Year of the Snake Watches for Chinese New Year 2025

Spring Festival is coming on the scene once more — and so are special edition timepieces celebrating the Lunar New Year, of course. Centred on the year’s zodiac animal, Year of the Snake watches have been released by Longines, Swatch, Harry Winston and Dior, among others. The first strikes while the iron is hot with a special Conquest Heritage model, featuring a case back engraved with a serpent holding a Lingzhi mushroom in its mouth — a design by Chinese visual artist, Wu Jian’an. The timepiece is limited to 2025 pieces and characterised by a distinct gradient red dial, as well as gilt hands and indexes. Swatch, on the other hand, is stylishly seductive with the Wood Snake. It welcomes the serpent’s reputation for transformation with two designs, Blue and Golden Lithe Dancer and Golden Red Bamboo, in vibrant colours and prints.

The new Dior Grand Soir, limited to just 38 pieces worldwide, places a rose-gold snake in an intricate Toile de Jouy background, leaving the animal to find its way through an assemblage of pretty flowers and leaves, crafted in mother-of-pearl. The gliding snake, which is a symbol of strength and wisdom, is counterpointed with fluttering rose gold butterflies. Finally, the house of Harry Winston celebrates the Chinese Year of the Snake with two limited-edition pieces ­— one in rose gold and the other in white gold — being added to its Moments Collection. Harry Winston has been releasing unique Lunar New Year watches since 2016. On this year’s pieces, 118 brilliant-cut diamonds on the case frame a dial decorated with a vivid, lacquered snake. Yet more precious stones, including emerald, spessartite garnets, green sapphires, complete the serpentine sparkle. The rose gold and white gold iterations are each limited to eight pieces each.