The 2026 Byeong-O year, known as the 'red horse' year, inspired luxury brands to release special watches symbolizing energy, momentum and leap. Many maisons produced Métiers d'Art pieces (artisan-crafted artworks) using techniques like enameling, engraving and guilloché to create limited, highly detailed dials. Vacheron Constantin's Métiers d'Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Horse uses grand feu enamel and hand-sculpted horse motifs, limited to 25 pieces. Piaget collaborated with enamel master Anita Porchet for a cloisonné dial and diamond-set case in its Altiplano Zodiac Horse. Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso Tribute enamel series features miniature reproductions of Xu Beihong's horse paintings on the reversible case, each back-case taking about 80 hours to complete. Longines worked with Peon Art Museum to make a Master Collection with a rotor-inspired horse that appears when the movement spins. TAG Heuer's Carrera Chronograph Glassbox marks the year with a domed sapphire crystal, a Chinese character for 'horse (马)' at the date window and an engraved running horse on the caseback. These releases blend traditional craftsmanship and watchmaking to convey the red horse’s symbolism of vigor and forward momentum.
