- Bulgari partners with indie watchmaker MB&F to reimagine its iconic Serpenti for 2025.
- For the first time in 76 years, the feminine icon slithers into genderless territory.
- Only 99 pieces are planned, each featuring a snake that tells time through its glowing eyes.
The watch world is moving at breakneck speed, and so is Bulgari. Fresh off a year where nearly 1,000 timepieces hit the market, 2025 is already proving that creativity in haute horlogerie has no speed limit.
And when LVMH powerhouse Bulgari announced a new collaboration, watch enthusiasts knew something special was coming. Turns out, they were right since Bulgari’s design chief Fabrizio Buonamassa met MB&F’s Max Büsser to take a fresh approach to one of the Italian luxury watchmaker’s most iconic collections.
Evolution of the Serpenti
First launched in 1948, the Serpenti was one of the most iconic watch collections in Bulgari’s revered history, blending Italian craftsmanship with the hypnotic allure of the snake motif. The earliest Serpenti watches featured the classic Tubogas technique: a flexible, coiled bracelet with no soldering, which allowed the timepiece to seamlessly wrap around the wearer’s wrist similar to a snake. It reflected the brand’s enduring avant-garde vision and quickly became a favourite for watch enthusiasts at the time.
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Today’s release combines the vision and expertise of both Bulgari and MB&F, taking this iconic collection to dizzying new heights.
Of course, this isn’t the first collaboration between Buonamassa and Büsser; the 2021 release of the LM Flying T Allegra was a spectacular mix of mechanical watchmaking and high jewellery. Something that the two brands were keen to retain through this spectacular 2025 release.
This time, however, they are pushing in an entirely different direction, tossing convention out the window by creating a horological sculpture which, they argue, could not be more complicated — bringing Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti into the world of men’s haute horlogerie for the first time in 76 years.
“Watchmaking is all about innovation and desirability,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari’s CEO, at the Dubai Serpenti launch event. And innovative it certainly is. The watch features rotating hour and minute displays in the snake’s eyes – yes, you read that right – the snake tells time through its gaze. These aren’t just any displays either; they are treated with Super-LumiNova, making them glow ominously in the dark giving the serpent a life of its own.
Engineering the Impossible
The mechanical mastery isn’t just apparent in the snake’s hypnotic gaze. At the heart of this creation beats a massive 14mm flying balance wheel, visible through one of five sapphire crystal windows.
MB&F fans might recognise some DNA from the HM10, but this movement is a custom beast, a manual-winding engine running at 2.5Hz. And because nothing can be simple, the crowns are cleverly disguised as wheels in the rear lugs, handling winding and time-setting duties with automotive flair.
Getting all of this to work while keeping it 30m water-resistant was, in short, must be a daunting task. The team went through hundreds of sketches and 3D-printed prototypes, refining every millimetre of the case— front, side, top and back — because, unlike traditional round watches, a mechanical snake has to look good slithering from any angle. The tapered tail even features an automotive-style grille, while the triangular profile makes the watch as much a sculpture as a timekeeper.
The Collection
The collection comes in three flavours; each limited to 33 pieces: a grade 5 titanium model with blue eyes, an 18K rose gold version with green eyes for the traditionalists, and a black PVD-coated stainless steel variant with striking red eyes for those who prefer their luxury with a bit more edge. Each packs a 45-hour power reserve and is paired with matching hand-stitched rubber straps featuring a Velcro system.
And here’s the kicker: only a maximum of eight watches will be made per month; if you’re planning to get your hands on this mechanical serpent, you’d better act fast — time is of the essence.
