One of the Most Iconic Women’s Watches Just Got a Masculine Version and It’s Nuts

It’s a complete reinvention of a 77-year-old design.

Published February 10, 2025

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Most of the time, when we’re talking about iconic watches, men’s models get the lion’s share of attention.

While watches are inherently genderless objects, they have nevertheless historically been marketed to either men or women in most cases. As such, most models we think of as iconic — the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak — are considered men’s models in their most recognizable forms.

But there are also some women’s watches that have broken through to become legends in their own right. The Panthére de Cartier, Chanel Première and the Bulgari Serpenti all come to mind.

a bulgari watch on a womans wrist — The Bulgari Serpenti debuted in 1948 and is one of the most recognizable women’s watches in the world.

The best-known version of the Serpenti, the Serpenti Tubogas, is especially easy to identify thanks to its signature bracelet that coils around the wrist like a snake. It’s one of the most recognizable ladies’ watches in the world, and it’s never had a male equivalent.

But what if there were such a thing as a Serpenti watch that wasn’t exclusively feminine? We now have the answer thanks to Bugari’s new collab with independent watch brand MB&F, and the result is absolutely wild.

The Head of the Snake

a bulgari x mb and f watch — Snakes … why did it have to be snakes?

The Bulgari x MB&F Serpenti is the result of a years-long design and manufacturing process spearheaded by Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari’s director of watchmaking creation, and Maximilian Büsser, founder of MB&F. The pair first collaborated on a watch in 2021 and soon after began discussing the Serpenti.

Stigliani had several motivations that led to the new watch’s creation. He wanted to create a genderless Serpenti, he wanted to push the limits of the iconic 77-year-old design by incorporating MB&F’s extreme hallmarks, and he wanted to create something extra special for the Year of the Snake.

two a bulgari x mb and f watches — The first “genderless” Serpenti has some pretty masculine design cues.

For the design, they ultimately chose to focus on the head of the snake, making it more three-dimensional, more complex and more dynamic than any Serpenti watch that came before. (One of Stigliani’s aspirations for the watch was for the snake’s eyes to be mechanically animated, something that was accomplished).

The result is perhaps the most complex case MB&F has ever created. Five sapphire crystals help make up the case: one for the caseback, two for the snake’s “eyes,” and two across the top of the case — including one with a unique multi-faceted stepped design.

the disassembled case of a bulgari x mb and f watch — Perhaps the most complex case MB&F has ever created, each Serpenti features five unique sapphire crystals.

The abundance of transparent sapphire in the case gives a clear view of the hand-wound MB&F calibre within. The movement features a bold flying balance wheel at its center, an MB&F signature, which represents the snake’s “brain” and hovers above a pair of aluminum domes behind the creature’s “eyes.”

The left dome tracks hours, while the right marks the minutes. Both have their numerals painted in Super-LumiNova, ensuring that the snake’s eyes glow in the dark. The escape wheel is entirely visible between the eyes, offering a rare unobstructed view of the watch’s heartbeat.

a closeup of the escapement in a bulgari x mb and f watch movement — The serpent’s “brain” gives an unobstructed view of the watch’s escapement.

The aforementioned stepped crystal showcases more of the movement, while flipping the watch over reveals a full display caseback and a power reserve indicator tracking the calibre’s 45 hours of juice. There are two crowns — one for winding and one for setting the time — and each is incorporated into one of the rear lugs.

In addition to its reptilian influence, the extreme Serpenti also takes some stylistic cues from classic sports cars, a shared interest of Büsser and Stigliani. This is especially apparent when viewing the watch from the side thanks to its sloping profile, its twin crowns that look like beefy rear wheels, and the stepped crystal that resembles the louver-adorned rear windshield of a fastback.

a bulgari x mb and f watch seen from the side resembling a car — If your brain is telling you this is a little car, you’re not going crazy: that’s by design.

Pricing and Availability

I can definitely say this is the first Serpenti watch I would want to personally own, so I think the goal of creating the first genderless Serpenti watch has been achieved. Though, if I’m being honest, the aggressive design and 53 x 39 x 18 mm dimensions sure make this look like a traditional men’s watch to me.

There are three versions of the Bulgari x MB&F Serpenti: one in Grade 5 titanium with blue accents, one in black PVD stainless steel with red accents, and one in 18K red gold with green accents. Each is eye-catching in its own way. The titanium version is the most versatile, the black is the most badass and the gold is the most eye-catching.

three bulgari x mb and f watches — Pick a snake, any snake.

Regardless of which material and color you prefer, each is limited to just 33 examples, meaning only 99 total watches will be created. The steel and titanium versions are each priced at $148,000, while the gold is unsurprisingly the costliest at $170,000.