This one goes out to watch collectors who are fond of Chinese zodiac signs. Following last year’s Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake, Longines is now ushering in the Year of the Horse with the Longines Master Collection Year of the Horse. As the name suggests, this celebratory timepiece is based on the watchmaker’s Master Collection Moonphase.
Sandwiched between the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and the L899 calibre self-winding mechanical movement is a sunray red gradient dial accented with gilt hands, applied indexes, and a moon phase display. It is a striking piece, made even more alluring by the moon phase disc itself, featuring a gilt hand, moon, and constellation. If the numerals were in gold, it would have been even more brilliant. But that’s not the real gem here.
The real gem is the collaboration with the Peon Art Museum in China, which brings an iconic motif from Peon Xu’s celebrated painting, Galloping Horse, to life. The artwork is meticulously engraved onto the gilt rotor of the movement. It is the kind of art you have to imprint in your mind because this horse “gallops” with every movement of the wrist, yet you will never actually see it while wearing the watch. Now that’s the abstract part of this wearable art, IMHO.
Anyhoo, this forward galloping motion symbolises momentum, renewal, and the spirit of freedom and courage, which feels rather fitting for a zodiac-inspired timepiece meant to mark a new year. The watch is presented in a 42 mm stainless steel case and paired with an alligator leather strap featuring a triple safety folding clasp with a push-piece opening mechanism.
The Longines Master Collection Year of the Horse is limited to 2,026 pieces worldwide, each priced at US$3,400. At last check, it is still available.
Images: Longines.