38

MB&F and BVLGARI are worlds apart, and yet, through this latest collaboration, they have given birth to a one-of-a-kind creation that challenges horological conventions.

Bvlgari is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship when it comes to watchmaking, shown through the brand combining innovative designs with its rich heritage. Marrying Italian elegance along with Swiss precision, Bvlgari has created iconic collections that are not only timeless but also bring forth a completely unique perspective into watchmaking. One such collection that displays this proudly is the Serpenti.

The Bvlgari Serpenti collection is a mesmerising fusion of high jewellery and horology. The Serpenti first appeared in Bvlgari’s line in 1948, with the elegance and mystique of the serpent creature inspiring the collection. The watches in this collection stand out like no other, as the iconic snake-like design with the coiled bracelets wrap around the wrist in a symbol of power, elegance and luxury.

On the other hand, MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends) is a rebellious force in haute horology, creating avante-garde timepieces that push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking. MB&F is well known for its futurist designs, the incredibly intricate play with various horological complications, and timepieces that leave a mark in the world of horology whenever they are introduced.

This isn’t the first time these two powerhouses in the horology have come together to create something special. In 2021, sparked by a chance encounter between Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani (director of watchmaking creation at Bvlgari) and Maximilian Büsser, the two brands released a first collaboration: the MB&F x Bvlgari LM FlyingT Allegra. This collaboration showed the world of horology and fashion what happens when the colourful world of Bvlgari meets MB&F’s Legacy Machines. After a successful collaboration, why stop there? For watch aficionados—myself included, as a huge fan of MB&F’s Legacy Machines—every new release from the brand feels like Christmas comes early.

For this second collaboration, Fabrizio and Max have chosen to reinterpret one of Bvlgari’s most iconic historical creations: the Serpenti. Reimagining the Serpenti was certainly no easy task. Staying faithful to the concept of the Serpenti while creating a horological machine that fits into the character of an MB&F timepiece meant a complete redesign, from the case and dial to the movement. The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti represents a unique creation, born from an inspired encounter and a shared vision, where calibre and design seamlessly enhance one another.

---

“Watchmaking is all about innovation and desirability stemming from the magical fusion of superlative micromechanical expertise with unexpected yet stunning timeless designs. Especially in down-cycles, brands must cross new boundaries and dare to innovate out of the box, under the leadership of managers and designers obsessed with progress, beauty and strategic thinkingthat drives unexpected initiatives.

We achieved this with MB&F, with whom we share common ground values. In 2020, it gave birth to the Geneva Watch Days, the first spontaneous collaboration between brands of all sizes and backgrounds, which is now a major event in the watch calendar. We then released our first co-designed timepiece in 2021 in Dubai, bringing Bvlgari’s colourful gemstones to MB&F’s Legacy Machines, fusing the best of two different yet complementary DNAs and expertise. I am delighted to see our two Maisons unite again for a one-of-a-kind extraordinary creation, reimagining our brand’s most famous icon, Serpenti, into an astonishing design powered by a beautiful MB&Fcaliber in celebration of the Year of the Snake.

Our collaboration is unique in the watch world because it bridges the two souls of our Maisons and gives birth to a timeless treasure – a true collectible piece. The first-ever truly genderless Serpentiresonates with both contemporary gentlemen and ladies. It shows that superlative watchmaking can be generated by the unexpected pooling of talents like Max and Fabrizio.

Jean-Christophe Babin, Bvlgari Group CEO

---

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani states that the design aspect “was a pleasure to create”. However, we can see from the hundreds of different sketches that this may not have been the case! As we have seen from the original Serpenti “case” design, its not a traditional round case. Bvlgari x MB&F have taken this concept even further, creating a complex case design that mimicks the views of an automobile, where the view can be radically different depending on whether you see it from the front, side, the top or the back!

The case has been designed with perfect harmony in mind. MB&F states, “Like a carefully balanced equation with multiple variables, any adjustment to a particular angle or curve, although improving a certain view, can potentially destroy another. This resulted in countless iterations of the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti design.” Perfecting the design was only one part of the problem, though. The second part comes with the engineering and manufacturing of said design. I’m getting flashbacks to my engineering days, when some of the designs for products we created were so outrageous that making it in real life was a manufacturing nightmare.

The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti case features multiple curved surfaces, which, when combined together, present a machining nightmare. Add to this the fact that the sapphire crystals then have to be curved too, five surfaces to be exact for the snake eyes and the multi-faceted rear section, which are all also treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides, makes for a nearly impossible task for some manufacturers. Not for MB&F, however.

---

“At MB&F, we specialize in ‘kinetic sculptures which give time’, so it was definitely our calling. Nevertheless, the biomorphic design of this watch created enormous challenges in terms of the case and the movement. The intricate case is entirely machined with 5-axis 3dmills and holds the five sapphire crystals, which were not only extremely complicated to make but equally challenging to fit due to the curved nature of the case and the desire for a water resistance of 30 meters.”

Maximilian Büsser, Founder of MB&F.

---

While this latest creation reflects the obvious Bvlgari Serpenti, it also references automobile design. Both Fabrizio and Max are car design enthusiasts and grew up with the same automotive references. It is stated that Initially, there was no plan to incorporate automobile design codes into the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti. However, from the final design, we can see the automobile inspiration, with the case resembling the sleek bodywork of a car, with the “stepped” sapphire crystals shaped like the flaps on the rear window of a sports car. The movement that’s also in view includes car engine-like parts, such as the grille with a famous hexagonal scale motif. The two crowns that stem from the top lugs can also be seen as the wheels of a car, especially from the side view.

Speaking of movements, the one sitting inside this incredible piece of horology is one complex mechanism that, according to MB&F, breaks all traditional watchmaking conventions. One of the core ideas for this timepiece by Fabrizio was to bring the “eyes” of the Serpenti timepiece to life through animation. Completely developed in-house by M&F, the manual wound movement has revolving hour and minute domes, which act as the eyes of the Serpenti. The left dome makes a full rotation in 12 hours, and the right one in 60 minutes. The paper-thin domes are machined from solid aluminium to make them as light as possible, which also requires an innovative milling process.

MB&F has incorporated their signature “flying balance-wheel” design, which this time measures at 14mm and bears the two brand’s names. The flying balance wheel with its four traditional regulating screws is able to operate at 2.5Hz (18,000 VpH) and give out a power reserve of 45 hours. As mentioned earlier, the timepiece comes with two crowns that are fixated on the top lugs, with one operating the time and the other for winding the movement.

The open case back gives a view to the mechanical complexity of the movement while also displaying the power reserve indicator and the decorative hand-finishing of the movement. MB&F is one of the very few brands that still carries out artisinal manufacturing processes, which means finishing components by hand. This is only realistically possible with MB&F producing only a limited number of timepieces per year (approximately 400 in 2024). The brand states that “The watchmakers at MB&F can only craft and assemble six to eight Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti movements per month; the 99 pieces will require over a year to deliver”.

Final Thoughts

The Bvlgari x MB&F is presented in three variations: a grade 5 titanium case model with blue hour and minute domes, an 18k rose gold case with beautiful green domes and finally, a black PVD-coated stainless steel case with piercing red “eyes”. This latest collaboration between the two powerhouses in watchmaking has certainly delivered a groundbreaking model that still stays true to the concept of the Serpenti, now with added mechanical complexity.

By reinterpreting one of BVLGARI’s most iconic designs through the lens of MB&F’s avant-garde approach, this timepiece strikes a delicate balance between heritage and innovation. The fusion of horology, jewellery, and even automotive-inspired design cues demonstrates this project’s sheer depth of creativity. Fabrizio and Max have once again proven that when two creative forces come together with a shared vision, the results can be nothing short of extraordinary.