The story of the Bulgari Serpenti Bracelet blends Egyptian myth, great Hollywood actress, and legendary jeweler ! A bracelet-watch that shows all the dexterity of Bvlgari in the making of timeless pieces.

History of the Bulgari Serpenti Bracelet: Mythical Watch Bracelet in 2023

The history of the Bulgari Serpenti Bracelet goes back further than one might think. Before being catapulted to the rank of ultimate must-have by the mythical film Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Bvlgari’s snake-like jewels were displayed in the windows of Place Vendôme as early as 1932.

At the end of the 19th century, Sotorio Bulgari, the founder of the diamond house Bvlgari, left Greece and his family of goldsmiths for Italy. Without knowing it, the jeweler was about to give Italian luxury a whole new identity. By combining Persian, Greek and Latin influences, Sotorio Bulgari has created an art of universal refinement… around the figure of the Serpenti.

A jeweler’s freedom mixed with a goldsmith’s rigor: the Bulgari vision is embodied in the first fetish of the house, the snake.

The Bulgari Tubogas Collection: Snake in the Spotlight

In 1932, the snake is the key character of the ‘Tubogas’ collection. Tubogas is the name of the characteristic bracelet where thin gold blades are wrapped around a flat support; resuming the flexibility of the Serpenti.

The Serpenti myth is thus the result of the meeting between a style inspired by ancient models and the jewellery discovery dating from the second half of the 19th century…

This ingenious system, tubogas, articulated by gold hinges, gives the object, by a hidden spring, a reptilian flexibility. And the Serpenti Bulgari distills more than one symbolism.

The jewel wraps up to seven times around the wrist – representing the seven deadly sins. But the ancient ornament becomes, between the fingers of these master Bulgari jewelers, a clockwork.

The skeleton gives the watch straps a reptilian suppleness; like the body of a snake, it is wrapped around the wrists by flexible gold hinges, which are activated by a hidden spring.

The snake’s mouth even opens to accommodate a watch face. Better still, in reference to the industrial aesthetics in vogue at the time, Bulgari combines High Jewelry with new processes, taking care to sublimate its bracelet in absolute magnificence.

A singular blend of symbolism, aesthetics and technology, the venomous beauty of the Bulgari totem is in turn anchored in eternity. In its most fascinating version, the reptilian bracelet is set in colored enamel scales. Thirty-four centimeters long, less than two centimeters thin, the snake’s body ends in a diamond-studded head; a head hypnotizing with its ruby red eyes.

But the popularity of the Roman jeweler is not yet fully made.

Elizabeth Taylor And The History Bulgari Serpenti Bracelet : For The Love Of Diamonds

The Serpenti bracelet will become the absolute icon of the Bvlgari repertoire… In 1962, this snake-bodied bracelet was indeed catapulted to mythical status; immortalized on the wrist of Elizabeth Taylor in the movie Cleopatra.

While filming in Rome, the actress’ adoration for rare pearls and diamonds naturally led her to the Bulgari boutique, located just a stone’s throw from the film studios.

She did not escape the lens of the set photographer who immortalized the actress, in the imperial ardor of Cleopatra … A bracelet-watch Serpenti on the wrist. The symbolism is total, and the snake signed Bvlgari becomes a myth.

The Roman jeweler tilts into pop culture. Especially since on the same set, two monsters of the cinema fall in love with each other: Richard Burton, aka Mark Anthony, will marry Liz Taylor. Their public romance will lead him to confess, not without derision, that “the only word she knows in Italian is Bulgari. He confirmed Miss Taylor’s devotion to the precious diamonds. The Roman house will also sign an exceptional collection.

In 2011, during the auction of jewelry belonging to Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s, this Serpenti wristwatch worn by the actress flew to a crazy price of $974 500.

A symbol of wisdom, the Serpenti Bulgari collections continue to make the house famous. A singular blend of symbolism, aesthetics and technology, the poisonous beauty of the Bulgari totem is in turn anchored in eternity.

In 1975, Bulgari launched an advertising campaign featuring bracelets with colored enamel scales. Its contemporary interpretations of one of the antediluvian emblems of art, a symbol of wisdom, eternity and life, seem to work with all the application and grace of ancient statues; a perfect synthesis between geometric rigor and dreamlike forms.

Diana Vreeland, editor-in-chief of US Vogue, wrote of this jewelry myth: “the snake is the most fashionable motif in the jewelry world… We never tire of it. Today, the Serpenti collection continues to be updated with watches, precious jewelry, eyewear, and handbags of rare refinement.