It’s more or less expected by now that every year between January and February, a number of watch brands will issue special-edition timepieces commemorating Chinese New Year. These pieces generally fall under the métier d’arts category of fine watchmaking, depicting the relevant Chinese zodiac animal for that year on meticulously crafted dials using a variety of traditional artisanal techniques.
Presumably, these watches are aimed at people of that zodiac, which incidentally is the only example I can think of in which watch brands create something specific for a set of birthdates. We don’t see a lot of Western zodiac watches, but Chinese zodiac watches are pretty much an annual staple.
Anyway, suppose you want to wear a watch that corresponds to your Chinese zodiac animal. If your zodiac animal is something majestic (like the tiger), beautiful (say, the horse), or even cute (rabbit), good for you. You lucked out in the zodiac animal lottery. You can wear your tiger-dial watch with pride. Things are a little different for those of us on the relatively ignoble end of the zodiac animal spectrum. (Raise your hands, those of you born in 1960, 1972, 1984 or 1996!)
In 2025, January 29 marks the beginning of the year of the Wood Snake in the Chinese calendar. While the snake is not the least aesthetic animal out of the 12 zodiac beasts, it certainly doesn’t have the best reputation, thanks to the cross-cultural influence of the Judeo-Christian religions. In vernacular speech, if someone compares you to a snake, I’m guessing that person isn’t your biggest fan.
Here's the point I’m trying to make: there are more ways to celebrate your inner Snake than featuring it on the dial of your watch. Like any other zodiac system, each of the Chinese zodiac animals/divisions is linked with a set of personality traits and fortune predictions. After exhaustively researching the subject (looking on Google and remembering stuff my grandma told me), here are five watches I’ve found to suit a zodiac Snake, that correspond to your best Snake attributes and that might even bring you a bit of luck!
Wood Snake (1965, 2025): De Bethune DB28xs Aérolite
I’ll admit right now that I’m currently obsessed with this watch, but I promise I have an excellent reason for including it here. Zodiac Snakes are generally thought to be cerebral and introspective. The Wood Snake in particular is characterised as someone who strategically thinks out of the box, someone who is both rational and creative. Similarly, the mechanical value of the DB28xs Aérolite cannot be denied, and the novel use of meteorite for the guilloché heat-blued dial is an absolute delight. The shimmering, almost iridescent play of light over the dial, thanks to the natural formation of iron oxide crystals in the meteorite, parallels the organic sheen of a snake’s lithe scales. Final point: black is supposed to be a lucky colour for zodiac Snakes, and the DB28xs Aérolite’s zirconium case with a dark anthracite finish serves admirably for this purpose.
Fire Snake (1977): Armin Strom Tribute2 Copper Edition
The intelligence of Fire Snakes is expressed in their highly social and perceptive nature. According to Chinese zodiac readings, the Fire Snake is often the life of the party, but that doesn’t mean they’re disposed to empty small talk — their insightful observations always make for meaningful conversation. A great watch pairing would be the Armin Strom Tribute2 Copper Edition, which shines in a new limited-edition copper mainplate that is hand-finished for a textured gleam, whilst framing some of the movement components (openworked mainspring barrel, openworked barrel bridge, transmission gears). And if you’re into fengshui concepts, the crown of this watch is located at a 45° offset from the 12 o’clock position, corresponding to the northeast cardinal point, which just so happens to be an auspicious direction for Snakes.
Earth Snake (1989): URWERK UR-150 Scorpion
If my information sources are accurate, Earth Snakes are the best zodiac Snakes to have as friends, because their defining traits are loyalty and independence. In my opinion, there are few brands that represent these attributes better than URWERK, an indie brand with a close-knit team and an incredible connection with its community. Apparently the one flaw of the Earth Snake’s personality is putting too much value in the opinions of others, but wearing an URWERK watch will definitely help wean you off an overreliance on what other people think and bring the focus back on your own individuality. Bonus: the UR-150 Scorpion contains two out of three of the zodiac Snake’s lucky colours — red and black — and you could even make it all three if you choose to interpret the luminous 60-minute marker as being yellow instead of green.
Metal Snake (1941, 2001): MB&F Horological Machine Nº 11 Architect
As a general rule, it’s expected that your luck isn’t going to be the best if it’s your zodiac year. There’s some cultural and religious (specifically Taoist) explanation for this, but I won’t go into it here. Suffice it to say that any Chinese astrologist would advise zodiac Snakes to exercise prudence and avoid taking risks in 2025. The recommended path for zodiac Snakes this year is to focusing on nurturing and maintaining what you have and prioritising family and home. The MB&F HM11 Architect is metaphorically a house on your wrist, and its genre-defying design and functions make it especially suitable for Metal Snakes, who are noted for being strong-willed and courageous. Zodiac Snakes as a whole are noted for their leadership qualities, and anyone familiar with the last 20 years of watchmaking history will know that MB&F occupies a leading position in defining 21st-century horology.
Water Snake (1953, 2013): Bulgari Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon
Yes, I know that the obvious recommendation for a Bulgari watch suitable for zodiac Snakes would be the Serpenti. But we’re not going for the obvious choice here, we’re looking for a bit more subtility and finesse. The Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is my recommendation for Water Snakes, given their reputation for intelligence and attention to detail. This watch is a behemoth of technical prowess, featuring three modes of chiming function (four, if you count the silent function as well) and a flying tourbillon. That’s the intelligence aspect covered, and do I really need to explain how a 754-component movement represents attention to detail? Water Snakes are also said to have a strong artistic side, and a chiming watch — a horological and musical instrument — is a perfect match for such a personality.
