REBIRTH OF AN ICON
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Infinity
Bulgari’s spirit animal, the serpent, is a symbol of perpetual rebirth, wisdom and sensuality. Since its debut in the 1940s, the Serpenti collection has been synonymous with the Tubogas, a technique that utilised a material and manufacturing process that was similar to how gas pipes were produced. Not only were bracelets made using the Tubogas technique supple and flexible enough to wrap around the arm, but their industrial aesthetic also presented an interesting juxtaposition when used in jewellery timepieces. The earliest Serpenti watches featured dials placed at the position where the ‘ head of the snake’ would have been. More than 70 years on, this watch remains an icon, thanks to its duality as a jewel that tells time.
At first glance, the new Serpenti watches look the same. However, this is the year of metamorphosis for the collection, as Bulgari has reinvented it with an entirely new manufacturing process. Traditionally, the Tubogas technique involved coiling an entire length of gold wire around a flexible titanium blade with a machine. The Serpenti Infinity collection is created with the new method, which involves slipping flattened gold rings over the blade by hand. This modular construction of the bracelet, link by link, enables the use of thicker links unlike the gold wire used previously. This allows gemstones to be set directly on each link. This new way of crafting watch bracelets offers infinite possibilities for the Serpenti collection, according to Bulgari. For starters, the Serpenti Infinity collection consists of iterations in rose gold with diamonds set in a wave pattern, in either single or double-twirl bracelets. Fully gem-encrusted Serpenti watches around the arm? We can’t wait.