Jewellery watches, particularly excessive jewellery fashions, not often grow to be icons. Their manufacturing numbers are sometimes so restricted, with lots of them distinctive items, that they simply don’t get sufficient consideration to acquire this coveted standing.
Prior to now, a model would possibly make a giant impression by combining beautiful gem-setting craftsmanship with a stunning price ticket, like Vacheron Constantin in 1979 with the Kallista, which value 5 million {dollars} on the time of its creation. Today, a number of manufacturers promote multi-million-dollar diamond creations, many primarily based on fashions already current with out an abundance of treasured gems.
And that’s the second purpose why lots of them saunter into oblivion for most people: the common mannequin turns into the icon, whereas its high-jewelry sibling is shortly forgotten.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry on the wrist
Bulgari Serpenti: the proper pet snake
The exceptions to those guidelines are few and much between, however the Bulgari Serpenti is one. This very cleverly designed and fantastically made pet snake for the wrist dissolved the road between jewellery and timekeeper, profitable the center of famed actress Elizabeth Taylor alongside the way in which. These two facets mixed already provided a promising begin for the timepiece, however Bulgari additionally rigorously nurtured this assortment within the many years to comply with. Because the Serpenti is exclusive and charismatic, it’s a watch that individuals keep in mind, a rarity for a watch set with gem stones and nice in serving to grow to be an icon.

Minimize turquoise able to be set into the pinnacle of the Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry
Since 2017 every version of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has had a Bulgari Serpenti among the many shortlisted watches within the Jewelry class, annually with a unique mannequin. This can be a mindboggling achievement and additional testimony to the greatness of the Bulgari Serpenti.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry with mouth open and closed
The draw back of this assortment, specifically of fashions just like the Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry, is that they’re so uncommon and treasured that few get to see them, and even fewer get to deal with them. We at Quill & Pad had been fortunate to be among the many latter earlier this 12 months in Geneva.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry
Serpenti Misteriosi: troublesome to explain
The Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry is a watch that’s troublesome to explain as a result of it’s so way more than the sum of its elements. Whereas it’s product of treasured metallic and stones, it looks as if it will possibly come to life any minute. “The animal” is crafted in such an natural and three-dimensional manner that it actually takes on character.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry: the forked tongue is the catch that opens the pinnacle
This specific model combines a physique of pink gold with scales set with diamonds and turquoise. Two pear-cut rubellites give the snake a strong stare, however those that dare ought to press its tongue. That pops the pinnacle open, revealing a pavé setting of colorless diamonds together with a small dial on which two blued palms present the time.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry with watch container out of setting
Micro motion: Bulgari Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo
This ingenuity goes even additional because the watch is about right into a detachable case that may be taken out of the Serpenti’s mouth, making it simpler to wind, set, and repair. This isn’t a typo: one should certainly wind the mechanical motion.

Bulgari’s Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo powers the Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry
Bulgari opted to outfit the watch with its proprietary Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo. This is without doubt one of the smallest mechanical actions in manufacturing with a diameter of simply 12.3 mm, a peak of solely 2.5 mm, and a complete weight of just one.3 grams. Whereas much less apparent from a technical perspective, that is equally as spectacular because the model’s ultra-thin creations within the Octo Finissimo assortment.

Bulgari Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo regulator
Bulgari performed with varied facets to maintain the motion as small as doable in each dimension, but it’s concurrently a stable performer. So is the miniscule stability wheel, its inertia assured by the heavy white gold it’s crafted from. Bulgari even completed the motion to a excessive diploma.

Bulgari Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo out of case
Such a motion elevates the complete creation to a good increased customary, making it treasured in and out. This refined method is why the Serpenti assortment is the exception to the rule and way more than the sum of all its diamonds.

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry in pink gold with turquoise scales and in yellow gold with a totally diamond-set head
For extra info, please go to www.bulgari.com/en-int/watches/womens/serpenti-secret-watch-rose-gold-pink.
Fast Info Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Excessive Jewelry
Case: 40 mm, pink gold with bracelet set with turquoise inserts and brilliant-cut diamonds, two pear-cut rubellites as eyes, pavé diamond setting contained in the mouth, together with the dial of the watch; complete of 18.05 carats
Motion: guide winding Caliber BVL 100 Piccolissimo, 3 Hz/21,600 vph, 30-hour energy reserve
Capabilities: hours, minutes
Value: CHF 246,000 (VAT included)
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