On 6 February 2027, the Chinese zodiac turns to the Goat, the eighth sign in the cycle, succeeding the Horse. It is a sign steeped in meaning. In ancient Chinese, the character for goat, “yáng”, was interchangeable with auspiciousness, and many inscriptions on artefacts pair it with wishes for “great good fortune”. Over time, that association grew into the modern view of the goat as a symbol of beauty and kindness, reflected in the characters themselves, where the goat appears inside the words for both qualities. People born under the sign are considered compassionate, caring, elegant and gentle, and the animal is also linked with loyalty, honesty, strength and resilience. For watchmakers with long ties to China, the Year of the Goat is a chance to honour a tradition of exchanging good wishes at the start of a new cycle, and this year two great Swiss houses answer with very different ideas.
IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Year of the Goat
This timepiece (Ref. IW388310), limited to 500 pieces has a titanium case, with a brushed finish and polished edges, is topped with a black ceramic bezel, while the dial is the first in IWC’s Chinese New Year series to be gold-coloured, after earlier editions in rich burgundy. Gold stands for fortune, prosperity and prestige in Chinese culture, and here it is contrasted with black subdials and gold-plated hands, giving the sporty chronograph its warmest expression to date.
A black calfskin strap fits the EasX-CHANGE system, which allows tool-free changes at the touch of a button. The true surprise is hidden on the case back, where the gold-plated oscillating weight depicts three goats, a symbol of bliss in China for thousands of years that traces back to the I Ching and appears on artefacts from the Han dynasty onwards. It is the first time the motif has featured in an IWC design. Inside runs the IWC-manufactured 69385 calibre, an automatic chronograph with 46 hours of power reserve and IWC’s vertical subdial layout, with elapsed minutes at 12 o’clock, 12 hour sub dial at 9 o’clock, and a 60 seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. A day and date display at 3 o’clock carries one more nod: on the eighth day of each month, the Chinese character for goat appears in place of the numeral eight. IWC’s Creative Director, Christian Knoop, describes the edition as rich in symbolism, from the dial to the rotor.
Also Read: Three Rare IWC Chronograph Watches That Go Beyond Telling Time
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin takes the same sign into the realm of the decorative arts with two 25-piece limited editions in its Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac collection. The series began in 2012, and a second 12-year cycle opened with the Year of the Snake in 2024. Both Goat models sit in 40mm cases, one in platinum with a dark blue alligator strap and the other in 18ct pink gold with a dark brown alligator strap, each closed with a folding buckle in the case metal. The dial is a showcase of relief engraving, micro-painting and grand feu enamel.
A three-dimensional goat stands majestically on a rock, sculpted in 18ct white or pink gold by a master engraver in three days of work, with horns and fur engraved and patinated by hand. Inside is the self-winding Calibre 2460 G4, whose 237 components fit into a diameter of 31 mm and a thickness of 6.05 mm. Instead of conventional hands, four discs show trailing hours and minutes above, with jumping day and date below, leaving a generous canvas for the artisans. The open-worked 22ct yellow gold oscillating weight carries a polished Maltese Cross, and the Hallmark of Geneva is engraved on one of the bridges.
For Vacheron Constantin, the tribute is part of a relationship that dates to 1846, when the Maison sent 33 pairs of watches to Canton, and that continues through its partnership with the Educational Institute of the Palace Museum in Beijing, begun in 2024. Together, the two houses offer a thoughtful reading of an ancient symbol: one through modern sportiness and warm gold, the other through enamel, engraving and haute horlogerie. As the Year of the Goat approaches, both remind collectors that the most meaningful watches are those that carry a wish for the future.
