Hermes, with its noble steeds, is known as a legendary "horseman" in the luxury watch industry. The French maison's legacy bears many equestrian hallmarks, from bespoke leather saddles and "money-can't-buy" handbags to everyday items like sofa cushions, porcelain plates, meticulously designed walking sticks, and even wristwatches.

In the mid-20th century, Hermes moved its watchmaking division to Switzerland, producing many versions that rivaled, and even surpassed, numerous established local companies. For example, Hermes Horlogerie surprised with innovative timekeeping movements, such as the Slim d’Hermes Hippocampe, launched before the Binh Ngo year. While still inspired by horses, this creation depicts a seahorse from the blue sea, appearing in fiery colors through Hermes' characteristic intricate engraving and leather marquetry art.

Inspired by the tradition of Tet paintings (Lunar New Year paintings), Hermes presents a 30 mm miniature painting titled Slim d'Hermes Cheval brosse. The spirited silhouette of a horse emerges under the hand of artist Dimitri Rybaltchenko, evoking the familiar calligraphy art of “every year the peach blossoms bloom” (a poetic phrase associated with Tet).

In the early 20th century, inspiration from polo led the Swiss watchmaker to create one of its most classic and recognizable designs: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. This collection, featuring a reversible case to protect the dial during polo matches, has brought significant success to the watchmaker from the Vallee de Joux, Switzerland, for nearly 100 years.

Jaeger-LeCoultre honors horses with several special Reverso pieces. Among them is the Tribute Enamel Xu Beihong model, paying tribute to the contemporary Chinese master painter, Xu Beihong (Tu Bi Hong), at the time of the watch's creation, and his vibrant horse paintings using miniature enamel techniques, grand feu (great fire) enameling, and guilloche (repetitive pattern engraving).

Exclusively for the Binh Ngo year 2026, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Horse’ model, meticulously engraved with a horse prancing on clouds, set against a black grand feu enamel background, with detailed strokes rendered in black rhodium. Both watch models are limited to just 10 pieces worldwide, crafted in-house at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Metiers Rare workshop.

Drawing inspiration from the "celestial king's horse" found on ancient imperial palace roofs in East Asian culture, Chopard launches the L.U.C XP Urushi Dragon Horse wristwatch, a design collaboration with distributor Tam Son. The brand drew its motif from an original piece at the Imperial City of Hue, expecting the watch to be the "holy grail" of 2026 for Vietnamese collectors. The watch is a limited edition, applying the Urushi lacquer technique with maki-e gold powder sprinkling.

Chopard also introduces the concept of "horsepower" on its Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph model, inspired by the 1,000 Miglia thousand-mile vintage car race in Italy.

Beyond the Reverso watches, inspiration from polo – the aristocratic sport played on horseback – also led to the creation of Piaget's Polo 79 model. Instead of featuring horses directly, this unisex watch embodies the luxurious style of the 1970s-1980s, suitable for post-match gatherings, when the horses have rested and spectators are enjoying champagne at the table. In Vietnam, the brands Hermes, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Chopard, and Piaget are officially distributed by Tam Son International Company.

Quang Anh

Photo: Tam Son