BURO Watch List: Exclusive Timepieces to Covet for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is right around the corner! If this little info takes you by surprise, it is probably because you had lost all track of time while navigating 2026, which in turn tells us you’re in dire need of a new watch. Lucky for you, luxury watch houses have come out in full force to usher in the Year of the Horse, delivering exquisite timepieces worth burning your red packet for. While some draw from the spirit of the horse, others examine how cultural perspectives shape our understanding of time, exploring traditional calendars that intertwine solar rhythms, lunar cycles, and cosmological symbolism. But one thing is for certain, each of these watches promises to bring a smile to your face, and who knows, an abundance of luck and prosperity.

THE VILLERET CALENDRIER CHINOIS TRADITIONNEL BY BLANCPAIN

Blancpain achieved the impossible when it debuted a watch that combined a Chinese calendar, a Gregorian date, and a moonphase in 2012. This year, the storied watchmaker repeats history, delivering the latest edition of the Villeret Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel. Anchored by a 45.2mm platinum case, which houses the Manufacture’s calibre 3638, the watch carries forward the crucial elements of its predecessors.

Among the noteworthy original specs here are the four hands and two windows revealing the Chinese hours, Zodiac cycles, and calendar system. The limited-edition timepiece, however, is now enhanced with a salmon-rose Grand Feu enamel dial. The 22K gold rotor on the caseback also elevates the design of the watch with a picture of a horse galloping on a swallow, referencing Tianma, the Heavenly Horse of Chinese Imperial legend.

THE TOP TIME B01 SHADOW RIDER BY BREITLING

Launched in the 1960s, the Top Time collection is a testament to Breitling’s fascination with the motorsport culture. This insatiable need for speed has since birthed many pioneering chronographs—the latest being the Top Time B01 Shadow Rider. Inspired by the spirited horse, a creature known for its speed, the Swiss watchmaker has equipped the watch with all the tools that guarantee an exceptional performance.

Powered by Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, which delivers a 70-hour power reserve, the watch distils decades of the brand’s watchmaking expertise. Its retro-centric design only adds to its allure. Framed by a 38mm stainless steel case, the dial repurposes Top Time’s elliptical ‘dashboard’ motif. This signature element is then matched with a silhouette of the shadow rider’s head on the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock.

THE PORTUGIESER AUTOMATIC 42 BY IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

A relatively refined option to celebrate the Lunar New Year can be found at IWC Schaffhausen. Giving its Portugieser Automatic 42 line a timely facelift, the brand shifts its focus to the shade of red, which is widely used in Chinese culture. This auspicious colour reigns supreme in the Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse. Its commanding appearance derives largely from the burgundy dial inside the 42mm stainless steel case.

Bringing the symbol of wealth into play, the streamlined watch face is then juxtaposed against the golden Roman numerals, hands, and appliques. A more direct reference is displayed at the back of the watch, where a horse-shaped gold-plated rotor resides. Despite its shunning of spectacle, the watch still packs a punch with the IWC-manufactured 52011 calibre, which delivers a seven-day power reserve.

THE REVERSO TRIBUTE ENAMEL ‘XU BEIHONG’ BY JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Unlike the others, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s interpretation of the horse comes from a deeply personal place. The iconic Reverso, after all, was tailor-made for ‘sporting gentlemen’ whose interest included polo. That is why the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Xu Beihong’ is a must-have this Chinese New Year. Paying homage to the visionary Xu Beihong, the brand has immortalised the artist’s celebrated artworks on the caseback of the three watches.

Xu’s 1942 painting ‘Running Together’, for starters, inspired the Two Horses and The Running Horse designs. His 1939 opus ‘Standing Horse’, on the other hand, informed the eponymous version of the Reverso Tribute Enamel. A collaborative work in its own right, these works of art are reimagined in truly Jaeger-LeCoultre fashion, which is through its three exceptional crafts: enamel miniature painting, grand feu enamelling, and guillochage.

THE ALTIPLANO ZODIAC HORSE EDITION BY PIAGET

Nobody illustrates the majestic qualities of the horse quite like Piaget. With its Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition, the brand treats the dial as a canvas on which the horse comes alive through a brilliant shadow effect. Crafted from white gold, the dial features an engraving that creates a raised, draped pattern, forming the background for the horse. It is then divided into sections and filled with grand feu enamel in blue, grey, and white.

Such intricate work on the dial calls for something that can both protect and showcase it. So it is no surprise that this masterpiece of a watch face, courtesy of Swiss enamel artist Anita Porchet, is framed in a 41mm white gold case set with diamonds. But there’s more to the Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition than meets the eye. Underneath all that decadence lies the 830P hand-wound calibre, offering the wearer a power reserve of 60 hours.