The horsebit is the metal bar and rings that are the part attached to the mouth of a horse’s bridle. Gucci first started playing with the motif in the 1940’s when the design first appeared in the notebook of one of the house’s artisans. Gucci Horsebit later became a link between Gucci’s Florentine craftsmanship and the equestrian world associated with its early customers.
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The motif became famous in the 1950’s when it appeared on Gucci’s leather loafers worn by the Hollywood glitterati of the time, John Wayne, Elvis Presley as well as JF Kennedy. Its clean, symmetrical form meant it soon appeared on bags before it was repurposed as bracelets and watches in the 1970s.
Gucci Horsebit first appeared as fine jewellery in 2004 and celebrated its 20th anniversary with a virtuoso collection in 2024 – see here. In jewellery, the motif works both as a recognisable house code as well as a functional design element. The linked curves elegantly forms chains, wraps around the wrist or finger, or becomes the structure of a watch bracelet.
New designs include a selection of necklaces, including a yellow gold chain design alongside small and large pendant styles in yellow or white gold, all with diamonds. Contrarié rings reinterpret the Horsebit motif in yellow gold adorned with diamonds. The bracelets range from a yellow gold chain bracelet set with diamonds to sculptural bangles in two sizes, including a diamond-set yellow gold version and a streamlined yellow gold style. Completing the set is a new Horsebit watch, made from a steel chain bracelet combined with a sleek silver dial. The design is timeless and pays homage to 70 years of Gucci style and craftsmanship.
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