Above: Divas’ Dream, showing charm for repeater.
Below: Serpenti Twist Your Time
You may notice that there is no back case of sapphire. This case can only
be this thin using titanium, which is sufficiently sturdy. It resists torsion. We
have only two components, the case with an integrated back case, and then
we case in the movement and close the bezel. The price is 125,000 euros
and it’s also a 50-piece limited edition.
So you see the consistency within this collection. It’s all about a mono-
chromatic look and the technical challenges to make it so thin.
Why did you make a Carbon version?
Then we thought about making an all black version. We thought what was a
black in nature, and the answer is carbon.
Carbon has two technical qualities. First, it chimes very well. The second
is its lightweight. Our watches were already light, but even compared to
those this carbon is very light. The same watch in titanium is 77 grams,
but the carbon is 47 grams. And it is unprecedented that we have made an
all carbon bracelet. I’m not aware of another brand that has made an all
carbon bracelet.
This is true carbon as you see it in nature; it’s not injected like a plastic.
We use layers of carbon place one on top of the other. This makes it more
resistant to shocks. When you see the concentric lines on the bezel it’s
because the bezel is made of four layers of this carbon, which we then cut
at an angle for the bezel shape. Look at the dial: That is one layer of carbon
as it looks in nature. It has a camouflage effect. It is not carbon fiber. It’s a
.03 mm layer of carbon.
We cannot work the carbon as we can gold or steel. We have to make
the bracelet link by link, which cost a fortune. We realize that we cannot
serialize this, so we have used it for the minute repeater. The sound is
not metallic and is very clean. We make fifty pieces in a limited edition.
(170,000 euros).
46 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2018
You’ve also made a new repeater for ladies, correct?
Yes. One-hundred-years ago we did our first watch for ladies. To commem-
orate that we are doing a minute repeater for ladies this year. We don’t
address ladies by simply downsizing in men’s watch. We make feminine
watches. The design is from our Divas’ Dream collection, recognizable by
the charm that hangs from it. This is inspired by our jewelry collection.
Note that the charm is not just decorative, it has a function. It’s our
minute repeater movement, but since it is set in gold it is less loud, and of
course it is set in a decorative case and dial. The dial is inspired by Japanese
Urushi lacquer. It’s a ten-piece limited edition. We also did a skeleton model
using our logo and one on our own Tubogas bracelet. It’s a very technical.
We have ten meters of gold string that actually hold them together. We’ve
dome new Serpenti introductions also. We have new changeable Serpenti
Twist your time with gold chain made with seven small chains and two
push buttons.