At its first-ever appearance at Watches & Wonders, Bvlgari came through in full force. The house of Serpenti broke yet another world record when unveiling a new icy snake that might just become its next icon. And while I was there, the Italian brand let me play with some of its earlier 2025 novelties which, frankly, made me a believer in Bvlgari’s vision for watchmaking.

Bvlgari is best known for jewelry but its horological side deserves serious attention. The brand entered the game in the late '70s, combining bold Italian design with Swiss watchmaking chops.

What began with the clean, Roman-inspired Bvlgari Bvlgari timepiece has evolved into one of the most exciting houses in high horology. Today, it’s the Octo Finissimo line, a record-shattering collection of ultra-thin mechanical marvels, that proves Bvlgari isn’t just playing dress-up.

Case in point: the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, Bvlgari’s 10th world record for super-slim timepieces. This thing is just 1.85mm thick, the thinnest tourbillon ever created. Powered by the BVF 900 manual-wound movement, it manages a 42-hour power reserve inside an impossibly sleek case.

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I didn’t get hands-on with it (tight security, naturally) but even behind glass, it barely looked real.

Still, my heart belongs to Bvlgari’s jewelry-rooted designs. The new Serpenti Aeterna is a wild evolution of the brand’s serpent motif. No literal scales here, just fluid curves wrapped in either brilliant-cut rose gold or full pavé-set white gold with oversized stones. It’s bold, sculptural, and unmistakably Bvlgari.

In a watch world doubling down on both high jewelry and high complications, Bvlgari’s superpower is simple: watches that wear like sculpture and hit like fine art.