Vacheron Constantin Unveils a Hand-Engraved Year of the Goat for 2027

Vacheron Constantin has unveiled the Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Goat, a pair of 25-piece limited editions that arrive ahead of Lunar New Year in February 2027, when the Goat takes over from the Horse. One is cased in 18k 5N pink gold (Ref. 86073/000R-H105), the other in 950 platinum (Ref. 86073/000P-H104), and both carry a three-dimensional goat that took artisans weeks of engraving, enameling, and painting to complete.

The Goat is the eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac, and it adds a new year to a series the Geneva maison launched in 2012. A second 12-year cycle began with the Year of the Snake in 2024, so collectors who have followed the collection from the start are now watching familiar animals return in new interpretations.

A Vacheron Constantin Year of the Goat Dial Built by Hand

The centerpiece is a goat standing on a rock, rendered in either 18k white gold or 18k pink gold to match its case. Each figure is relief-engraved by hand, a process that takes around three days, before it is hand-patinated and finished with miniature enamel. The result is a sculpture that sits proud of the dial rather than a flat illustration, and it changes character as light moves across it.

Behind the goat, the background is worked in multi-colored grand feu enamel with a graded tone, layered with miniature-painted foliage. That stage alone takes roughly two weeks, and the dial is fired at more than 800°C between coats. Grand feu is unforgiving, since any flaw in a firing can ruin the piece, which is why I think dials like this remain the best argument for the métiers d’art category. Nothing about them can be rushed.

What makes the composition work is the absence of hands. Vacheron Constantin keeps the dial clear for the artwork by moving the time to a pair of apertures at the top, showing trailing hours and minutes, while two apertures below display a jumping day and date. Four discs handle all of it, leaving the goat and its landscape uninterrupted from edge to edge.

Inside the Caliber 2460 G4

Powering that display is the self-winding Caliber 2460 G4, a movement measuring 31mm across and 6.05mm thick. It beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), offers about 40 hours of power reserve, and is assembled from 237 components and 27 jewels. It bears the Hallmark of Geneva, and it can be seen through a sapphire caseback.

The case measures 40mm in diameter and 12.72mm thick, with water resistance of 3 bar (about 30 meters). The pink gold model is fitted with a dark brown alligator strap, and the platinum version comes on a dark blue alligator strap. Each closes with a folding clasp in the matching metal, and a corrector pen is included for setting the calendar displays.

The zodiac series also shows how far back Vacheron Constantin’s relationship with China goes. The maison shipped 33 pairs of watches to Canton in 1846, and in 2024 it entered a partnership with the Educational Institute of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Seen that way, the collection reads less like a seasonal novelty and more like a long-running cultural dialogue carried out through the decorative crafts.

With only 25 pieces of each reference, the Year of the Goat will be a quiet release by the numbers but a significant one for collectors who track the series year after year. Both versions are available with price on request, and more details are on the Vacheron Constantin website.

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Adrienne Faurote

Editor in Chief · Haute Time

As a former New Yorker, now a “Miamian,” Adrienne Faurote joined Haute Living in August of 2021. She currently serves as the Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief, overseeing all editorial platforms within the Haute Media Group while also maintaining her role as Fashion, Jewelry & Watch Director. Prior to her position at Haute Living, Faurote was the Market Editor at Marie Claire Magazine US, amassing over ten years in the industry, becoming an authoritative voice in all things fashion, jewelry, and watches.