2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, and watch brands have delivered a proper stampede of equine-themed releases. So, across multiple price points and watch styles, these are the ten watches that I think are genuinely worth your wrist space.
These aren’t just lunar-calendar afterthoughts. Watchmakers have leaned into the theme with horse motifs that aren’t just slapped on, but integrated into dials, movements and finishes that feel really thoughtful.
You’ve got elegant, high-horology pieces rooted in tradition. You’ve got bold, sporty watches packed with street style. And you’ve got, well, plenty of hooves.
We’ve rounded up the most interesting releases of 2026 – the ones truly worth looking at, and maybe even buying…
1. TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Fire Horse
Let’s start at the sporty end of the scale. TAG Heuer’s Year of the Fire Horse uses the brand’s popular 39mm Carrera glassbox case and features a dial that glows with a deep crimson and champagne gold. I think it looks great and love how subtle it is.
In the 9 o’clock date window, the Chinese character for horse, “马”, replaces a traditional marker, subtly weaving Eastern symbolism into a watch that’s otherwise pure Swiss Chrono.
At 39mm, the size feels spot on for a modern chronograph. The 18K 5N rose gold-plated hands and indexes add warmth, while red accents spice things up a bit. The beads-of-rice-style bracelet adds comfort, as well as a pleasing retro look. Around the back, the sapphire caseback, complete with an etched fire horse, reveals the Calibre TH20-07 movement, delivering an 80-hour power reserve.
The Carrera Year of the Horse Chronograph is limited to just 250 pieces, each individually numbered, and presented in festive packaging.
2. Hermés Arceau Rocabar de rire
I didn’t expect this to be one of my favourites at Watches and Wonders last year, but it absolutely was. The Hermès Arceau Rocabar de rire doesn’t just nod to the Year of the Horse, it has fun with it, and that’s the magic. At first glance, it’s charming, but spend a little more time with it and you realise how much work is packed into that dial.
Press the pusher at 9 o’clock and the horse comes to life, sticking out its tongue in a little moment of theatre. It sounds silly, but it’s brilliant. The dial combines engraving, miniature painting and horsehair marquetry, all squeezed into an incredibly small space. Every stripe of colour is made from individually placed strands of horsehair. That’s next level.
The 41mm white gold Arceau case frames it perfectly, with those asymmetrical stirrup lugs doing their thing. Around the back, the in-house H1837 movement keeps it grounded as a serious watch, even while the front is busy being playful. Limited to just 12 pieces, this isn’t subtle, sensible or safe, but it is joyful.
3. Vacheron Constantin Métiers D’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Horse
Vacheron Constantin doesn’t do zodiac watches by half measures, and the Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Horse proves it. Here we have no hands and no clutter, just a beautifully open dial that gives the artisans room to show off. At the centre, a sculpted horse leaps over a rock in full relief, hand-engraved in gold and brought to life with miniature enamelling. It’s amazing.
The background is just as impressive. Grand feu enamel gradients and finely painted foliage create depth and atmosphere. Powering it all is the Calibre 2460 G4, using four discreet discs around the edge for time, day and date, keeping the artwork front and centre.
The Métiers D’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Horse is available in either pink gold or platinum, limited to just 25 pieces per version.
4. Swatch Riding the Clouds
On the opposite end of the price scale is Swatch’s Riding the Clouds. Created with artist Yu Wenjie, a former Swatch Art Peace Hotel resident, this is a watch that’s all about energy. It blends traditional Chinese symbolism with Swatch’s playful design, turning the dial into a burst of movement and colour.
Front and centre are two horses, mid-flight, printed in raised detail so they lift off the dial slightly. One is white, one black, a nod to yin and yang, balance and contrast. Their flaming manes and wings tie directly into the Fire element, while drifting clouds and scattered flames add layers of meaning – luck, resilience, drive.
The red-toned background flows onto the strap, inspired by Chinese scroll paintings and protective red bracelets, so the whole watch feels like a single canvas. It’s really beautiful, and affordable as well.
5. Piaget Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition
Back to high horology now. Piaget’s Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition feels less like a watch and more like a piece of wearable art. The Horse is all about freedom and motion, and this piece captures that spirit beautifully, brought to life by master enameller Anita Porchet. Limited to just 18 pieces and set with baguette-cut diamonds, it’s an unapologetically precious take on the zodiac theme.
The 41mm white gold Altiplano case is framed with baguette-cut diamonds, with further stones tracing the lugs and a rose-cut diamond set into the crown. Beneath the artistry beats Piaget’s ultra-thin hand-wound 830P calibre, just 2.5mm thick with a 60-hour power reserve.
6. Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold ‘Year of the Horse’
Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Horse” is pure theatre, best enjoyed after dark. This eight-piece limited edition leans hard into atmosphere, symbolism and old-school métiers d’art. The scene is striking: a rearing horse stands silhouetted on a hilltop, carved in hand-engraved red gold and set against a shimmering black aventurine sky.
Look closer and the details keep coming. Hand-painted gold dust trails behind the horse like sparks, while touches of Super-LumiNova bring the dial to life at night. The moon-phase display is equally mesmerising, with a luminous mother-of-pearl moon and constellations picked out on the lunar disc.
Turn it over and you’ll find a second moon-phase display, with the manual-wind A&S1512 calibre tracking the lunar cycle with remarkable accuracy, drifting by just one day every 122 years, and offering a healthy 90-hour power reserve.
7. Longines Master Collection Year of the Horse Edition
Longines is marking the Year of the Horse with a Master Collection special edition that feels a little restrained compared to the other watches on this list. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it means this Special Edition is more wearable than some of the other pony-packed watches.
Limited to 2026 pieces, it ties the lunar new year to the brand’s long-standing relationship with the equestrian world. The 42mm stainless steel case houses a rich red sunray dial with a gentle gradient. Gilt hands and applied markers keep things elegant, while a moonphase at 6 o’clock adds a touch of classic romance.
The real storytelling happens around the back. Working with the Peon Art Museum in China, Longines has engraved the rotor with the galloping horse motif from Peon Xu’s celebrated painting Galloping Horse. As the rotor spins, the horse appears to surge forward, a clever nod to momentum and renewal. The addition of calligraphy by Qingping Xu deepens the cultural link, reinforcing themes of strength, progress and success.
It’s powered by the L899.5 automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve.
8. Bulova ‘Year of the Horse’ Super Seville
The ‘Year of the Horse’ Super Seville is Bulova’s first-ever timepiece dedicated to the Chinese Zodiac, and what a great introductory piece.
The watch features a striking gold-toned steel case with a grooved coin-edge bezel and a matching bracelet. The centrepiece, however, is the layered dial, featuring a horse brought to life with the traditional Chinese colours of bold red and luminous gold. The rearing stallion is surrounded by elegant floral elements, symbolising wealth and prosperity.
With the number eight symbolising fortune in Chinese culture, the timepiece islimited to just 888 individually numbered pieces.
9. Ball Watch Company Engineer II Calloping Horse
The Engineer II Galloping Horse’s standout feature is, without doubt, the Tiger’s Eye dial, a gemstone chosen to reflect the Fire–Earth relationship in Chinese philosophy. The stone’s natural cat’s-eye effect makes the surface shimmer as it catches the light, while a sculpted metallic horse in full gallop sits proudly at the centre. Even the seconds hand joins in, with a counterweight shaped like the Chinese character for “horse”.
This isn’t just about looks. Ball’s signature micro gas tubes provide constant illumination on the hands and markers, glowing without needing to be charged. The 40mm case is made from corrosion-resistant 904L steel and houses the automatic RR1103 movement, with 100m water resistance and strong shock protection.
10. Girard-Perregaux’s La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition
The Bridges collection from Girard-Perregaux celebrates a bold idea: turning structural bridges into the star of the watch. The new La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition adds an 18K pink gold case, richly decorated with hand engraving and grand feu enamel.
Across the dial, three gold bridges anchor the movement, while two hand-engraved galloping horses add dramatic detail – each requiring dozens of hours of painstaking work.
Limited to just 18 pieces per colour on request, it’s less a watch and more a showcase of traditional craftsmanship.
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- Updated 17th February 2026: Added Ball Watch Company and Girard-Perregaux.
