Bulgari’s Serpenti watch has been coiling around the wrists of the most glamorous women since the 1940’s when the Italian jewellery house inserted a watch dial into a Tubogas bracelet, a fashionable and stylised Art Deco bracelet. Named for its inspiration: the utilitarian gas piping found in houses around the world, the Tubogas is a fine example of function-led design popular in the post-war era. Moving on from the Tubogas, the Serpenti watch has since taken on many guises to become one of the jeweller’s best selling designs as the snake - the symbol eternity - continues its reign at Bulgari. But there is more to the design than meets the eye, the clever coiling of the bands of gold of the bracelet allows it to glide onto the wrist and coil around the wrist with the ease of fabric. And of the course the Bulgari touch that brings glamour and opulence to even the most simple designs.
The Serpenti’s steadfast following is set to grow as Bulgari’s design team dream up new variants of the snake watch for 2018. Harking back to the funky tri-colour gold designs from the 1960’s, today the Serpenti Tubogas is a glorious medley of white, pink and yellow gold, all in one slinky bracelet (above). Unlike earlier versions from the 60’s and 70’s, Bulgari has refined both design and technique to offer a subtle graduated transition between the three different colours of gold for a sleeker effect. The almost abstract pink gold snake’s head is set with 38 diamonds. Proving that good design is timeless, the launch includes revamped versions of the classic pink gold Tubogas Serpenti in either single or double coil versions (below).
Combining the house’s Greco-Roman heritage with powerful design is a Bulgari forté. And nowhere is this daring fusion of ancient and modern more successful than in the Serpenti Spiga Ceramica made from high tech ceramic. Mimicking the cold-blooded snake, the cool, smooth ceramic bracelet slips around the wrist with same ease as its namesake for a boldly contemporary look. The addition of pink gold bands add a richness to the austere beauty of the monochrome design. A five coil black ceramic version (below) is the grandiose flourish to this fashion-forward set of watches.
Proving that a snake can shed its skin to emerge in ever new guises, the Serpenti Twist Your Time offers women the opportunity to stamp their own style on their watch. Launched in 2017, the Serpenti offered the appeal of a wardrobe of easy-to-change straps and a rainbow of colourful dials. This year Bulgari offers yet more options to truly make your watch your own.
New metallic leather straps in indigo blue (above) or wisteria jade wrap around the wrist four times for an edgy and stand-out look. Or you can choose a more sophisticated and classic look with the two twist gold-colour metallic leather strap with an antique bronze patina (top).
Want to up-grade your look to a jewellery watch? In a jiffy and without chipping a nail, in the comfort of your home, you can slide out the leather strap and replace it with a pink gold chain bracelet (above). Seeing this nifty system in action makes you wonder if you will ever need to buy another watch with this chameleon-like reptile at your service.
As both jeweller and watchmaker, Bulgari always delights with a jewellery watch that is very much suo generis. This year the one-of-a-kind twin-headed Serpenti Misteriosi high jewellery watch (above) majestically claims the limelight. Made of white gold and set with dozens of white diamonds, a miniature watch dial is concealed below the diamond and emerald scales on the serpent’s head.
The serpent may be as old as time itself, but in Bulgari’s hands, its appeal springs eternal
