Worthy of the Queen of the Nile herself, the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra is the latest chapter in Bulgari’s love affair with the iconic serpent, brought to life with an intense passion for gloriously bold combinations of coloured gemstones and a touch of majestic irreverence. Part of a new chapter in Bulgari’s Colour Treasures series, this High-Jewellery, one-of-a-kind cuff watch showcases the Roman jewellery house’s expertise in gemstones, with a magnificently opulent and eye-catching new skin revealing a precious surprise: a diamond-set dial, hidden behind a faceted hexagonal see-through rubellite of over 5 carats. Only Bulgari, the Master of Colour, could create such a harmony of brilliant gemstones in a new landmark watch that proudly joins the Colour Treasures series of spectacular jewellery-watch creations. With the arrival of the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra, Bulgari reaffirms its reputation as the Roman Jeweller of Time as it once again raises the bar in terms of both design and exquisite craftsmanship.
A magnetic methamorphosis
It wraps softly and sensually embraces; it keeps secrets, dominates the day and shines at night… The eclectic metamorphosis of Serpenti amazes every time with the mystic power of renovating while remaining itself, authentic and unmistakable. The enigmatic animal has wound its way through Bulgari’s rich design heritage, appearing in many different and alluring guises. The snake is believed to have talismanic powers and is an emblem of wisdom, rebirth and vitality. The Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra is an abstract interpretation of the snake and though uncompromisingly contemporary, its irresistible style is reminiscent of the cuff bracelets worn by the powerful rulers of Ancient Egypt, and of Cleopatra herself. Bulgari has attracted some of the most powerful women of our times, and in 1962 Elizabeth Taylor was photographed at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome, wearing an exquisite gold Serpenti bracelet-watch while on the set of the film Cleopatra. Taylor, known for her love of jewellery, was seduced by the charm and symbolism of the Bulgari Serpenti in gold and diamonds, with gleaming emerald eyes. The black and white photograph of the most famous actress of the moment wearing the iconic Serpenti bracelet captured the world’s imagination and indelibly linked the Roman Jeweller with legendary Divas.
A contemporary take on high-jewellery watches
While other Bulgari snakes have coiled themselves around the wrist, the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra is a flexible manchette or cuff watch with a diamond-set dial, elegantly concealed beneath a faceted rubellite. The resolutely contemporary style of the watch draws on Bulgari’s legacy of daring design and focuses on the snake’s scales, which are set with striking colour combinations of luminous, smooth-surfaced gemstones. The choice of a rainbow of nine vivid gemstones surrounded by snow-set diamonds offers a unique High-Jewellery watch stamped with Bulgari’s inimitable confidence, executed with the highest standards of high-jewellery craftsmanship.
A glorious display of jewellery making prowess, realised by Bulgari’s master goldsmiths and gem-setters, each of the three-dimensional scales is unique in shape and size to ensure the conical shaped cuff is beautifully fluid and comfortable to wear. Bulgari’s highly skilled jewellery designers worked hand in hand with the gemmology team to achieve the intense vibrancy of colour displayed by the nine different gemstones: pairs of faceted hexagonal amethysts and citrines, an aquamarine, rubellite, Chrome tourmaline, tanzanite and a peridot with a total weight of over 50 carats, accompanied by close to 4,000 snow-set diamonds. Setting the gemstones alone took more than 470 hours of meticulous work, with each of the six-sided gems custom cut to fit the design, sacrificing up to two-thirds of their volume to achieve the perfect clarity, brilliance and saturation of colour. Meanwhile, the dial is entirely set with diamonds and covered with a facetted hexagonal transparent rubellite, originally measuring nearly 10 carats.
The Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra goes one step further in confirming Bulgari’s commitment to fusing the most sophisticated Haute Joaillerie know-how with Swiss watchmaking savoir-faire to offer outstandingly opulent and audaciously colourful High-Jewellery timepieces into a triumph of quintessential joie de vivre.
