Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas by Movado, 1970s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

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 Tubgoas dates to a time long before Bulgari was capable of manufacturing its own movements, and this joined forces with some of the most prominent watchmakers of the day. Dating to the 1970s, it features a triple-wrap, 18K white gold, serpenti-tubogas bracelet fixed to a rectangular watch head with an octagonal bezel. The silvered dial — double-signed "Movado" and "Bulgari" and fitted with applied indices and a 'stick' handset — hints at the hand-wound Movado movement ticking away within. Unlike many other tubogas designs, however, the bracelet attaches conventionally at both ends of the watch head, making for a sort of hybrid timepiece with a unique character all its own. Beautifully designed, this excellent vintage piece pairs one of the world's most important jewelers to one its most prestigious watchmakers in a fit of creativity and beauty. This one, is indeed a rare bird!