Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi Features Piccolissimo, the Smallest Movement of the Century

At this year’s edition of LVMH Watch Week, which was held digitally earlier this month, Bulgari introduced four new models of the Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewelry Secret Watch, now powered by the smallest movement of the 21st century. In the process, it announced its clear intention of shaking up things in the industry of luxury timepieces with a women’s watch.

The Serpenti Misteriosi watch has been around since the 1950s in a variety of iterations. It’s essentially an integrated-bracelet watch that stands out more as a piece of jewelry than for its time-keeping functionality, where the extreme detailing and decided outrageousness of the bangle is able to effectively steal the thunder from the tiny watch hidden in the serpent’s mouth.

The latest model marks a return to form, in that the watch replaces the quartz mechanism from previous models and uses a manually-wound mechanism again, like in the 1950s. It also happens to be the smallest mechanism of the 21st century and one of the smallest ever created. Bulgari calls it Piccolissimo, which means “extra small” in Italian. It is just that.

“An absolute icon meets a new in-house caliber,” Bulgari says. “The new Serpenti Misteriosi secret watches welcome Piccolissimo, one of the smallest mechanical movements to date. This true jewel of micro technology is housed inside breathtaking jewelry masterpieces, which perpetuate Bulgari’s unrivaled decorative excellence and spectacular craftsmanship.”

Piccolissimo BVL 100 is a miniaturized version of a typical mechanism, with functions like hours and minutes, and a 30-hour power reserve. The mechanism measures 12 mm in diameter, 2.5 mm in thickness, and weighs just 1.3 grams, despite being made of 102 components. Because of its diminutive size, it comes with certain compromises as regards function, but the watch is still able to offer a most unexpected feature: a reversible dial.

Press on the tongue of the serpent and the mouth opens, revealing the watch inside. Since Serpenti Misteriosi is high-end jewelry first and a luxury watch second, Bulgari allows the wearer to place the piece on either hand. Regardless of whether she chooses the right or the left hand, the watch can be removed and re-inserted in the correct position for proper reading, as the dial is reversible and the crown is bidirectional.

The piece itself can be described as anything from opulent to colorful, eye-catching, gaudy, or decadent, and it could very well be that all these attributes are correct in various degrees. Serpenti Misteriosi was never a watch for the faint-of-heart or, for that matter, of wallet. The latest iteration is no different, with the four models presenting intriguing and outrageous combinations of white, rose and yellow gold with diamonds, sapphires, rubellites and colored lacquer.

Each piece starts with gold links with indentations in the scales of the serpent, where the jeweler will manually set gemstones or fill with lacquer. The contrasting combination of both is usually a trademark for a Serpenti Misteriosi, but this year, ladies also get a choice of yellow gold and black, for an uncharacteristically subdued look.

Once all the links are completed, they are assembled into a chain held by gold hinges, and slipped onto a flexible but sturdy double-ring gold coil. The head and tail of the serpent go next, and the Piccolissimo-powered watch last. The Bulgari video at the bottom of the page shows but a small glimpse into the complicated creation process.

Situated at the crossroads between high-end statement jewelry and luxury timekeeping, the Serpenti Misteriosi watch is offered in four combinations, with a starting price set at $150,000. This is not a limited-edition watch, and that’s probably because its unique aesthetic limits its appeal to potential customers.