In our age of information overload and constantly changing parameters of luxury, it takes an exceptional design to stand the test of time. Bulgari’s Tubogas is a true stalwart and a concept used in jewellery since 1870. Like the greatest designs, Tubogas is a function-inspired design that shunned the decorative scrolls and swirls of previous jewellery styles. The highly flexible bracelet simulated the coiling aspect of a snake’s body and was christened Tubogas because of its similarity to a lowly woven-metal gas hose that appeared in houses around the land with the arrival of piped gas.

Today, Bulgari celebrates the endurance of Tubogas, which has transcended its expected lifespan to become an icon blessed with authenticity, tradition, and craftsmanship. Capturing the Zeitgeist of an age of exciting upheaval, industrial optimism, and women’s renewed role in society, Tubogas reached the tipping point that took it from fad to icon.

In the late 1940s, designers at Bulgari’s HQ in Rome decided to insert a watch into the fashionable snake bracelets of the Art Deco period, resulting in the genesis of this timepiece with a bite. The first Serpenti watches were presented on an ergonomic gold Tubogas bracelet.

It helped that Elizabeth Taylor was a fan, Diane Vreeland adored the design, and countless divas have since adorned themselves with the empowering simplicity of Tubogas jewels, which became a metaphor for modernity.

Throughout generations, Tubogas has been strikingly recognisable, but it has subtly been kept up to date, always in the same idiom.The 16 new arrivals fuse elements from existing collections such as Serpenti, Monete, Bulgari Bulgari and Parentesi – based on the pattern of Roman pavements –as well as the house’s famous coloured gemstones to create new iterations of the Tubogas. Each design celebrates the sinuous litheness of the Tubogas, made of gold bands seamlessly joined together without any soldering to create a fluid coil that wraps around the body.

New bracelets, chokers, and earrings are made in the traditional yellow gold beloved by the house and adorned with gold diamond studs or a diamond-set Parentesi motif. Another version features all three colours of gold for a bold and contemporary look.

Bulgari’s indlgently opulent, richly-hued gemstones land on chokers set with either tanzanite, tsavorite or rubellite, the luminous gems framed by geometrical patterns of hard stones such as turquoise or mother pearl and off-set with diamonds.

The famous Serpenti drapes around the neck and finger with a slinky Tubogas body. The serpent’s diamond-set head clasps the tail end of its body to create a sensual double-wrap choker with a hint of danger.

A Bulgari Tubogas watch is composed of a trio of coils in red, white, and yellow gold that wrap three times around the wrist. The watch face is a Bulgari design, with the logo spelt out twice around the bezel.

The astounding Black Eagle choker tops the bill with six Tubogas coils stacked up the neck. The top coil is white gold, while the lower five are gold coated with a DLC black finish.  The funnel-shaped choker is adorned with dozens of diamonds set in white gold for a dazzling and dramatic effect.

The Tubogas continues to inspire Bulgari's designers to create ever more surprising and original designs that have become a hallmark of the house. The arrival of the new Bulgari jewels confirm the iconic status of the Tubogas and its infinite design possibilities.