Serpentine sophistication: Eight exceptional Year of the Snake watches

To herald the arrival of the Year of the Snake, luxury watchmakers are unveiling exquisite timepieces that capture the serpent’s mystique and elegance. From Jaeger-LeCoultre’s meticulously engraved Reverso to Franck Muller’s innovative Silhouette CX, these horological stunners showcase extraordinary craftsmanship and technical innovation.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s offering for the Year of the Snake 2025 is a Reverso Tribute Enamel timepiece with exceptional artisanal craftsmanship.

The standout feature of this made-to-order watch is its striking reverse side, where a hand-engraved snake emerges from golden clouds against a rich black Grand Feu enamel background. A master engraver spent 80 hours crafting the intricate design using 10 different chisels on an enamelled surface.

The watch’s front dial maintains the classic Reverso Tribute aesthetic with its Art Deco-inspired design, featuring faceted applique hour-markers and Dauphine hands set against the same deep black Grand Feu enamel as the case back. The enamel work requires five to six layers, each fired separately to achieve its rich, glossy finish.

Price: €100,000 (S$141,100)

Franck Muller

Franck Muller’s tribute to the serpent is the mesmerising Silhouette CX Snake, limited to just 28 pieces for the Asia-Pacific market.

Crafted in 18K rose gold, the watch has a ground-breaking case architecture that flows like a snake in motion. Overseen by master casemaker Vartan Sirmakes, the innovative creation required cutting-edge 3D-modelling techniques to achieve its unique form.

The beautiful dial flaunts a snow-set emerald snake motif that appears to slither across its surface. Deep green emeralds of varying sizes are meticulously handset to create a scale-like pattern, while the numerals are precisely arranged to align with the case’s unconventional outline.

The sapphire crystal innovatively curves in two directions and seamlessly extends to the lugs. Powered by the in-house MVT FM 2038 movement, specially adapted for the asymmetrical case, the watch is paired with a green calfskin strap with snakeskin texture and rubber backing.

Price: $66,000

Longines

Longines ushers in the Year of the Snake with a 40mm limited-edition Conquest Heritage timepiece. Limited to 2025 pieces, the stainless steel watch features a striking gradient red sunray dial adorned with gilt hands and indices, as well as 1950s design elements. 

On the caseback, renowned Chinese artist Wu Jian’an has created an intricate engraving titled Divine Snake Presents Treasure, depicting a serpent clutching a lingzhi mushroom in a spiralling pattern that symbolises time’s passage. The professor at Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts drew inspiration from the Chinese tale Legend Of The White Snake, about a snake spirit who falls in love with a mortal, for this collaboration.

Powering the watch is the L888.5 calibre, featuring a silicon balance spring that provides exceptional magnetic resistance and a 72-hour power reserve. The movement is housed behind a screwed-down caseback, ensuring water resistance to 50m.

Price: $4,300

Hublot

Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake, limited to 88 pieces, captures attention with an openworked dial which depicts a meticulously laser-engraved golden snake weaving gracefully around the chronograph counters. 

The snake theme extends elegantly throughout the 42mm timepiece, with scale patterns adorning the ceramic bezel and the innovative black rubber strap, which has a unique velvet-like finish achieved through advanced embossing techniques.

At its heart beats the sophisticated HUB4700 movement, a modern interpretation of the legendary El Primero chronograph. This high-frequency calibre features contemporary upgrades including a silicon escape wheel, visible through the skeleton dial and sapphire caseback.

Price: $49,300

IWC

IWC’s Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake is limited to 500 pieces and turns heads with its striking burgundy dial.

At 12 o’clock, an exceptionally precise moon phase display deviates by just one day every 122 years, with its golden moon and stars creating a beautiful contrast against the rich red backdrop.

Powered by IWC’s in-house calibre 32800, the 37mm watch offers a robust five-day power reserve. On the caseback is a gold-plated oscillating mass artfully crafted in the shape of a snake. 

It comes with two quick-change calfskin straps in black and burgundy, both featuring butterfly clasps.

Price: $13,000

Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin has unveiled two exquisite Year of the Snake timepieces in the Metiers d’Art collection.

Limited to 25 pieces each in platinum and pink gold, these 40mm watches showcase extraordinary artisanal craftsmanship that took three days to complete. The centrepiece is a meticulously hand-engraved cobra poised atop a rock, rendered in gold appliques against a captivating Grand Feu enamel dial.

The platinum version features an anthracite grey snake with green foliage, while the pink gold model sports an ochre-coloured serpent amid matching accents. Both dials are adorned with flux-coated miniature opaque enamel flora, created through multiple firings at temperatures between 820 deg C and 850 deg C.

Instead of traditional hands, the watches display time through four apertures: hours and minutes at 11 and one o’clock, with day and date at seven and five o’clock. The in-house calibre 2460 G4 powers these timepieces, featuring a 40-hour power reserve and Geneva Seal certification. Each version comes with a matching alligator strap – blue for the platinum and brown for the pink gold model.

Price: Upon request

Swatch 

Swatch welcomes the Year of the Wood Snake with two watches that playfully embrace themes of transformation and adaptability.

The Blue and Golden Lithe Dancer ($182) has a 47mm bio-sourced case with a serpentine design that winds across a dark blue dial like a calligraphy master’s brushstroke. There are orange accents on the hands and crown, with a day-date display at three o’clock.

The Golden Red Bamboo ($275), meanwhile, offers an ultra-thin 38mm profile with a sun-brushed gold-coloured dial. It has luminescent hour and minute hands with orange accents, complemented by a textile strap adorned with bamboo and snake motifs.

Bvlgari

Bvlgari celebrates the Year of the Snake with a groundbreaking addition to its Serpenti collection, introducing a new in-house movement specifically designed for its serpentine timepieces.

The star of this release is the Solotempo BVS100, a compact automatic calibre that took three years to develop. Measuring just 19mm in diameter and weighing a mere 5g, this movement features a distinctive oscillating weight decorated with seven snake scales.

The movement debuts in nine new Serpenti watches, including a stunning Seduttori model in rose gold. This piece sparkles with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds on its bezel and features a pink rubellite cabochon crown. The white opaline dial is complemented by rose gold-plated hands and indexes, while a supple rose gold bracelet completes the luxurious design.

This technical advancement transforms the Serpenti from a jewellery piece into a sophisticated timekeeper, offering a 50-hour power reserve and visible through a transparent caseback.

Price: From $14,700 to $186,000