The Métiers d’Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac line welcomes its latest new member.

The watchmakers at Vacheron Constantin have decided to start preparing for the Year of the Snake early, and have chosen the closest platform to next year's Chinese zodiac symbol to present the Métiers d’Art Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Snake.

The watch with a snake on its dial was showcased at Watches & Wonders Shanghai, which got underway at the end of August. The collection dedicated to next year's zodiac symbol is equipped with the traditional caliber 2460 G4 movement.

The disk indications in four apertures around the edge of the dial (hours, minutes, day of the week, and date) free up room for artists' imaginations to run wild. The movement's finishing also deserves to be highlighted: the rotor made of 22-carat gold is decorated with the Maltese cross and engraved with a guilloché pattern.

The capsule collection contains two models with a depiction of next year's zodiac symbol against the backdrop of a miniature enamel painting. The case material is a choice between either rose gold or platinum (availability of both versions is limited to 25 pieces), which determines the material used for the snake perched on a rocky base.

The scaly reptile is rendered in either rose gold of white gold. The enamel painting is a lot more complex. The artists have used two techniques on the same dial. The gradient sky-blue backdrop has been rendered using the Grand Feu enamel technique.

Flux-coated colored enamel has been used to elaborate the floral details — a time-honored Genevan technique. After each coat of enamel is applied in the selected color, the dial is fired in an oven heated to temperatures ranging between 820°C and 850°C.

The procedure is repeated for each color, and there's no room for error at any stage. The case for the novelty measures 40 mm × 12.72 mm — big enough to fit a movement with 237 components and calendar complications, but not so large it might look too heavy on a slender Asian wrist.