QUART ERLY - P.I. 21/07 /2017 Intern ationa l € 10, Spedizione in Abbon Chf 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 Poste Italian e S.p.a. amento Postale - 70% - LO/MI
J A D E I S S U E
JADE ISSUE - n° 11 - 2017 - € 10
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The Art of Sailing
[ The WATCH ]
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Left, the rose gold and diamond model with double-turn leather bracelet from Bulgari’s new Serpenti collection, available in a wide range of versions (right). Below, two images of the Serpenti Seduttori, a watchjewel “with a secret”
ULTRA-REFINED GAMES OF seduction The aesthetics and symbology of the snake, its jaws and coils, has always
been a powerful source of inspiration for Bulgari jewellery and watchmaking by Paolo De Vecchi
T
he first Serpenti collections were launched in the 1950s, and since then they have been proposed in all their possible forms. At the spring Baselworld, the World Watchmaking Fair in Basle, the Serpenti made
their presence felt even more than usual, because this year they are particularly original and different. The base collection, for example, with its curved gold or steel case and extraordinary variety of colours for the strap, made of precious Karung leather and often with double turn, coordinated “tone on tone” with the dial, is complemented by another high jewellery collection called Serpenti Incantati. These “enchanted serpents” were inspired by the lovely idea of wrapping the serpentine coils around the watch dial. But as Bulgari often likes to seduce its admirers, there’s also an exceptional surprise - the Serpenti Seduttori (“Seductive Serpents”), where a high jewellery bracelet in the shape of a snake wraps snugly around the wrist. Its head has a catch that enables its mouth to be opened and closed, and inside it nestles a minuscule watch. This is made even more realistic by emerald eyes and a tourmaline on the head. It is an extraordinary variation on the theme of “la montre à secret”, a type that played on the charm of a tiny watch with a variety of curious, incredibly skilful mechanisms that could make it disappear from sight.
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[ The WATCH ] AN EXPRESSION OF THE ITALIAN STYLE The Roma model recently celebrated its first 40 years. In the masculine world at least, it is the icon of Bulgari watchmaking, which in itself is an eclectic expression of the best “Italian Style.” The Roma was created in 1975 and since then it has been reinterpreted in a number of ways, most notably with an anniversary collection in 2015 and now with the Octo model, which features a case with 58 facets. But beyond technical and aesthetic variations, the great appeal of the Roma model lies in its stylistic coherence and embodiment of the brand values. “Our attention is constantly focused on a quest for balanced proportions and an expression of the brand style”, explains Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Senior Director of the Watch Design Center at Bulgari Horlogerie SA. Born in 1971, he studied industrial design and later worked with the Centro Stile Fiat. “We apply the same formula rigorously to every design. And to put it into practice, it’s really useful and interesting to have the huge Bulgari archive at our disposal.”
Above, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Senior Director of the Watch Design Center of Bulgari Horlogerie SA. Right, the rose gold and steel and gold version of the new Octo Roma, a men’s watch with faceted case and automatic movement
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