History of the Bulgari Serpenti
Bulgari's Serpenti began in 1948 with a bracelet watch whose flexible gold band was made using the Tubogas technique, coiling around the wrist like a snake. Through the 1950s and 1960s the snake became more literal: scaled bodies in gold, enamel in bold colours, and heads set with diamonds, rubies or emeralds, some hiding a small watch dial beneath the hinged head. Elizabeth Taylor wore Serpenti pieces while filming Cleopatra in Rome in the early 1960s, and her photographs from that time made the design widely known. In the 1970s and 1980s Bulgari continued the Tubogas Serpenti watch, often wrapping several times around the wrist. The modern collection covers watches such as the Serpenti Tubogas and Serpenti Seduttori alongside jewellery. The Serpenti Viper line, with its pattern of repeated scale modules, has added rings, bracelets and necklaces in yellow, rose and white gold, plain or with diamonds. Vintage enamel and gem-set serpents from the 1960s and 1970s remain the most sculptural interpretations of the design.
Key references
| Serpenti Tubogas watch | 18KT gold, steel, or steel and gold. The coiled Tubogas bracelet watch, made in single and multiple-wrap versions. |
|---|---|
| Vintage enamel and gem-set Serpenti, 1960s and 1970s | 18KT gold with polychrome enamel scales and diamond, ruby or emerald set heads, some concealing a watch dial. |
| Serpenti Viper ring and bracelet | 18KT yellow, rose or white gold, plain or with diamonds. A pattern built from repeated scale modules. |
| Serpenti Seduttori watch | 18KT gold or steel. A modern Serpenti watch with a scale-pattern link bracelet. |
| Serpenti necklaces and earrings | 18KT gold with diamonds or coloured stones. The snake head and scale motif in other jewellery forms. |
How to spot a fake
- Look for the BVLGARI signature, written with a V in place of the U, together with the 750 gold mark and a serial number. Engraving should be crisp and evenly spaced.
- On Tubogas watches the coils should be smooth, evenly wound and spring back into shape, with no kinks, flat spots or visible joins.
- Check the case back and dial. The case number, reference and dial printing should belong together, and quartz or mechanical movements should suit the model.
- On enamel pieces the scales should be crisply divided, with no lifting, cracking or later repainting.
- Weigh the piece. Gold Serpenti jewellery is solid 18KT, and a light piece needs further testing.
- Box, guarantee and service papers must match the serial number. The piece itself is always checked first.
How we check a sourced piece
Before we recommend a piece we test the metal, read every hallmark and maker's mark under magnification, and check the serial number and its engraving against the model and period it should belong to. You receive a written condition report with detailed photographs and video, so you see the piece exactly as it is before you commit to anything. For Serpenti watches we also check that the movement runs to time and that the Tubogas coils hold their spring. Mozeris Fine Antiques is an independent dealer and is not affiliated with Bulgari.