When the Fire Horse succeeds the Wood Snake on February 17, 2026, Arnold & Son will mark the occasion with the sixth installment in its Chinese zodiac collection—a spectacular demonstration of why the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture ranks among independent watchmaking's most accomplished métiers d'art practitioners. The Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold "Year of the Horse" ref. 1GLBR.Z11A.C1293A features hand-engraved 18K red gold appliqué work, miniature painting, black aventurine stonework, and an astronomical moon-phase complication that requires 122 years to deviate by a single day from the actual lunar cycle.
The 41.5 mm case in 18K red gold measures just 11.67 mm thick despite housing both the elaborate dial construction and the complex movement. A domed sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating protects the dial, and the display case back is also treated with anti-reflective coating. The watch ships on black alligator leather with red alligator lining, secured by an 18K carat red gold pin buckle.
Arnold & Son's interpretation presents a rearing stallion carved from solid 18K red gold, every muscle hand-engraved to convey the animal's untamed energy. The horse dominates a black aventurine dial that glimmers like a star-studded night sky, its surface layered with mountainous reliefs and shadowy woodland executed through painstaking miniature painting. Behind the stallion, hand-painted golden dust traces the animal's path in sparks that ignite sequentially—a visual metaphor for the Fire Horse's blazing spirit.
The artistry intensifies as ambient light fades. Red and yellow Super-LumiNova applied to the ember trail and constellation details transform the scene entirely, the horse's silhouette standing bold against smoldering firelight beneath a radiant mother-of-pearl moon. The lunar disc itself carries the constellations of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major, completing this dual-display composition that rewards extended observation.
The Movement
The manual-wound calibre A&S1512 powers this watch; this movement was developed, manufactured, decorated, assembled, adjusted, and cased entirely at Arnold & Son's facilities. The calibre's twin-barrel architecture delivers 90 hours of power reserve while beating at a traditional frequency of 21,600 vph. Most significantly, the movement achieves lunar phase accuracy approaching astronomical precision—true lunation spans 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds, yet Arnold & Son's mechanism tracks this cycle so precisely that 122 years would pass before the display drifted one full day from reality, assuming the watch remains wound.
A secondary moon-phase indication visible via the display case back enables rapid, accurate adjustment of the lunar age, while the movement itself showcases traditional haute horlogerie finishing: a rhodium-plated, circular-grained main plate; chamfered bridges decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève; snail-finished wheels; and blued screws with polished, chamfered heads.
In Summary
Arnold & Son limits production to eight numbered examples. For collectors seeking métiers d'art executed at the highest technical level, the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold "Year of the Horse" demonstrates why independent manufactures continue to push the boundaries of decorative arts while maintaining chronometric precision.
Sticker Price CHF 62,600—approx USD 78,500. More info on Arnold & Son, here.
