The Year of the Snake is approaching fast. The first day of the Chinese (or Lunar) New Year falls on 29 January 2025. This day hails the Year of the Snake.
Survey of watches with Year of the Snake theme
Instead of individual release notes covering watches bearing the Year of the Snake theme, we decided to turn it into a Six Watch list of our picks from the crop already released. Here they are:
Jaquet Droz Ophidian Hour
Jaquet Drox continues their journey transforming the maison. In recent years, they have revealed a new strategy described in detail in their website. Externally, they have been seen to withdraw retail outlets, and become more of a bespoke house, while still producing exquisite works of art which we have always enjoyed.
For the Year of the Snake, their release is a new watch with no hands offered in two piece unique variants. An interesting philosophical construct. A snake has no hands, thus the watch for the snake shall have no hands. The snake is rendered as a 3 dimensional object adorning the dial, slithering across the entire surface over the dial. In the first variant, featuring a green themed snake, the dial is in mother of pearl with a delicatedly engraved bamboo motif. And in the second variant with the red themed snake, the dial is made from a mineral called the Sonora Sunrise. This is made from a single fragment of the same rock: with a soft green with black inclusions and blood red flecked with dark marbling.
And on top of this rather exclusive dial, is a sculpture of the snake. The body is made of 5 blocks of white gold, and covered in a grand feu enamel coat. This was thought to have been impossible as the enamel powder has to be applied to the tubular surface of the snake’s body, but yet Jaquet Droz managed to do it. And superbly well. The snake’s body shows graduated colouring, from light to dark green, or red. The technique calls for the enamel to be applied to the shallow cavities on the snake;s form, and fired, polished. The white gold surfaces are also hand polished.
The hours are indicated by an arc opening at 12 o’clock, withe the head of the snake acting as the pointer. And the minutes are shown by a corresponding arc opening, looking like a continuation of the hour arc, but is not, which shows the exposed numerals rolling across the opening, with the snake’s tail acting as a pointer.
The watches are 41mm in diameter in a red gold case.
Swatch
Not to be outdone, Swatch releases two unique watches to celebrate the Year of the Snake. The first is called the Blue and Golden Lithe Dancer, and the second the Golden Red Bamboo. Both watches feature a similar motif, but interpreted in very different colourways and applied to two very different Swatch lines. In both designs, the snake is interpreted in a rather abstract way, with the artist aiming to portray motion, fluidity rather than a photo realistic image of a serpent.
The Blue and Golden Lithe Dancer is based on the BIG BOLD BIOSOURCED watch. The colourway is a dark blue background with blue elements. Whle the Golden Red Bamboo is based on a gold coloured SKIN IRONY model, with red as the anchor colourway with gold accents.
Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Cobra Limited Edition
Not specifically marketed by Breitling as a Year of the Snake watch, this new Avenger B01 Chonograph Cobra features the image of a cobra on the subdial at 9 o’clock and bright red snake imprinted on the open case back, coiling itself over the movement.
The watch is based on the new Avenger collection, launched in 2001 and updated in 2023. And is based on the B01 Chronograph of this series. The case is a bold 44mm size in stainless steel with the characteristic steel bezel with square chronograph pushers. The dial is a bright yellow, a Breitling signature, with black sub-dials for the chronograph. And on the sub-dial at 9 o’clock, the bright red outline of a cobra head standing upright with its neck expanded and ready to strike.
The watch is powered by the Breitling manufactured B01 movement, and retails at SGD 11, 310.
Longines Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake 2025
Longines’ approach to the Year of the Snake is to take the elements that they used in their Year of the Dragon offering as the base. The Dragon for 2024 was Longines’ first watch with the Chinese zodiac theme. This colour scheme is a fumé style red dial, fading into deep black at the peripheral, is carried over. But instead of using the calibre L899.5 with moonphase and date display, the novelty is based on the time only caliber L888.5.
The motif on the caseback is now designed by Chinese artist Wu Jian’an instead of Zinan Lam, and features the motif of a snake…of course!
The watch retails at SGD 4,300.
Blancpain Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel 2025
Blancpain continues their tradition, 14 years and counting, of the Villerte Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel this year with the Year of the Snake as the focus. The wood dragon gives way to the wood snake. And the same base Chinese calendar. We covered the calendar’s special characteristics in the Year of the Ox issue in 2020. We also covered the issue for the Year of the Rabbit. For the Snake, the dial is now a grand feu enamel green, and in a platinum case. But all else remains the same.
The ultra complicated Cal. 3638 movement with its 464 components now carries an automatic winding rotor engraved with a relief image a coiled snake.
Franck Muller Silhouette CX the Year of the Snake
And finally, and certainly not the least, is Franck Muller. This is the only one which we have covered with a commentary as it was also the launch model for the new Silhouette CX case.
This is a bejewelled piece. Also with an abstract interpretation of the snake motif rather than a pictorial or photo-realistic one. Only part of the snake’s body is visible, suggesting that it is slithering across the dial at a rapid place. The embellishment of the deep green emerald gemstones on its body increase this visual suggestion. Which is further elaborated by the fact that the movement is so strong that it sends shock waves through the watch, causing the case to bulge in the 7 -2 o’clock direction. Interesting concepts, with many layers of interpretation.
Concluding thoughts
Time moves. And waits for no man. As one gets older, as one tends to be, each year seems to pass faster than the last. This phenomenon is real, but a psychological one. One year to a 10 year old child is 10% of his life, but to a 30 year old individual, is only 3.33% and only 1.66% for a 60 year old. So the impression that the year went by faster than the last is a real one.
And as one reflects on one’s life, the beginning of a new year is a symbolism which almost all cultures celebrate. A new year is a fresh start. A new chance. And new hopes. And even as we are yet a few weeks from the Year of the Snake, we wish you a very prosperous and happy one indeed.
