Bulgari Serpenti Aeterna | HANDS ON

Russell Sheldrake

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It’s a courageous man who makes an attempt to reimagine an icon, however over at Bulgari, they don’t appear to show away from a problem. The Serpenti has been an iconic form for the Roman model for many years now, and that recognisable snake’s head that’s typically mixed with the Tubogas bracelet has been seen from ballrooms to silver screens for generations now. So why mess with it? Properly, the world doesn’t stand nonetheless, and neither ought to designs, and the brand new Serpenti Aeterna is a testomony to that, particularly after we noticed the model’s radical collaboration with MB&F. Let’s dig into what makes up this new angular design a bit extra.

The case and bracelet

I’m lumping the case and bracelet collectively right here as they really feel like one steady piece on this bangle, from the pointed nostril because it wraps round to the slim tail. Accessible in both rose or white gold, that is probably essentially the most stripped-back model of the Serpenti we have now ever seen. The mixed case and bracelet are coated in diamonds and kind a stable bangle with a hinge on the backside, with a small and a big dimension obtainable within the rose and simply the big in white. The rose is barely half set, whereas the diamonds wrap across the entirety of the white gold piece. The bracelet tapers in a stunning strategy to make this bangle really feel much more elegant, and because it twists barely, the tail comes round to only cross the top of the snake and sit properly on high of the wrist.

Diamonds play an enormous half on this watch with a fairly complete protection throughout the case, bracelet and dial. Even the crown on the rose gold model options a big, sensible reduce at its high and a hoop of smaller stones round its circumference, whereas the white gold has an emerald atop its crown. That white gold piece additionally options quite a few outsized diamonds set into its bracelet for that added sparkle. The internal floor of the bangle has a hexagonal motif reduce into it, evoking the scales of earlier editions.

The dial

The dials of each items are pavé set with brilliant-cut diamonds, giving an edge-to-edge protection. The rose gold piece has matching rose gold-plated fingers whereas the white goes for contrasting inexperienced fingers. These arrow-shaped dials are loads sharper and featureless than earlier variations, prioritising styling over performance. Having no markers or indicators on the dial permits these stones to shine to their fullest. Whereas it could be a bit tougher to learn the time on this piece, there isn’t any mistaking the fashion and magnificence this watch is ready to accomplish.

The motion

Inside is a teeny-tiny quartz calibre that enables this elegant design to stay to its kind over operate idea. Would this watch have been improved in my eyes if it had a mechanical motion inside? Probably not. This can be a assertion watch that you simply in all probability received’t be sporting on a regular basis, and so for me a quartz motion is ideal for this as you don’t want to fret about it being left for prolonged durations in between numerous fancy capabilities.

The decision

This can be a utterly new search for a watch that has had a fairly constant design for a very long time, and at any time when that occurs, it should all the time ruffle a couple of feathers (or scales). However right here, I believe Bulgari have managed to boil this design right down to its very essence, eradicating lots of its options that make it so eye-catching and in flip creating one thing that feels very a lot part of the Serpenti household, however with out the design feeling lazy. This watch is a wonderful instance of taking a widely known design and giving it a brand new life, and for that cause, I’m an enormous fan of this watch.

Bulgari Serpenti Aeterna pricing and availability

The Bulgari Serpenti Aeterna is out there from the model and its retailers now. Worth: on request