Are You Ready To Be Mesmerized By The New Bvlgari Serpenti Misteriosi? Geneva Watch Days 2023
5 min read
Behold the serpent's spell. Bvlgari's dazzling new Secret Serpenti has slithered onto the scene, weaving irresistible new twists into the world's most coveted jewelry watches.
Unveiled at Geneva Watch Days 2023, the mystifying Serpenti Misteriosi flaunts forbidden fruit: sinuous scales of black lacquer and rose gold, primed to entice with a harvest of diamonds. Its hypnotic gaze conceals a secret – a tiny ticking heart in sync with your own. Past the swaying emerald eyes, a treasure awaits behind diamond fangs.
Radiating the allure of white gold paved with diamonds, the first version is a sparkling sight to behold. The second exudes temptation, its rose gold scales embellished with lacquered black and sumptuous diamonds. Poised with hypnotic grace, the precious serpent head conceals an emerald eye and diamond-paved dial, its heart beating to the beguiling rhythm of a Piccolissimo miniature movement.
The quintessence of Italian glamour and Bvlgari's mastery of jewelry and watchmaking artistry, these latest Serpenti Misteriosi secret watches take inspiration from the rich creative heritage of the “Roman Jeweller of Time.”
Extreme Miniaturization
With these new high-jewelry secret watches, Bvlgari signals the return of mechanical timepieces to the realm of opulent adornment. Uniting two fortes of the Maison - stunning jewelry and ultra-thin watchmaking - the Serpenti Misteriosi is powered by the engineering prowess of the Calibre BVL 100.
Aptly named Piccolissimo, meaning “very, very small” in Italian, it is the thinnest movement on the market, designed and manufactured by Bvlgari. This extreme miniaturization exemplifies Bvlgari’s relentless pursuit of finesse and has already earned 8 watchmaking records. Combined with dimensions ideal for jewelry watches, the Piccolissimo empowers the Serpenti Misteriosi’s eternal beauty.
The Crown Jewel of Seduction
Revered as a powerful talisman since ancient Mesopotamian cultures, the snake has long inspired Bvlgari designs. In the 1940s, Elizabeth Taylor became the first celebrity to don a gold Serpenti secret watch, its dragon head playfully revealing a mischievous tongue.
Overflowing with gems and gold, the opulence of this jewel evoked the grandeur of Cleopatra, whom Taylor was portraying at Rome’s famed Cinecittà film studios. Bvlgari has since reimagined the Serpenti’s lines for perfect contemporary wearability.
Seductive symbols of strength and renewal, the new bracelet serpents sensuously encircle the wrist twice over, as if loath to let go. Bewitching emerald eyes reference Liz Taylor’s favorite gemstone. A flick of the serpent’s tongue reveals the dazzling diamond dial. Ingeniously, the watch can be detached and worn on either arm, adjusting the dial’s orientation.
Timeless Artisanship
Each individual scale of the Serpenti Misteriosi is cast using the ancient lost-wax method, a 6,000-year-old jewelry-making tradition. The white gold version scintillates with 116 brilliant diamonds weighing nearly 33 carats.
Alternatively, the rose gold Serpenti combines the depth of black lacquer with ethereal navette diamonds in mesmerizing patterns. Bvlgari first explored lacquering techniques in the 1960s to create Serpenti pieces with colors rivaling Egyptian enamels dating back 4,000 years.
It takes master artisans over 80 hours to polish and assemble each Serpenti Misteriosi by hand, before releasing it to mesmerize for eternity. With devoted craftsmanship and inspiration from history’s most lavish cultures, Bvlgari ensures the Serpenti Misteriosi embodies timeless magnificence.
