The Bulgari x MB&F Serpenti Sets A New Bar For Watch Collaborations

Back in 2021, we saw the first Bulgari x MB&F collaboration with the Legacy Machine FlyingT Allegra, a dazzling and glamorous take on the Flying T adorned by diamonds, tsavorite, amethyst, and tourmaline. This was a more clear-cut synthesis of the two brands coming together to create a work of horological and gemological art. This new MB&F x Bulgari collaboration takes things in a whole new direction that a certain type of watch nerd — *cough*me*cough* — is going to go full Tex Avery for (including but not limited to eyes-popping out several feet and hitting oneself on the head with a hammer).

Earlier this year I sat down with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the Creative Director & Designer for Bvlgari Watches and the mind behind the Octo Finissimo. “Would you like to see the collaboration we are doing with MB&F on a Serpenti?” he asked. I managed to restrain myself from blurting out one of a litany of “Is the Pope Catholic?”-esque statements before he began his presentation. Reimagining the Serpenti, one of the singularly most iconic and historically significant watches of all time, is a bold — if not a little crazy— proposition. The Serpenti has been around since 1948 and has seen several variations, like the more classic Tubogas and the extravagant "secret jewelry" Misteriosi collection. They’ve also graced the wrists of some of the most glamorous women in the last 75 years, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, Zendaya, and my mother-in-law.

When one thinks of the Serpenti, the coiling bracelet often takes center stage but Stigliani and MB&F founder/industry crush Max Büsser decided to focus on the head of the snake for this collaboration. In fact, the use of a relatively simple rubber-with-velcro strap communicates where the focus and intention lies quite clearly and immediately. So, let’s move over to the head of the snake and see what these two titans of watch design came up with to make the Serpenti a Horological Machine.

For those familiar with MB&F, the case of the Serpenti is reminiscent of another animal-themed creation: the MB&F HM10 Bulldog. The curving, bulbous sapphire crystal on one end and two ear-shaped crowns on the other came together with the asymmetrically sized lugs (à la a bulldog’s front and rear legs) to create one of the most fun and somehow wearable watches in MB&F’s catalog. The Serpenti goes in a different and more elaborate direction due to not just the impressively complex curves but with the five different sapphire crystals that come together to create the snake’s head. This design creativity comes together most dramatically in the eyes of the snake. According to Büsser, “ “At MB&F we specialize in ‘kinetic sculptures which give time’ so it was definitely our calling. Nevertheless, the biomorphic design of this watch created enormous challenges in terms of the case but also the movement. The intricate case is entirely machined with 5-axis 3D mills and holds the five sapphire crystals which were not only extremely complicated to make but equally challenging to fit due to the curved nature of the case and the desire for a water resistance of 30 meters”.

According to the designers, it took hundreds of sketches and 3D-printed models before finally landing on what would become the eventual final product. Creating a cool-looking neo-Serpenti case is a challenging endeavor in itself but the real difficulty lies with how the uniquely elaborate MB&F movement would both fit and display time. Let’s start with the “brain” of the snake, which is the massive 14mm flying balance wheel with four traditional regulating screws which operates at 2.5 Hz and is held in place by that 3D balance bridge which is adorned with the Bulgari X MB&F text. Looking straight down, you can see the two thin, lumen aluminum domes with the left dome reading the hours and the right dome reading the minutes. The pointers that designate the hour and minute on each eye are designed to look like vertical pupils, a touch that is both practical and very much on theme. And while I don’t believe it was mentioned in the press materials or in my meeting with Stigliani, the bottom lugs do resemble a pair of big fangs, don’t they?

The case measures 39mm wide, 18mm thick at its highest point, and 53mm lug-to-lug.  The bulbous front end of the watch dramatically slopes downward towards the rear (or the top if you’re wearing it on the wrist). Both crowns are integrated into the rear lugs and are used to set either the hour or minutes; between the two is another piece of sapphire that almost resembles a panel. I love that two unrestrained creative minds like Stigliani and Büsser could not help but bring their passion for automotive design into play here. Is it a bit off theme? Sure. Does it help bring the entire design together while adding some flair to the admittedly less sexy rear of the case? Absolutely. The “stepped” sapphire crystal panel here is gorgeous and does indeed resemble the rear window of a sports car while the movement segments look like engine components. Oh, and the crowns are kind of like wheels, aren’t they? In the hands of less adept designers, applying these automotive-inspired touches could have resulted in a confused mess, but it is so subtle that one doesn’t even begin to think that the cohesiveness of the Serpenti design is compromised. In fact, it can even heighten the serpentine traits such as with the “grill” that uses the recognizable, hexagonal scale motif.

Turning the case over reveals the rest of the manual-winding, in-house MB&F movement, which is hand-finished and takes so long to manufacture and finish that only six to eight can be produced per month, resulting in what will be a full year-long delivery schedule to fulfill all 99 pieces. The aforementioned HM10 caliber is the base here but it is heavily modified in order to be outfitted in the Serpenti. The black bridges create a dramatic architectural view but one that knows that the top-side of the case is where the attention will go. Not done purely for the sake of aesthetics, you’ll note the power-reserve indicator here. 

There are three versions of the Bulgari x MB&F Serpenti watch, each limited to 33 pieces. The first is in a grade 5 titanium case with blue domes and accents as well as a blue strap. Secondly, there's the 18k rose-gold model, with green domes and a matching green strap. Finally, there is my personal favorite, which is in a black PVD- coated steel case with red domes and a matching black strap. I love the drama that the polished surfaces of the titanium and gold model but there is something so sleek and brooding about the black PVD that just exudes "alpha snake."

This is the kind of collaboration I’ve always wished we would see more of. I have to give a lot of credit to Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin as well as LVMH for not being too precious about the Serpenti. Babin goes on to say that, “Watchmaking is all about innovation and desirability stemming from the magical fusion of superlative micromechanical expertise with unexpected yet stunning timeless designs….Especially in down-cycles, brands must cross new boundaries and dare to innovate out of the box, under the leadership of managers and designers obsessed with progress, beauty and strategic thinking that drives unexpected initiatives.This is what we achieved with MB&F, with whom we share common ground values.” This is a refreshingly honest and accurate assessment of both today’s challenging market and the fact that buyers looking for something unique have plenty of options to choose from.

The Bulgari X MB&F Serpenti will come in 33 pieces of each version, with the titanium Ref. 104047 and steel/black PVD Ref. 104139 both priced at $148,000, and the 18k rose gold Ref. 104139 priced at $170,000.