Arnold & Son debuts Year of the Snake watch – but you won’t get one

Swiss watch manufacturer Arnold & Son has just added to this year’s line-up of Year of the Snake watches – and it might be my favourite timepiece yet. Based on its Perpetual Moon design, Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Snake” watch is crafted in rose gold and displays an intricate snake slithering across the dial – but you won’t get one.

Each year, watch designers release their latest Chinese New Year-themed watches, inspired by the new lunar calendar. Last year, it was all about the Year of the Dragon which seriously exceeded my expectations with the dragon-inspired dials and casebacks – but 2025’s Year of the Snake might top them.

Case in point: the Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Snake”. Measuring 41.5mm, the case of the Perpetual Moon Year of the Snake is made from 18-carat rose gold and powered by the A&S1512 calibre movement, giving the watch a 90-hour power reserve.

But the main star of the show (of course) is the snake. Across the bottom of the blue aventurine glass dial is a hand-engraved snake, complete with scales and a forked tongue. The snake wraps around the branch of a Ginkgo biloba tree and sits underneath a mother-of-pearl moon, Ursa Major and Cassiopeia constellation. The moon and stars are overlaid with Super-LumiNova to glow in the dark.

The Perpetual Moon Year of the Snake’s case back has a secondary display of the phases of the moon. The calibre movement of the watch can track the age of the moon accurately, and the rose gold case has the brand and piece number engraved around the case back.

The Perpetual Moon Year of the Snake is finished with an ink blue alligator leather strap which has red alligator leather on the inside of the strap, similar to the underbelly of a snake. While the dial is the feature you notice the most, it’s the little touches like the strap that makes it a fitting tribute to the Year of the Snake.

The only issue with this stunning watch is that it’s limited to just eight pieces, so it’s unlikely you’ll get one – unless you’re quick! The Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Snake” is available to buy for £56,700.