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. Produced in the 1970s, it features a dual-row, 18K yellow gold, serpenti tubogas bracelet fixed to a round watch head with smooth case sides. Its intriguing dial is unusual — not least of which is because it's completely unsigned. Featuring an outer gold minute track and an inner brushed section, its simplicity is broken only by a black 'pencil' handset. Its crown, meanwhile — which controls a manually-wound movement — features a blue cabochon with an elegant, fluted setting.
Beautifully designed, this excellent vintage piece features one of the world's most important jewelers and their iconic design representative of the manufactures creativity and beauty. What more could one as for?