This Chinese New Year sees the usual release of zodiac themed watches. The next animal in the zodiac is the horse, and this year, the Fire Horse brings hope of vitality to the industry.
Release details with commentary in italics.
New: Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon Year of the Horse
The Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon Year of the Horse Ref. 1GLBR.Z11A.C1293A retails at CHF 62,000 inclusive of VAT. Limited Edition of 8 pieces.
Commentary
Arnold & Son have always been releasing Chinese zodiac watches to celebrate the coming of each New Year. Our early coverage revealed the Perpetual Moon Year of the Ox (2021), Perpetual Moon Year of the Rabbit (2023), Luna Magna Year of the Dragon (2024) and Perpetual Moon Year of the Snake (2025). We missed the coverage of the Perpetual Moon Year of the Tiger (2022).
For this coming Year of the Horse, the scene is set as usual. The base watch is the Perpetual Moon 41.5 in Red Gold. The novelty is in the métiers d’art on the dial. And the vitality and power of the miniature sculpture of the horse applied to the dial is very realistically captured by the engraver. This appliqué is set over a black aventurine dial, which looks like the night sky, especially complemented by the huge moonphase display in mother of pearl, which is the calling card of this model. The touches of lume added to the night sky makes the watch as much a spectacle in the dark as it is in good light. The only caveat, so to speak, is that the hands do not have lume, and it is impossible to read the time in the poor lighting.
The red gold case is the same as for the other releases, and protects the same Cal. A&S1021 which features nice finishing and powers the huge moonphase display.
Pricing has been steadily increasing. From CHF 49k for Ox, to CHF 57k for Rabbit and Snake, to CHF 62 for this year’s Horse.
Release details
Mystical, untamed and dazzling, the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Horse” follows in the footsteps of Arnold & Son’s Chinese zodiac collections. In the year spanning 2026 and 2027, the Fire Horse will set the astrological tone for connoisseurs of watchmaking and métiers d’art. To celebrate this flamboyant sign, Arnold & Son presents a limited edition of eight pieces, housed in 41.5-mm red gold cases. And while the noble animal is ever alert, it is at night that the full extent of its fiery, mysterious and incandescent nature is revealed.
A horse rears on a hill top – a commanding silhouette carved out against a star-studded sky, surrounded by the sparks of a metaphorical fire. This is Arnold & Son’s interpretation of the Fire Horse, the sign that will succeed the Wood Snake on 17 February 2026. For the sixth consecutive year, Arnold & Son is back in the saddle, drawing on the full breadth of its artistic savoir-faire. Miniature painting, three-dimensional engraving, fine stonework and the refined finishing of an astronomical moon-phase calibre: the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Horse” tells a tale of excellence, symbolism and vital energy.
An ardent design
Behind the expressive power of the scene, lies all of Arnold & Son’s creativity and mastery. The horse, in 18-carat red gold appliqué, is hand engraved. From hooves to mane, every muscle seems to ripple with energy. The black aventurine sky shimmers like a vast, celestial expanse, where distant stars mingle with mountainous reliefs and shadowy woodland undergrowth.
In the horse’s wake, hand-painted golden dust evokes a trail of sparks that ignite one after the other as the animal passes. These glowing flashes reflect its inner fire and untamed spirit. Touches of red and yellow Super-LumiNova, diffusing the same nocturnal shades, transform the scene as the light dims. Under the radiant mother-of-pearl moon, the horse’s majestic silhouette stands out, while the embers smoulder with new intensity. Not far away, the constellations of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major take shape on the lunar disc, completing this dual-faced, dual-display dial.
A noble pedigree
On the case back, a secondary moon-phase display enables fast, accurate setting of the lunar age. The heart of the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Horse”, the manual winding A&S1512 calibre, follows the lunar cycle with exceptional precision. While a true lunation lasts 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds, Arnold & Son have achieved such precision that it would take 122 years for the display to drift by a single day from the actual lunar cycle, provided the watch is kept fully wound.
As for all Arnold & Son movements, the A&S1512 calibre is developed, manufactured, decorated, assembled, adjusted and cased up at the Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture. Equipped with two barrels and beating at 3 Hz, it gives the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Horse” a generous power reserve of 90 hours.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon Year of the Horse Specifications
Functions hours, minutes, astronomical moon phases, second moon-phase display on the case back
Movement Calibre A&S1021, mechanical manual winding * Jewels 27 * Diameter 34 mm * Height 5.35 mm * Power reserve 90 hours * Frequency 3 Hz/21,600 vph * Finishes main plate: rhodium-plated and circular-grained * bridges: chamfered, radiating Côtes de Genève * wheels: snail-finished screws: blued and chamfered, polished heads * second moon-phase display: rhodium-plated and rimmed
Dial material: black aventurine glass * horse: 18-carat red gold (5N) appliqué, hand engraved landscape: hand painted with gold powder and added with Super-LumiNova * sky: black aventurine glass constellations: hand painted, added with Super-LumiNova * moons: mother-of-pearl discs added with Super-LumiNova
Case Material 18-carat red gold (5N) * Diameter 41.5 mm * Thickness 11.67 mm * Crystal domed sapphire with a double-sided anti-reflective coating * Case back sapphire with an anti-reflective coating *Water resistance 3 bar (30 m/100 feet)
Strap Material black alligator leather, red alligator leather lining * Buckle pin buckle,18-carat red gold (5N)
Reference 1GLBR.Z11A.C1293A
