the series’ characteristically slim profile. This special edition launches on Casio’s official website from 12 January 2026.
For more info, visit here.
Cloud Prancers
Riding The Clouds watch, Swatch
For the Year of the Fire Horse, Swatch taps artist Yu Wenjie to create Riding The Clouds. Where two horses surge across the dial in black and white, wings ablaze, set against crimson clouds and flames.
Visually, the design balances traditional Chinese symbolism with contemporary energy. It’s a watch for those who appreciate both cultural heritage and forward momentum.
Shop for this watch here.
