In the spirit of haute joaillerie, Bvlgari flexes their artistic muscles with two new versions of the Aeterna: One in gold, the other with precious gemstones!
Beyond their storied contributions to the watch world, Bvlgari has built a reputation as one of the greatest jewellers in the world. Founded as a silversmith by Greek expatriate Sotirios Voulgaris, later known as Sotirio Bulgari, the Roman brand has been in the precious metal and gemstone business since its inception. Bvlgari would also adopt the serpent motif in the mid-20th century, which has helped inform its elegant design language.
At Watches and Wonders 2025, the latest marriage of the serpent and high jewellery was revealed. Named the Serpenti Aeterna, the collection comprised a high jewellery necklace as well as two new bangle watches.
The necklace is one of the most extravagant pieces in the brand’s history, featuring seven pear-shaped diamonds totalling 140 carats, one for each year of the brand’s history, alongside 698 baguette diamonds. The watches were equally as decadent, which we covered extensively upon release. This year, Bvlgari seeks to expand the Serpenti Aeterna range with two new iterations: a simple yet lustrous yellow gold version, and a gem-set rose gold rendition that pulls no punches.
Brilliant Bangles
The Serpenti Aeterna timepieces are unlike most featured here on Watch Advice, but that does not make them any less impressive to behold. Measuring 24mm in diameter, and either 145mm or 155mm in total length, the duo are presented as bangle watches. Like a majority of the Serpenti line, these pieces are designed to wrap comfortably around the wrist without the use of links. While not as flexible as the Serpenti Tubogas line, the ingenious clasp, which sits flush with the watch, aids in wearability.
The bracelet is integral to the watch’s identity, conceived as a fluid bangle that wraps around the wrist in a natural, almost instinctive gesture. Balancing structure with comfort, it creates a piece that feels as intuitive to wear as it is visually striking. Inside the bracelet, both Aeterna models have been subtly hollowed out to assist with daily wear.
However, the jewelled version’s bracelet uses openworked hexagonal scales as opposed to the yellow gold model’s hollow centre. Not only does this enhance wearability, it also permits light to pass through the gemstones, enhancing their brilliance while introducing subtle plays of transparency.
Taste The Rainbow
“The Serpenti Aeterna reveals itself as a true canvas; it embodies the very sublimation of the serpent’s sign, woven into each of its elements. It is a serpent of purified essence, where the iconic figure has transformed into a timeless symbol and an inimitable signature. More than a creation, the Serpenti Aeterna is, fundamentally, a concept.”
Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director for Bvlgari
At their core, both Aeterna watches are exercises in high-end jewellery craftsmanship merged with watchmaking. The yellow gold version, reliant on the shine of its noble metal, is still outfitted with a white mother-of-pearl dial for contrast. At the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ of the watch, diamonds have also been set into this version, complete with a diamond-set crown and cabochon.
It is the jewelled rendition, however, that is the undeniable star of the show. With rose gold architecture, it features a full diamond pavé dial. It also comes with a diamond-set crown, but instead uses a sapphire in place of a diamond cabochon.
The case and bracelet are an equally dazzling display, laden with a wide array of gemstones delicately inlaid throughout. Diamonds flank the rubellite, amethyst, topaz, emerald, citrine, pink sapphire, tanzanite, Paraiba, tsavorite, spessartite, pink tourmaline, aquamarine, blue sapphire, and peridot used in the watch.
Across both interpretations, the emphasis remains on the interplay between colour and light, geometric structure and fluidity, and the contrast between high jewellery’s flamboyance and the symbolism of the serpent motif.
Initial Thoughts
Equipped with quartz movements, these watches are first and foremost artistic expressions. While the mechanical purist in some may feel irked by watches like these, it is important that they exist, not just as another brick in a theoretical ivory tower, but as a testament to the combination of two closely linked disciplines.
The contemporary Serpenti Aeterna framework, as Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani has implied, is the perfect canvas through which Bvlgari can distil its brand identity. Given the company’s history, its jewellery heritage may be just as rich as, if not richer than, its watchmaking pedigree.
That is not to put the two into competition, but it does highlight that Bvlgari knows exactly what it is doing with a piece like this. With the refinement of the gold model and the radicalism of the jewelled version, the new Serpenti Aeterna duo captures the spirit of transformation that has always defined the collection. When two histories collide within the same brand, you can be sure they will be showcased to their fullest extent.
References: 104341/104352 (Gold) / 104312 (Jewels)
Specifications:
| Dimensions | 24mm case diameter |
| Case | Gold: 18k yellow gold with 11 diamond-set crown totalling 0.03ct & diamond cabochon totalling 0.05ct Jewels: 18k rose gold with 11 diamond-set crown totalling 0.03ct & brilliant-cut sapphire cabochon |
| Dial | Gold: White mother-of-pearl (Gold) Jewels: Brilliant-cut diamond pavé (Jewels) |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Closed |
| Movement | Quartz |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 3bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Gold: Yellow gold bangle bracelet set with 68 round brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 0.56ct. Available in 145mm / 155mm sizes. Jewels: rose gold bangle bracelet set with: 493 round brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 5ct; 122 round, pear, square and oval-cut-colored stones totalling 13ct (rubellite, amethyst, topaz, emerald, citrine, pink sapphire, tanzanite, paraiba, tsavorite, spessartite, pink tourmaline, aquamarine, blue sapphire, peridot); 1 round brilliant-cut blue sapphire totalling 0.2ct. Sized to 155mm. |