Best described as a Horological Machine, a kinetic sculptures for measuring time by one of the most eclectic independent high horology brands. Now a Roman icon is revisited – the Bulgari X MB&F Serpenti, a refined creation that is the fruit of an unexpected collaboration
by Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Bulgari
Asign, an identifying trait, a symbol that became a timeless icon. One that combines history, legend, fascination and an undeniable touch of style, inspiring emotions and becoming part of a brand’s expressive vocabulary, assuming the status of representative. A serpent, a reptile that by its very nature is perfect for taking shape as a precious object, transformed through an exercise of creativity into a jewel designed to wrap smoothly around the body, enabled by a distinctive physiognomy that can meet exceptional ergonomic demands. Entering the creative world of Bulgari towards the late 1940s, the snake has always been most at home in an exclusively female world, sloughing off its skin from time to time to become a shimmering jewel, a watch or a watch that is also a piece of jewellery. Never,
Opposite page, the Bulgari X MB&F Serpenti, a kinetic sculpture created to measure time. Above, the unusual case design in rose gold, also available in black PVD treated steel and grade 5 titanium. Available in three series of 33 examples each
though, making its presence felt as part of the male wardrobe. Until now, at least, with the appearance of the Bulgari X MB&F Serpenti. This timepiece is a challenge, almost a provocation, but at the same time it is the contemporary reinterpretation of a myth expressed through the geometry of a futuristic Horological Machine, a kinetic sculpture where the classic concept of time, entirely deconstructed and destructured, takes on a new shape. An extraordinary serpent, a remarkable snake born from the flair and talent of Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the Roman brand’s Creative Director of Watch Design, and the enthusiasm of the team of Maximilian Büsser, owner of the artisanal Swiss brand MB&F. Stigliani was the designer and Büsser engineered it, giving solid, tangible form to hundreds of hand-drawn sketches created to shape a futuristic reptile brought to life by the movement it houses, a manually-wound mechanical calibre whose hour and minutes are expressed by rotating domes in aluminium that are displayed through sapphire crystal “eyelids”. Its 45-hour power reserve is indicated by a hand visible through the exhibition caseback. bulgari.com
To side, the model’s front and back emphasise the case shape – the most complex ever made by MB&F – and the manual movement. Below, two sketches by Bulgari’s Creative Director of Watch Design, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, illustrate the evolution of the design
