With three millennia of Rome’s history to draw upon, Bulgari incorporates techniques from its homeland past to inspire modern designs.
Tubogas, an art form rejuvenated and mastered by Bulgari, is a labour-intensive form of metalworking that becomes as resplendent as it is lithe. The Tubogas technique is strongly linked to the origin of the early snake shaped bracelet-watches dating to the end of the 1940s. This kind of watch was made in varied versions that explored every possible shape of case and dial: round, square, octagonal, pear and cushion-shaped were all used, both with or without diamond bezels. The case was positioned at the end or at the centre of a bracelet in Tubogas coil, which was realized in every possible variation.
The most impressive examples of these timepieces date to the 1960s and 1970s and were conceived as unique multiple coils in yellow, pink and white gold, featuring a stylized serpent design that, along with the Tubogas, have become the firm’s trademarks.
Employed by Bulgari artisans for decades, intricate Tubogas metalwork was named for its resemblance to the 1920’s Italian car’s “gas pipe” – its spiralled appearance being produced entirely without soldering.
Today, Tubogas’s versatile, rounded contours form one of the Bulgari’s hallmarks, entwining a graceful elasticity with the Bulgari Bulgari Collection. Each timepiece incorporates in an innovative fashion another Bulgari’s celebrated graphic sign, the BVLGARI BVLGARI double logo, gracefully engraved on the bezel.
Featuring a Swiss-made quartz movement, the Bulgari Bulgari Tubogas comes in a in 18-carat pink gold, gold and steel, or polished steel case. The crown is wound with a pink cabochon gemstone. The wath is available in a bracelet meld of both metals, or even as a golden spiral that double coils the wrist. Black lacquer or mother-of-pearl forms the sheen behind the hour, as time is marked by indexes and the traditional numerals at 12h and 6h or even with the brilliance of Bulgari diamonds.
The special nature of masterful gold and steel-smithing requires a special treatment. Bulgari Bulgari Tubogas is cased in a precious round box, an oyster that opens to reveal the treasured jewel inside. This cherished case is the circle of class and elegance, a fitting tribute to fine craftsmanship and resplendence.
