The second collaboration between Bulgari and MB&F is a new combination of the distinct personalities of two radically different brands. The result: a Serpenti that defies mechanical conventions.
On the one hand the mind behind the design of the Octo Finissimo watch line and the rebirth of Serpenti, the creative director of Bulgari Fabrizio Buonamassa. On the other hand, Maximilian Büsser, founder and creative director of MB&F from which, since 2007, have emerged what are still considered the most futuristic mechanical watches of this century. This is not the first time they have met. Indeed, in 2021, the MB&F x Bvlgari LM FlyingT Allegra brought the jewellery savoir-faire and design language of the Roman Maison to MB&F's Legacy Machine.
For collaboration number two, the choice fell on one of Bulgari's most iconic women's watches, Serpenti, projecting it into the highly mechanical universe of Haute Horlogerie of Max Büsser's brand. Code name: Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti.
The famous Serpenti case has been completely reworked, which features a complex construction that, in addition to the metal part. incorporates five sapphire glass elements. The movement, developed in-house by MB&F, is a hand-wound calibre offering a special solution for time display.
Bulgari Serpenti in a mechanical key
The calibre of MB&F: challenging conventions.
One of Fabrizio Buonamassa's central ideas was to give mechanical life to Serpenti by animating its eyes through two rotating domes. The left one rotates in 12 hours, the right one in 60 minutes. The effect is amplified by SuperLuminova, which makes the snake's eyes glow in the dark. The extremely thin domes are made from solid aluminium to make them as light as possible.
The oversized flying balanceborn 14 mm represents the mechanical 'brain' of the reptile. The 45-hour power reserve is displayed in an indicator on the caseback. A movement with an unconventional geometry, the fruit of the mechanical expertise of MB&F and its more than 20 calibres, in particular the hand-wound HM10, which has been profoundly modified to match the new Serpenti design.
Bulgari and MB&F: more than just a collaboration
Three limited editions of 33 for the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti.
The influence of automotive design, a passion shared by Buonamassa and Büsser. is evident in several detailsfrom the case reminiscent of an elegant body, to the 'stepped' sapphire crystal reminiscent of sports car rear windows, to the winding crowns that look like small wheels.
Water resistance up to 30 metres is an achievement not to be taken for granted given the complexity of the case. Three versions are available, all 39 mm: grade 5 titanium with blue domes, rose gold with green domes, steel with black PVD coating and red domes. The production represents a considerable technical challenge. MB&F's master watchmakers can only assemble six to eight movements per month of the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti, making it take more than a year to complete all 99 pieces (33 for each version).
Priceson request.
