Bvlgari Reimagines the Iconic Serpenti Watch
Bvlgari has unveiled a new collaboration with independent watch brand MB&F, an embodiment of avant-garde watchmaking and Italian-born luxury. The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti is a striking timepiece that reimagines the house’s fabled serpent motif as a rotating, biomorphic wrist creation.
Serpenti has long been one of Bvlgari’s most recognizable symbols, iterated across iconic collections such as Bvlgari Bvlgari and Serpenti Through the Years. As a motif, it speaks to the house’s long-rooted heritage in jewelry making, with its catalog of Serpenti timepieces—wristwatches and pocket watches alike—drawing from a similarly storied legacy of finely crafted clocks and timepieces. The new Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti creation—presented for the first time in Dubai—continues this tradition of elevating the serpent design, putting a new spin on its fluid, undulating profile.
“I firmly believe there is a strong synergy between Bvlgari and MB&F that stems from our shared passion for innovation and creative excellence,” says Maximilian Büsser, founder of MB&F. “Serpenti is Bvlgari’s most iconic symbol and the new Bvlgari Serpenti watch by MB&F is an all-time icon for me. I love its organic, sensual form unified with sophisticated mechanics that makes it an exquisite statement piece.”
The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti is a highly limited edition watch that combines the fluid profile of Bvlgari’s serpent design with the innovative engineering MB&F is best-known for. The biomorphic design—described by Büsser as an “eerie, hypnotic bio-mechanical fluid dance”—features two domes that evolve with the passage of time. As the domes rotate, they reveal four sets of scales that serve as indicators for the hours and minutes.
“Our goal was to design a mechanical interpretation of Serpenti that remained faithful to Bvlgari’s iconic jewelry tradition,” says Büsser. “To ensure the design would stay true to Bvlgari’s DNA, we used the brand’s original vintage Serpenti watch as a reference. The result is a surreal, sensual object that pays homage to Bvlgari’s rich history and celebrated motif.”
The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti is a complex, three-dimensional mechanism that’s assembled from 310 hand-crafted components. At the heart of the watch is an MBF86 caliber engine that’s hand-wound to have a power reserve of 98 hours. The biomorphic domes that display time—one for the minutes and one for the hours—rotate on a blackened, concave disk that serves as a backdrop.
With a platinum case that measures 45mm in diameter, the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti is water-resistant up to 30 meters. The case is engraved with Bvlgari’s classic font and the limited-edition number on either side of the watch, while the underside has MB&F’s moniker and a depiction of the serpent’s tail. As a finishing touch, the watch has a sapphire crystal that’s treated with an anti-reflective coating.
The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti is limited to 33 pieces in rose gold and 33 pieces in white platinum. Each version—of which only 66 will be made—is presented on a black leather strap with a folding buckle in tantalum.
