This isn’t the first time MB&F and Bvlgari have put their creative heads together. Already in 2021, these two seemingly polar opposites combined forces to release the FlyingT Allegra; a bold piece for which the Italian jeweller, as only it knows how, set opulent coloured gemstones on an MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT, to stunning effect.
This trio of newly released Serpenti is equally astonishing, and all the more so as all three capture the distinct personality and DNA of both brands. There can be no mistaking Bvlgari’s much feted serpent, which sheds its habitual feminine skin to become an authentic MB&F horological machine. The result is three spectacularly bold creations that showcase each partner’s particular expertise while pushing at horological limits.
And so the Serpenti finds itself transported to the world of mechanical haute horlogerie à la MB&F. Translating the sinuous forms of this supremely desirable women’s watch into MB&F’s favourite and traditionally more masculine design language posed a challenge not to be underestimated. Even if Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, director of watchmaking creation at Bvlgari, insists that the design “was a pleasure to create”, hundreds of sketches and several dozen 3D-printed models were needed to achieve the consummate forms of this very different Serpenti.
The complex case shape required numerous iterations to achieve the perfect juncture of mechanism and design. Combining the curved metal surfaces of the case with the five sapphire crystal windows, which provide impressive openings on the movement, would prove a feat of engineering and assembly — a challenge compounded by the 30-metre water-resistance. In the words of MB&F founder and creative director Maximilian Büsser, “the biomorphic design of this watch created enormous challenges in terms of the case but also the movement.”
This Serpenti is no less a mechanical tour de force. MB&F has accustomed us to gamechanging mechanisms and this latest invention is no exception. The snake’s eyes come to life to show the time on two revolving domes, with hours displayed on the left and minutes on the right. Both domes have been treated with Super-LumiNova to glow in the dark. The flying balance wheel becomes the serpent’s brain while winding and time-setting are by two crowns which are incorporated into the lugs. Turning the watch over reveals more of the movement’s 310 components together with the indicator for the 45 hours of power reserve. All the finishing has been hand-executed by the watchmakers at MB&F.
From the front, the wearer is confronted with the serpent’s hypnotic gaze. Viewed from the side, the automotive inspiration leaps out. The case recalls sleek bodywork, the stepped sapphire crystals could be the flaps on a sports car, the crowns suggest the wheels on a car while the visible portion of the movement replicates an engine.
There are three versions of this ergonomic and highly mechanical Serpenti, each limited to 33 pieces: one in rose gold with green hour and minute domes; a second in grade 5 titanium with blue domes and a third in black PVD-coated stainless steel with red domes.
A new Serpenti takes the stage, transformed into an astonishing mechanical creature that transfixes us with its luminous gaze. The encounter between Bvlgari and MB&F has produced a fascinating creature, designed to be worn on the wrist; a sophisticated horological machine that illustrates both brands’ capacity to push the limits of creativity with truly remarkable creations.
