PIECES

Usher in the Year of the Snake in style with these stunning watches

The Chinese zodiac limited edition watches have dropped, and here’s a list of all the watches to know as we get closer to Chinese New Year.

As is the tradition by now, every year the world’s greatest and biggest watchmaking brands would release a commemorative, super-exclusive watch for the incoming zodiac animal. And every year, these releases become one of the most anticipated as we all look forward to the innovative designs and creative expressions taken to embody these zodiacs. This year, we welcome the snake, a symbol of wisdom, transformation, intuition and creativity, and from what we’ve seen so far, these year’s snake watches are serving just that.

As the advent of the Year of the Snake slithers ever closer, these watches are a great way to stay on top of time to make sure you’re prepared for the festive season – while being the perfect piece to celebrate the Chinese New Year season.

For now, here is a list of all the Year of the Snake watches that has been unveiled (so far!) for your viewing pleasure.

Franck Muller

Silhouette CX Snake

Franck Muller’s Asia Pacific exclusive zodiac watch this year is not only an exciting design, but also marks the debut of a new case, the Silhouette CX case. Inspired by the fluidity and elegance of the snake, the Silhouette CX marries innovation, artistry, and glamour in an asymmetrical, curvy, undulating design. The shape embodies the charm of the snake, while the dial’s design, a snake motif made of handset deep green emeralds, offers a glimpse of the zodiac symbol as if moving across the face.

The new Silhouette CX case is an evolution of the house’s Curvex CX, which was also reimagined from the iconic Vanguard and Cintrée Curvex cases. The Silhouette CX Snake carries on the legacy of 2023’s #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard for the Year of the Rabbit and 2024’s Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition for the Year of the Dragon; which is to be more than just a zodiac watch by always breaking new ground with its launch. The Silhouette CX Snake is limited to 28 pieces.

W franckmuller-asiapacific.com

Longines

Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Longines collaborated with Chinese artist Wu Jian’an to present the 2025-piece limited edition Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake model. On the 40mm watch face, the sunray red domed dial catches your attention first, followed by the gold gilt hands and indexes that are representative of the Conquest Heritage line, which celebrates the vintage design found in the first Conquest watches.

Turn the watch over to reveal Wu Jian’an’s specially designed emblem depicting a snake clutching a Lingzhi mushroom as its body spirals into concentric circles. The emblem is the artist’s interpretation of the famous Chinese tale from The Legend of the White Snake, thus combining cultural heritage and modern artistic forms while serving as a symbol of good fortune for the year to come. This piece is for those looking for a zodiac year watch that’s a little more lowkey with its clean, vintage design, creating a watch you can wear every day, and beyond the CNY season.

W longines.com

Dior

Grand Soir Year of the Snake

Dior’s take in celebrating this Chinese New Year comes in the form of a brand new Grand Soir story. The snake, opaline and adorned with rose gold detailing, waves its way through the mother-of-pearl dial with Toile de Jouy pattern made with layers of mother-of-pearl leaves and flowers. The delicate details are accented by the delicate rose gold butterflies, which echoes the snake’s scales and brings out the Dauphine watch hands as well as the curving Christian Dior logo, both also in rose gold.

The 36mm case is made from polished stainless steel and features a bezel of rose gold set with 52 diamonds. The case back is milky transparent sapphire glass, allowing a glimpse into the watch’s movement. The Dior Grand Soir Year of the Snake is limited to 38 pieces.

W dior.com

CIGA Design

Year of the Snake

Presenting something a little different is CIGA Design’s Year of the Snake watch, its most prominent feature being the fact that the snake lies at the centre of the dial, constantly rotating, moving, and alive every second. Different from other zodiac watches, CIGA Design (tapping into its roots as a Chinese company) aims to represent the zodiac not just as a totem but as a living embodiment of Eastern beliefs and the people who identify with each zodiac.

Using the brand’s patented Non-Synchronous Follower Technology to keep time, the snake’s head indicates the hours on a stationary dial, while its tail indicates the minutes on a moving dial, keeping the sculptural snake intact as it circles around the dial. On the other hand (no pun intended), the case is made from jadeite and calls to mind thousands of years of the material’s history in Eastern culture.

W redarmywatches.com.my