Bulgari Serpenti.
An iconic pairing of words if ever there was one.
Since Bulgari’s founding, the Italian jeweler has built a reputation upon unique designs. The Serpenti — the snake-shaped watch released to much acclaim in 1948 and still produced today — is one of the most striking timepieces in the history of modern horology. The tubogas bracelet, meanwhile, has played a significant role in the Serpenti story. Named for the gas pipe from which it takes its aesthetic inspiration, this series of interlocking, hollow metal structures has come to define much of the classic Serpenti look. Indeed, wearing one signals good taste, an appreciation for watchmaking history, and a sense of individualism.
This particular Serpenti Tubogas dates to a time long before Bulgari was capable of manufacturing its own movements, and thus joined forces with some of the most prominent watchmakers of the day, Audemars Piguet. Produced in the late 1960s, it features a dual-row, 18K yellow gold, serpenti-tubogas bracelet that terminates in a 21mm oval-shaped watch head. The champagne-toned dial — signed "Audemars Piguet" and fitted with applied indices and a 'sword' handset — hints at the hand-wound A.P. movement ticking away within.
Beautifully designed, this excellent vintage piece pairs one of the world's most important jewelers to one its most prestigious watchmakers in a fit of creativity and beauty.
Why own a regular watch ... when you can own a Serpenti?