Introducing: Bvlgari And MB&F Turn The Serpenti Into A Horological Machine

Of course, we can’t buy all the watches in the world, and not all watches are within our budgets. So, especially as someone who professionally writes about watches, I’ve learned to appreciate ones that are not in my financial scope or simply not my style. In some cases, that’s harder to do than in others. But with the creations from MB&F, it’s usually not that hard. Take this week’s release of the collaborative effort between Bvlgari and MB&F as an example. The new Horological Machine called Serpenti is hard not to appreciate, even though it might not be within your budget or match your style, right?

The Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti is the result of two very creative minds brainstorming. In 2021, we already saw the Legacy Machine FlyingT Allegra,  the result of the first collaboration between the two brands. It looked more like a dazzling dance of precious stones than an actual watch and was more targeted toward the female wrist. That’s often also the case with the jewelry and watches within Bvlgari’s Serpenti collection. However, the new Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti Horological Machine looks much more masculine.

The Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti Horological Machine

If we are to believe the story in the release video, it all started with a text from Bvlgari designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani to Maximilian Büsser, MB&F’s founder and mastermind. That was in 2022; we’re now at the beginning of 2025. That means it took them almost three years to turn their ideas into reality. I completely understand that, especially when I see the result. But is it just me, or does the new Serpenti also remind you of many other things than a snake?

Anyway, you can choose between a Grade 5 titanium, an 18K rose gold, or a black PVD-coated stainless steel version. Other than the materials and colors, the three versions are identical. That means you get a case that measures 39mm wide, 53mm from lug to lug, and 18mm thick. It’s useless to mention the word “diameter” here because this Horlogical Machine is unlike most watches you’ve seen. That’s also true of its construction.

A combination of a snake’s head and a supercar

The “snake’s head,” as I’ll call its shape from now on, boasts five organically shaped windows made of sapphire crystal. It’s challenging enough to manufacture sapphire in those curved shapes, but it’s even harder to ensure the case maintains its 30m water resistance. In the end, though, they succeeded. Through three windows on top, you get a good look at the snake’s eyes. Those are the rotating aluminum domes that display the hours and minutes. The domes in the titanium version are blue, while the 18K rose gold model has green ones. Finally, in the PVD-coated version, they’re red.

The immense 14mm balance wheel hovers over both domes. Holding the wheel in place is an organically shaped bridge, on which you also find both brand names. The fourth window on the top of the case is stepped. Similar to a supercar, this window gives another peek inside the watch’s engine. The fifth window is a big one on the back of the case. Through it, you can see the power reserve indicator for the hand-wound movement inside.

Two car enthusiasts turned watch designers

It’s no surprise that the Serpenti has a lot of car influences in its design. Fabrizio Buonamassa was a designer at Fiat and Alfa Romeo before he started designing watches. Max Büsser always thought he was going to be a car designer. As a kid and through high school, he was always sketching cars. However, he got a master’s degree in micro-technology engineering and ended up in watchmaking.

Apart from the case shape, the two crowns also remind me of the wheels on a car. One crown is for winding the movement, and the other is for setting the time. As mentioned, the movement inside is a hand-wound caliber. This movement was specifically developed for the Serpenti. It runs at an 18,000vph frequency and holds 45 hours of power reserve. Depending on the version, this Horological Machine comes with a black, green, or blue Velcro sailcloth strap to attach it to the wrist.

Use your imagination

I love the new Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti Horological Machine. You can easily recognize Fabrizio Buonamassa’s gentle lines and Max Büsser’s crazy architectural prowess. It doesn’t matter what you see in it. It can be a snake’s head, a beetle, a supercar, or a frog. In the end, it tells you the time, and that’s the most important part of it all, right?

The Serpenti is limited to 33 pieces per variant, making 99 in total. The black PVD version and the titanium model each cost CHF 132,000 (excluding VAT). The 18K rose gold version is a bit more expensive at CHF 152,000 (also excluding VAT).

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti Horological Machines!