
When it comes to métiers d’art watches, Jaquet Droz is in a league of its own (Photo: Jaquet Droz)
The Lunar New Year is set to bring renewal and positive transformation, courtesy of the enigmatic Wood Snake, which symbolises intelligence, prudence and intuition. If your resolutions revolve around shedding the old self, keep this lucky totem close to secure your breakthrough in 2025.
Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to pay homage to the Chinese zodiac with the Reverso Tribute Enamel “Snake”, the third in its Lunar New Year series that showcases the talents of its Métiers Rares atelier’s master enamellers and engravers. Layers of black Grand Feu enamel coat the dial and caseback, where a hand-engraved reptile emerges from a wreath of golden clouds. Engraving on enamel requires a high level of skill and remarkable dexterity so as not to risk damaging the pristine surface. Chiselling the metal takes 80 hours before the details are hand-painted with black rhodium.
The pink gold timepiece is made to order in limited quantities.
When it comes to métiers d’art watches, Jaquet Droz is in a league of its own. Evinced by the Ophidian Hour, the elaborate creation comes in two 41mm renditions: one has a mother-of-pearl dial engraved with a bamboo motif and the other uses Sonora Sunrise, a striking gemstone prized for its vibrant green and blood-red colours. They feature an enamelled snake whose scale patterns depicting a ruyi motif were designed by John Howe, the artist behind the Lord of the Rings novels. This is the brand’s first handless timepiece, relying on two rotating discs to show the hours and minutes, indicated by the head and tail of the snake respectively.
Combining a Chinese calendar, Gregorian date and moon phase, the Blancpain Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel achieved a world first when it was launched in 2012. After a design revamp last year, the restyled snake will appear for the first time on a 45.2mm platinum timepiece with a green Grand Feu enamel dial. It indicates the five elements together with yin and yang at 3 o’clock, the moon phase at 6 o’clock, Chinese days and months at 9 o’clock and double Chinese hours at 12 o’clock. A snake takes pride of place on the 22-carat white gold rotor in a frosted finish.
In line with Arnold & Son’s inimitable tradition of decorative horology, the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Year of the Snake unites the beauty of an astronomical moon phase, an aventurine glass dial and artistic crafts in eight creations. Wrapping itself around a ginkgo tree branch, the serpent — hand-engraved into a block of 18-carat rose gold — gazes at the observer from its nocturnal setting. Behind, a mother-of-pearl moon, surrounded by the Ursa Major and Cassiopeia constellations, which have served as guiding lights since the dawn of time, glows with Super-LumiNova. The compilation has an impeccable accuracy, accumulating a 24-hour discrepancy only after 122 years.
Franck Muller is taking the opportunity to debut a completely new sinuous case shape with the Silhouette CX Snake. Inspired by the spirit of transformation, the new design is an evolution of the Curvex CX, itself a modern reimagining of the Vanguard and Cintrée Curvex. Due to its asymmetric form, the case, sapphire glass, casing ring and bezel all had to be distinctively crafted. Green emeralds form the ophidian silhouette slithering across the sunray-brushed dial. This watch is exclusive to Asia-Pacific and available in a limited run of 28 pieces.
Chinese contemporary artist Wu Jian’an was invited by Longines to create a unique design for a special Conquest Heritage for the festive season. Drawing inspiration from Stealing the Immortal Herb, a story from the famed Legend of the White Snake, Wu’s engraved design on the caseback depicts the creature clutching a lingzhi mushroom, with its body spiralling into concentric circles, symbolising the passage of time and continuity of life. Limited to 2025 pieces, the 40mm stainless steel model is adorned with a sunray gradient red dome dial with gilt hands and indices.
Breguet highlights its artisanal expertise with a flawless demonstration of hand-guilloché and engraving techniques in the Classique 7145 Lunar New Year 2025. Employing a bas-relief technique on gold, the dial itself is transformed into a miniature sculpture, revealing the reptile’s undulating path through a bed of leaves. Black coating is applied to create a striking contrast and ancestral guilloché lathes are used to add intricacy — the barleycorn pattern on the oscillating weight is simply mesmerising. The watch is completed with translucent foliage, painted by hand. Only eight pieces are available.
If snake print is making a comeback, this special-edition Hublot Spirit of Big Bang is your statement piece sorted. A gold-plated serpent inhabits the skeletonised chronograph, coiling around the three counters with its head marking 12 o’clock. The 42mm timepiece features a microblasted and polished ceramic case — ultra-tough and virtually scratch-proof — topped with a bezel engraved with a pattern resembling reptile scales. The design extends to the rubber strap, which has a unique velvet and shimmery finish. The inky number is powered by the El Primero-based self-winding HUB4700 and is limited, auspiciously, to 88 units.
This article first appeared on Jan 20, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.