Vacheron Constantin Celebrates The Year Of The Goat With Artistic Flair
The latest Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art creations combine traditional Chinese symbolism, intricate hand-engraving and grand feu enamelling with an ingenious hands-free display.
Vacheron Constantin continues its longstanding relationship with Chinese culture with two new Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Goat timepieces. Limited to just 25 pieces in 18K 5N pink gold and 25 in 950 platinum, these latest creations demonstrate how haute horlogerie can become a canvas for artistic expression, where mechanical ingenuity takes a supporting role to the beauty of traditional decorative crafts.
The Goat, the eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac, is associated with sensitivity, gentleness, loyalty and resilience, as well as auspiciousness and good fortune. The animal will take centre stage as the Chinese zodiac moves into the Year of the Goat at Lunar New Year in February 2027, continuing Vacheron Constantin’s second 12-year cycle of zodiac-inspired Métiers d’Art watches, which began with the Year of the Snake in 2024.
A miniature world of craftsmanship
The dial is the principal attraction. A three-dimensional goat stands majestically upon a rock, surrounded by a delicately rendered landscape that brings together relief engraving, miniature painting and grand feu enamelling.
Crafted from 18K white or pink gold to complement the respective case material, the goat and rock are meticulously sculpted and engraved by hand. The engraver brings out the texture of the animal’s fur and horns, while hand-patinated finishing adds depth and subtle variations to the surface. Selected details are then enhanced through miniature enamel painting. Creating the applied motif alone requires three days of meticulous work.
The surrounding landscape presents a different challenge. A multi-coloured grand feu enamel background provides a graduated effect, moving from a lighter centre towards darker edges, while miniature-painted foliage introduces further detail. Applied in successive layers with a fine brush, the enamel is fired at temperatures exceeding 800°C, with the process repeated as necessary to achieve the desired colours and intensity. The dial background requires approximately two weeks of work.
The result is a composition that balances relief and colour, giving the impression of a miniature landscape captured beneath the crystal.
Time without hands
Beneath this artistic display sits Manufacture Calibre 2460 G4, a self-winding movement designed to give decorative artistry as much room as possible.
Rather than traditional hands, four rotating discs display the hours, minutes, day and date through apertures positioned around the periphery of the dial. Hours and minutes appear in the upper windows, while jumping indications for the day of the week and date occupy the lower section. The arrangement leaves the centre unobstructed, allowing the engraved and enamelled scene to take precedence.
The calibre comprises 237 components, measures 31mm in diameter and 6.05mm in thickness, and delivers approximately 40 hours of power reserve. Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, it is finished to the standards associated with the Hallmark of Geneva, with details including Côtes de Genève, perlage, hand-bevelled bridges and hand-finished jewel sinks. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the open-worked 22K yellow gold oscillating weight reveals a polished Maltese Cross.
A relationship spanning generations
The collection also reflects a relationship with China that stretches back to the 19th century. Vacheron Constantin’s archival records document the dispatch of 33 pairs of watches to Canton in 1846. Created for a market that valued elaborate decoration alongside technical sophistication, these timepieces often incorporated engraving, enamel and precious stones.
The Year of the Goat continues that tradition in a contemporary form, uniting the Maison’s watchmaking expertise with artistic references drawn from Chinese culture.
Both watches measure 40mm in diameter and 12.72mm in thickness. The pink gold reference is paired with a dark brown alligator leather strap, while the platinum version features dark blue alligator leather. Each is secured by a folding clasp in the corresponding case metal.
With production restricted to 25 examples per reference, these Métiers d’Art creations offer more than a zodiac-themed interpretation of luxury watchmaking. They illustrate how an intricate mechanical movement can be designed around the demands of artistic expression, preserving traditional skills while allowing them to evolve.
For Vacheron Constantin, the Year of the Goat is ultimately a meeting of culture, craftsmanship and horology, a reminder that the most compelling watches can measure time while telling a story of their own.
Technical Specifications
MÉTIERS D’ART THE LEGEND OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC – YEAR OF THE GOAT
References
86073/000R-H105
86073/000P-H104
Calibre
2460 G4
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
31 mm (11¼’’’) diameter, 6.05 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour)
237 components
27 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepieces
Indications
Trailing Hours and minutes, jumping day of the week and date in apertures
Case
18K 5N pink gold / 950 platinum
40 mm diameter, 12.72 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx.30 meters)
Dial
18K 5N pink gold / 18K white gold
Opaque miniature Grand Feu enamel
Goat and rock: 18K 5N pink gold or 18K white gold hand-engraved and enamelled
Strap
Dark brown or dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, tone on tone stitches, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp
18K 5N pink gold or 950 platinum folding clasp
Accessories
Delivered with a corrector pen
Limited edition of 25 pieces per reference
Price upon request
For more information please visit Vacheron Constantin