
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Bulgari Tubogas Cuff, 2000s
- Maker / attribution
- Bvlgari (maker)
- Date
- 2000s
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 26 mm
- Stock no.
- 40992680
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40992680)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Bulgari Tubogas Cuff (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40992680), this is a wristwatch by Bvlgari, made in Switzerland, dated 2000s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 26 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Analog/Shift
Bulgari. Serpenti. Two words that should evoke emotion . Since Bulgari’s founding, the brand has built a reputation on unique jewelry designs. The tubogas bracelet, in particular, has played a significant role in that legacy. Popularized in the Serpenti line, tubogas is now associated firmly with Bulgari. This particular Reference BB 26 2TS brings the tubogas aesthetic to a more conventional package: A beautiful, round watch — executed in stainless steel and paired to a cuff-like bracelet — it features a striking look. Dating to the 2000s and powered by a quartz movement, it's housed in a 26mm stainless steel case with an unsigned crown, a sapphire crystal, and a black bezel with diamond-set indices and a 'sword' handset. Its integrated tubogas bracelet gives it its unique look, making it perfect for evening cocktail wear or more adventurous everyday wear. If you’re on the hunt for a Bulgari watch that encapsulates the brand’s most iconic look at a fraction of the cost of a Serpenti, this is the way to go!
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Related records
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