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Lot Essay
With Bulgari original brown presentation box.
According to the Archives of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the movement, a Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 426, the case back and the dial for this Bulgari timepiece were produced in 1952. Jaeger-LeCoultre provided Bulgari with several movements for this type of bracelet watch. While the movement was delivered earlier, the present snake watch itself was created between the early 1960s to 1970, according to Bulgari.
It is befitting that a magnificent timepiece and jewelry item like this one is on offer in 2013, which, according to the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Snake. The snake, an age-old symbol of change and seduction, rebirth and wisdom, is most certainly one of the most recurring motifs found in jewelry.
Not simply a stunning jewelry item, but also a watch, this charming piece is in excellent overall condition and will delight its wearer as much as it will charm the observer. Coiling elegantly around a lady's wrist, one can only admire the intricate and realistic design of this vintage timepiece.
Luxury goods company Bulgari, known for its high quality jewelry items, brought out its first watch - significantly, in the form of a snake - in the late 1940s. It was born out of the idea to invigorate the company's popular serpent bracelets of the Art Deco period. Since then, the company has come out with a variety of snake-form watches, known as Tubogas models. The term Tubogas actually refers to a very special jewelry technique used by Bulgari, the Tubogas technique. The end result of this technique, in which two long metal wire bands are merged without soldering, is a sleek flexible chain. Literally translating as "gas pipe", the technique was developed during the second half of the 19th century and applied by jewellers until the 1940s. Bulgari began to use the technique in the 1950s with much success, producing beautiful necklaces, bracelets, rings and watches. Since then, it has been a signature feature of many of the company's creations. More recently, Bulgari brought out its modern reinterpretation of the Tubogas watch, calling it Serpenti. Introduced at the Basel Fair in 2010, the new collection is a fusion of the snake motif and the Tubogas bracelet.
In the past, Bulgari sourced the movements for its serpent watches from some of Switzerland's finest makers, including Audermars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin.
Bulgari
Bulgari dates back to 1884 and was set up by a Greek immigrant to Italy by the name of Sotirio Bulgari who opened his first shop in Rome. At the start of the 20th century, his sons, Constantino and Giorgio, helped him to set up a second shop in Rome and the company grew to become a household name. Today Bulgari is part of the LVMH group, the world's biggest luxury goods maker.
An enticing Bulgari snake bracelet watch belonging to Elizabeth Taylor, whose movement was also supplied by Jaeger-LeCoultre, was sold as Lot 51 during Christie's landmark auction of the Elizabeth Taylor Collection in New York on December 13, 2011. The legendary actress is seen wearing the timepiece in a photo taken on the film set of Cleopatra in 1962.
For a photograph from the movie set of Cleopatra showing Elizabeth Taylor wearing the Bulgari diamond, emerald and gold snake bracelet watch, see Bulgari. Between Eternity and History. From 1884 to 2009. 125 Years of Italian Jewels, edited by Amanda Triossi, pp. 246-247. For further illustrations and explanations regarding Bulgari snake watches, see the same book, pp. 186-197, as well as 343-350.
According to the Archives of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the movement, a Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 426, the case back and the dial for this Bulgari timepiece were produced in 1952. Jaeger-LeCoultre provided Bulgari with several movements for this type of bracelet watch. While the movement was delivered earlier, the present snake watch itself was created between the early 1960s to 1970, according to Bulgari.
It is befitting that a magnificent timepiece and jewelry item like this one is on offer in 2013, which, according to the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Snake. The snake, an age-old symbol of change and seduction, rebirth and wisdom, is most certainly one of the most recurring motifs found in jewelry.
Not simply a stunning jewelry item, but also a watch, this charming piece is in excellent overall condition and will delight its wearer as much as it will charm the observer. Coiling elegantly around a lady's wrist, one can only admire the intricate and realistic design of this vintage timepiece.
Luxury goods company Bulgari, known for its high quality jewelry items, brought out its first watch - significantly, in the form of a snake - in the late 1940s. It was born out of the idea to invigorate the company's popular serpent bracelets of the Art Deco period. Since then, the company has come out with a variety of snake-form watches, known as Tubogas models. The term Tubogas actually refers to a very special jewelry technique used by Bulgari, the Tubogas technique. The end result of this technique, in which two long metal wire bands are merged without soldering, is a sleek flexible chain. Literally translating as "gas pipe", the technique was developed during the second half of the 19th century and applied by jewellers until the 1940s. Bulgari began to use the technique in the 1950s with much success, producing beautiful necklaces, bracelets, rings and watches. Since then, it has been a signature feature of many of the company's creations. More recently, Bulgari brought out its modern reinterpretation of the Tubogas watch, calling it Serpenti. Introduced at the Basel Fair in 2010, the new collection is a fusion of the snake motif and the Tubogas bracelet.
In the past, Bulgari sourced the movements for its serpent watches from some of Switzerland's finest makers, including Audermars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin.
Bulgari
Bulgari dates back to 1884 and was set up by a Greek immigrant to Italy by the name of Sotirio Bulgari who opened his first shop in Rome. At the start of the 20th century, his sons, Constantino and Giorgio, helped him to set up a second shop in Rome and the company grew to become a household name. Today Bulgari is part of the LVMH group, the world's biggest luxury goods maker.
An enticing Bulgari snake bracelet watch belonging to Elizabeth Taylor, whose movement was also supplied by Jaeger-LeCoultre, was sold as Lot 51 during Christie's landmark auction of the Elizabeth Taylor Collection in New York on December 13, 2011. The legendary actress is seen wearing the timepiece in a photo taken on the film set of Cleopatra in 1962.
For a photograph from the movie set of Cleopatra showing Elizabeth Taylor wearing the Bulgari diamond, emerald and gold snake bracelet watch, see Bulgari. Between Eternity and History. From 1884 to 2009. 125 Years of Italian Jewels, edited by Amanda Triossi, pp. 246-247. For further illustrations and explanations regarding Bulgari snake watches, see the same book, pp. 186-197, as well as 343-350.