15.02.2025

BVLGARI x MB&F: Transforming SERPENTI into a horological machine

BVLGARI and MB&F redefine horology with the SERPENTI, a fusion of Italian artistry and Swiss engineering inspired by the Ouroboros. Featuring mesmerizing revolving time domes and a flying balance wheel, this limited-edition masterpiece is more than a watch—it’s a meditation on time and eternity.

Words: Victor Goh

Photos courtesy of MB&F.

In ancient mythology, the serpent biting its own tail - the Ouroboros - represented infinity, the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth.

Today, in an extraordinary fusion of Italian artistry and Swiss avant-garde engineering, BVLGARI and MB&F have captured this timeless symbolism in their latest horological masterpiece. The new BVLGARI x MB&F SERPENTI isn't merely a timepiece; it's a philosophical statement about the nature of time itself.

When two distinct universes collide, magic happens. BVLGARI, with its 140-year legacy of Italian elegance, and MB&F, the maverick creator of kinetic wrist sculptures, have joined forces to transform the iconic Serpenti into something that transcends traditional watchmaking. This collaboration began with a serendipitous meeting between Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, BVLGARI's watchmaking creation director, and Maximilian Büsser, MB&F's visionary founder.

Maximilian Büsser, MB&F's visionary founder (left), and Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, BVLGARI's watchmaking creation director (right).

Following their successful 2021 collaboration on the LM FlyingT Allegra, this new creation pushes boundaries further. The SERPENTI has been completely reimagined as a Horological Machine, demanding a fundamental rethinking of both mechanical engineering and case design. The result is mesmerizing - a mechanical serpent whose eyes tell time through revolving hour and minute domes, while its "brain" is represented by a striking 14mm flying balance wheel.

The technical mastery is awe-inspiring. The case design alone required hundreds of sketches and numerous 3D-printed prototypes to perfect its complex curves. Five sapphire crystals, including a multi-facetted rear section, make the case not just a challenge to machine but also to waterproof. Inside, the hand-finished movement comprises 310 components, each telling its own story of artisanal excellence. Such is the complexity that only six to eight movements can be crafted each month.

For automotive enthusiasts, the design holds special appeal. The sleek case echoes sophisticated car bodywork, while the stepped sapphire crystal mirrors the rear window flaps of high-performance sports cars. Even the crowns resemble precision-engineered wheel rims, while the movement showcases the signature hexagonal scale motif of previous Serpenti creations.

The collection comes in three limited editions of 33 pieces each: a grade 5 titanium version with hypnotic blue domes, an 18K rose gold iteration with piercing green eyes, and a black PVD-coated stainless steel model with passionate red eyes. Priced from CHF 132,000 for the titanium and stainless steel versions to CHF 152,000 for the gold model (excluding VAT), these pieces represent more than luxury timepieces - they are mechanical poetry for the wrist.

As I examine this remarkable fusion of art and engineering, I can't help but feel a profound appreciation for its philosophical significance. Like the serpent it embodies, this timepiece represents the endless cycle of innovation and tradition, the marriage of past and future. And while its price point places it in the realm of dreams for many, including myself, there's something undeniably captivating about owning a piece of horological history that challenges our very perception of time itself.

In the end, the BVLGARI x MB&F SERPENTI isn't just a watch - it's a meditation on time, art, and the eternal dance between tradition and innovation. And perhaps that's what makes it so irresistibly fascinating.

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