MB&F and BVLGARI are worlds apart… and yet we share a connection that gives birth to the most surprising creations.
Founded in 1884, Bvlgari is renowned for its craftsmanship and rich heritage, combining Italian elegance with Swiss precision – materialised in collections like Serpenti and Octo Finissimo. At MB&F, since 2005 we’ve been creating three-dimensional kinetic sculptures for the wrist: Horological Machines that are inspired by themes like science fiction, supercars and the animal kingdom.
Our connection was sparked by a chance encounter between Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, director of watchmaking creation at Bvlgari, and Maximilian Büsser, owner and creative director of MB&F. This generated a first collaboration in 2021: the MB&F x Bvlgari LM FlyingT Allegra, which brought the exuberant, colourful world of Bvlgari jewellery into MB&F’s Legacy Machines.
For our second collaboration – the BVLGARI x MB&F SERPENTI – Fabrizio and Max chose to reinterpret one of Bvlgari’s most famous historical creations, bringing it into the very mechanical universe of MB&F haute-horlogerie. Reimagining Serpenti – an emblem of eternal rebirth and bold metamorphosis – into a Horological Machine required a complete redevelopment of this historical piece, not only in terms of mechanical engineering and movement conception, but also in terms of case design and manufacturing. Calibre and design seamlessly enhance one another.
According to Fabrizio, the design aspects “were a pleasure to create”, perhaps giving the impression that this part of the process was relatively easy – but the hundreds of sketches and dozens of 3D-printed models attest otherwise. Contrary to a classic round case, which offers only a few dimensions to experiment with, the case of the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti could not be more complicated. Once perfected aesthetically, the design then needed to be engineered and manufactured, generating a number of further challenges. The complex curves extend beyond the metal of the case to the five sapphire crystals, including the multi-facetted rear section – making the case not only extremely demanding to machine and finish, but also incredibly difficult to make water-resistant to 30 metres.
Inside, an equally complex movement that breaks all traditional watchmaking conventions, conceived and developed in-house by MB&F. The time is displayed on revolving hour and minute domes – the snake’s eyes – machined from solid aluminium to make them as light as possible, requiring innovative milling processes. The mechanical reptile’s brain is symbolised by the oversized 14mm flying balance wheel, firmly held in place thanks to a three-dimensional balance bridge. Flipping the Machine over reveals the power reserve indicator, along with some of the other 310 components of the hand-finished movement. MB&F is indeed one of the few remaining brands to uphold artisanal processes and to finish components by hand; an approach only possible when crafting a very limited number of watches per year, and explaining why only six to eight Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti movements can be crafted per month.
In addition to its obvious Serpenti origins, Fabrizio and Max are car design enthusiasts. They could not resist incorporating automotive codes into the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti: the case shaped like sleek automotive bodywork, a complex “stepped” sapphire crystal like the flaps on the rear window of a sports car, crowns that could easily be mistaken for car wheels… The apparent portion of the movement also includes car engine-like components, including a grille with the famous hexagonal scale motif seen on previous Serpenti creations.
The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti launches in three different versions, each limited to only 33 pieces: grade 5 titanium case with blue hour and minute domes, 18K rose gold case with piercing green eyes, and black PVD-coated stainless steel with vibrant red eyes.
