Horology Planet Exhibition Series — 19
In October 2026, Beijing becomes a meeting point for Chinese imperial aesthetics, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary design. Held at the National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), the “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition bring together a range of creative works that explore the connections between Eastern cultural heritage and modern craftsmanship.
The exhibition is about more than the objects on display. It also asks how traditional art forms can continue to evolve, finding new relevance through modern materials, innovative design, and precision engineering. From decorative techniques rooted in imperial workshops to the intricacies of independent watchmaking, the works on show offer different perspectives on how the past can inform the present.
As part of this exhibition series, Horology Planet takes a closer look at the participating watch brands and the ideas behind their creations.
ZBIOLAND: A Realm of Mechanical Creativity
The name ZBIOLAND brings together three ideas that define the brand's creative philosophy. “Z” stands for Zero Origin, the starting point of creation and a symbol of unrestricted exploration. “BIO,” derived from the Greek word bios, represents life and vitality, reflecting the belief that mechanical components can possess a character and rhythm of their own. “LAND” signifies a creative realm where original mechanical watchmaking can develop beyond the conventions of traditional horology.
Together, these elements express ZBIOLAND's ambition: to create a world of mechanical artistry that begins with imagination and comes alive through engineering.
Founded in 2021 by Lu Jinzhi, who has more than two decades of experience in the watch industry, ZBIOLAND grew out of a longstanding fascination with machinery, science fiction, and the visual language of futuristic design. Lu's early interest in drawing encouraged him to explore how imagined technologies and unconventional forms could be translated into tangible objects. Over time, this creative impulse evolved into a distinctive approach to watch design.
For ZBIOLAND, machinery is not simply a collection of functional components. It is a medium for expressing movement, energy, and the possibilities of the future. Its designs draw on the structures of cities, the mechanics of engines, and the organic motion of living creatures, creating timepieces that invite a closer look at how things work.
The brand's philosophy feels particularly relevant in an era when ideas once confined to science fiction increasingly resemble everyday reality. Rather than treating the future as a distant concept, ZBIOLAND seeks to give it a physical presence on the wrist. Its three exhibition pieces demonstrate different facets of this vision: the geometric order of Barcelona, the kinetic architecture of a radial engine, and the sinuous movement of a mechanical snake.
Barcelona — Urban Geometry in a Titanium Mechanical Watch
A city can be understood as a living mechanism: streets form its pathways, buildings define its structure, and urban planning determines how its many parts work together. With the Barcelona, ZBIOLAND translates this idea into a slim mechanical watch inspired by the distinctive grid layout of Barcelona's Eixample district.
The inspiration comes from Ildefons Cerdà, the nineteenth-century urban planner whose vision shaped Barcelona's expansion through an orderly network of streets and city blocks. His approach went beyond visual symmetry. It sought to organize urban space around accessibility, functionality, and a broader vision of city life. The result remains one of the most recognizable examples of systematic urban planning.
ZBIOLAND's designers reinterpret this architectural logic on the dial. Intersecting horizontal and vertical lines evoke the city's streets, while the disciplined geometric pattern creates a sense of order and spatial depth. What might appear at first to be a simple arrangement of lines becomes a miniature urban landscape, where precision and visual rhythm work together.
The design's appeal lies in the balance between structure and restraint. The geometric dial recalls the rationality of modern city planning, yet its clean lines also possess an understated elegance. Rather than reproducing a cityscape literally, the watch distills the essence of Barcelona's urban character into a contemporary design language.
At its heart is ZBIOLAND's own ZBL961 movement, bringing the brand's mechanical development into direct conversation with its architectural inspiration. The watch is housed in a Grade 5 titanium case, a material chosen for its combination of strength and low weight. Measuring 45 × 40 mm and just 4.8 mm thick, the Barcelona weighs only 40 grams, giving its substantial rectangular footprint an exceptionally light profile.
The Barcelona reflects ZBIOLAND's belief that mechanical watchmaking can draw inspiration from systems far beyond horology. By bringing the logic of urban planning to the wrist, it turns the structure of a city into a wearable study of geometry, engineering, and contemporary design.
Specifications
- Model: ZBL1009
- Movement: ZBL961
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
- Power Reserve: 40 hours
- Dimensions: 45 × 40 mm
- Thickness: 4.8 mm
- Weight: 40 g
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Crown Material: Grade 5 titanium
Radial Engine SL — Mechanical Motion from Every Angle
Inspired by the architecture of radial engines, the ZBIOLAND Radial Engine SL transforms the visual language of propulsion machinery into an unconventional mechanical wristwatch. Its design centers on the relationship between the automatic rotor and an engine-inspired module, creating a mechanical composition that recalls the coordinated movement of engine components.
In a radial engine, multiple cylinders are arranged around a central crankshaft, producing a distinctive mechanical structure. ZBIOLAND draws on this arrangement to give the watch a strong sense of engineered motion. Rather than hiding the mechanics behind a conventional dial, the design makes the interaction between components part of its visual identity.
One of the watch's defining features is its double-sided time display. Designed to be worn with either face facing outward, the Radial Engine SL offers two viewing orientations and encourages the wearer to engage with the watch from different perspectives. This unconventional approach challenges the usual distinction between the front and back of a wristwatch, turning the case itself into part of the experience.
Versatility extends to the way the watch can be worn. A quick-release button on the side of the case allows the wearer to switch easily to the included pendant chain, transforming the timepiece into a distinctive watch pendant. The change of configuration introduces a fashion-oriented dimension to its mechanical character, allowing the same object to move between wristwear and accessory.
The Grade 5 titanium case measures 44 mm in diameter and 13.5 mm thick, giving the watch a substantial, technical presence. Inside, a combination of ZBIOLAND-developed mechanical elements and a Miyota 9015-based movement architecture powers the timepiece, reflecting the brand's interest in integrating its own design concepts with established mechanical platforms.
The Radial Engine SL is a study in functional imagination. Through its engine-inspired construction, reversible wearing design, and adaptable form, it turns the familiar wristwatch into something closer to a kinetic mechanical object.
Specifications
- Model: ZBL1022
- Movement: ZBIOLAND-developed mechanism with Miyota 9015 base
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
- Power Reserve: 40 hours
- Case Diameter: 44 mm
- Thickness: 13.5 mm
- Weight: 80 g
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Crown Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Additional Feature: Double-sided time display; quick-release conversion to pendant wear
Snake Watch — A Mechanical Interpretation of Serpentine Motion
The snake has long fascinated designers with its ability to move fluidly through space without limbs. Its motion combines flexibility, coordination, and an almost continuous transfer of energy. ZBIOLAND's Snake Watch takes this natural phenomenon as the starting point for a mechanical creation that brings the movement of a serpent into the architecture of a wristwatch.
The defining feature is a moving snake-shaped mechanical automaton integrated into the watch's design. Using magnetic suspension and locking technology to drive a fusee-chain structure, the mechanism recreates the flowing trajectory associated with a snake in motion. Rather than treating the serpent as a static decorative motif, ZBIOLAND gives it a dynamic presence, making movement itself the centerpiece of the design.
The fusee chain introduces a distinctive mechanical vocabulary, while the magnetic suspension and locking system contributes to the unusual way the snake component is driven. Together, these elements reflect the brand's interest in exploring mechanical structures that extend beyond conventional displays of hours and minutes.
The result is a timepiece in which engineering becomes a form of kinetic expression. The snake's movement creates a visual narrative across the watch, inviting the wearer to observe the relationship between mechanical force and organic motion. It also captures a central idea in ZBIOLAND's philosophy: that machinery need not feel cold or purely utilitarian. Through considered design and carefully coordinated movement, mechanical components can take on a sense of character and vitality.
A Grade 5 titanium case provides the structural foundation for the watch. Measuring 46 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick, it houses the brand's self-developed mechanism combined with an SW-based movement platform. The movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides a power reserve of 38 hours.
The Snake Watch represents one of the more imaginative directions in contemporary mechanical watch design. By translating the fluid motion of a living creature into a mechanical performance, ZBIOLAND creates a timepiece that sits at the intersection of horology, kinetic sculpture, and experimental engineering.
Specifications
- Model: ZBL1015
- Movement: ZBIOLAND-developed mechanism with SW-based movement
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Case Diameter: 46 mm
- Thickness: 10 mm
- Weight: 76 g
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Crown Material: Grade 5 titanium
- Additional Feature: Moving snake-shaped mechanical automaton; magnetic suspension and locking technology
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Exhibition Guide
- Exhibition Name: “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition, and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition
- Opening Date: October 23, 2026
- Exhibition Dates: October 23, 2026 – December 16, 2026
- Venue: 3rd Floor Art Space, Building D7, National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), No. 3 Jinhang East Road, Shunyi District, Beijing
- Organizer: National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing)
- Academic Support: Research Group on Qing Dynasty Court Craftsmanship Inheritance Examples, The Palace Museum; Watchina
- Executive Curator: Horology Planet
