10 of the Best Year of the Snake Watches - Lunar New Year 2025

Happy Lunar New Year! As we celebrate the arrival of January 29^th 2025, and welcome the Year of the Snake, we reflect on the symbolism of wisdom, renewal, and transformation that this zodiac animal represents. In the world of horology, this annual occasion inspires watchmakers to craft exquisite timepieces that honour the relevant zodiac animal. From intricate engravings to bold, serpent-inspired designs, this year’s limited-edition watches perfectly capture the spirit of the celebration as well as the serpent’s elegance and mystique.

Join us as we explore the most captivating Lunar New Year watches to mark the Year of the Snake.

The celebratory watches on this list range from classy and demure to all-out diamond encrusted without ever losing the element of elegance but Christopher Ward, who are marking the Lunar New Year with a limited watch for the very first time, have opted to do things a little differently. Teaming up once again with everyone’s favourite horological vandal, seconde/seconde/, this time around the duo have turned back the clocks with a snake-inspired limited edition of The Twelve.

Giving us all a taste of late 90’s Nokia nostalgia, The Twelve Snake x seconde/seconde/ is presented with unmistakable theming, including a low-res aesthetic 8-bit dial in ‘venom’ green that emulates early backlit LCD screens and a ‘no-date’ window that sporadically displays ‘bonus bites’ for the enjoyment of The Twelve’s resident snake. Reappearing again beneath the sapphire crystal caseback, the snake be found once more travelling in a curve on a coated custom rotor as it spins with the movement.

Another of my personal favourites comes by way of IWC who have taken a more subtle approach to the Year of the Snake with the IWC Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake. The new limited-edition is tastefully rendered in burgundy and gold, a common theme for the Lunar New Year and, subsequently, the horological creations that are inspired by it. IWC reserves its tribute for the caseback where a snake-shaped winding rotor can be found, also in gold.

Offering an impressive combination of Gregorian calendar, moonphases and a traditional Chinese calendar in a single timepiece, the Blancpain Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2025 utilises two apertures at 9 and 12 o’clock to display the Chinese leap month and zodiac sign. Amongst all this information a serpentine hand can be seen pointing out the Gregorian date. Very on brand.

This Vacheron Constantin duo in pink gold and platinum comes complete with an intricately hand-engraved snake motif and painted grand feu enamel dials. Omitting traditional hands, these watches utilise four apertures around the dial to display the hours, minutes, day and date, ensuring not a slither of attention is taken away from the golden serpents at the centre of each dial.

Never ones to do things by halves, the latest Lunar New Year reimagination of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang is a far-cry from the smiling dragon we saw in 2024. Decorated in moody black, this year’s limited edition features a gold snake appliqué which curls around the three subdials with its head pointing to 12 o’clock. Continuing the theme, the bezel uses ceramic engraving to create a scale pattern which is mirrored on the strap.

To celebrate the Year of the Snake Arnold & Son have created a series of eight timepieces in red gold. Combining a large mother-of-gold astronomical moon with an aventurine glass dial base, the Lunar New Year edition features a hand-engraved snake  coiled around a ginkgo biloba branch.

The Dior Grand Soir Year of the Snake sees a pink gold snake slither across the toile de jouy dial through a garden of rose gold and mother-of-pearl flowers, leaves and butterflies. Finished with a pink gold bezel set with 52 diamonds, this Dior Grand Soir is a clear front-runner for the sparkliest piece on this list.

In keeping with the theme at a more accessible price point, the Swatch Year of the Snake Collection features the Big Bold Blue and Golden Lithe Dancer and the Skin Irony Golden Red Bamboo. Artfully depicting geometric snakes as they slither through bamboo, the duo offers a more abstract representation of Lunar New Year art.

Just like a mullet, this limited edition from Longines is a brilliant example of ‘business in the front party in the back’. In fact, it goes so under the radar that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was your average dress watch at first glance. Flip this commemorative Conquest Heritage over though and you’re greeted by an intricately engraved snake on the caseback, alongside the text “2025 Limited Edition – Year of the Snake – One of 2025”. Perfectly wearable this season and beyond.

And finally, what’s a Lunar New Year watch round-up without a new JLC Reverso? Much like last year’s offering, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Snake Watch is presented in a pink gold rectangular case and integrates the iconic swivelling case design complete with intricate Grand Feu enamelling and hand engraving.