When Bvlgari sought to create its snake-like Serpenti design, it turned to the Tubogas technique. The origins of the Tubogas is humble—inspired by gas pipes used to transport pressurised gas in the 1920s, which were corrugated as a result of metal wrapping around them for added protection. In jewellery, the technique was practised in the late 19th century, but it wasn’t until Bvlgari that the Tubogas became popular.
The time-consuming technique involves wrapping gold strips around a core structure in order to create flexible bands without the need of soldering. There is a characteristic bounce to the Tubogas, which also gives a rather comfortable fit around the wrist, as exemplified by Bvlgari’s first Serpenti watch introduced in 1948. The house’s artisans then continued to dedicate time in perfecting the technique by exploring other materials and incorporating elements as a way of experimenting with the unique intricacies.
Since then, countless other Bvlgari creations—from jewellery to timepieces—have incorporated the Tubogas technique. But it has always been just that: a technique synonymous with Bvlgari and an example of the kind of ingenuity the house is known for. That has changed with the Bvlgari Tubogas.
For the first time in more than 70 years, the technique has now been given its own collection, showcasing the distinctive striped look and its versatility across different expressions. The Bvlgari Tubogas collection takes reference from the first aforementioned creation by the house, with an almost exclusively yellow gold foundation that is added with extra flourishes. The collection’s four bracelets, for example, range from pure yellow gold at its simplest to a duo of variations decorated tastefully with diamonds—either studded or concentrated at the two ends of a cuff-styled bracelet. A tri-gold variation follows the simplicity of the all-gold but imbued with a more contemporary flair.
The necklaces are where Bvlgari takes it up a couple of notches. A majority of the designs are choker styles with the Tubogas used to create a sort of rigid flexibility. The shape of the necklaces stays fixed and contour the neck seamlessly without feeling... well, choked.
Just like the bracelets, they range from clean yellow gold to variations with diamond pavés. Three expressions up the ante by combining the Tubogas with another of Bvlgari icons, the Parentesi. Defined by the geometric motifs inspired by Roman pavements, they are set with a central precious stone—rubellite, tanzanite or green tourmaline—and surrounded by a pavé of diamonds as well as hard stone inserts. The Tubogas itself is reworked into a triangular shape that’s not only more complex to craft but visually adds volume and sophistication to the pieces.
Familiar Serpenti styles are revisited for Bvlgari Tubogas in the form of necklaces as well as a ring and bracelet. Each feature a more classic serpent head with diamond pavés echoing the coiling of the Tubogas in a sort of sinewy dance that is rather mesmerising to look at.
The final piece in the collection is a Bvlgari Bvlgari Tubogas timepiece. It combines the best of the house in a 21mm-gold case (there could very be a much larger, male-appropriate size in the future, who knows) fixed to a completely tubular rendition of the Tubogas—a nod to its humble beginnings.
Given the 16 different designs within the Bvlgari Tubogas collection, Bvlgari isn’t playing around with this new debut. The Tubogas technique is one of the markers of the house and to finally give it the spotlight that it rightly deserves has been a long time coming.
The Bvlgari Tubogas jewellery collection is now available in boutiques and online.
When Esquire Singapore caught up with Ayden Sng last year, he was in the throes of filming the Channel 8 series All That Glitters. Much of the conversation lingered around the idea of typecasting—a familiar, if frustrating aspect of Singapore’s acting scene. It’s easy to empathise with Sng’s desire to break free from these shackles and truly test the limits of his craft. How many times can one play the good son, the polished, educated love interest—the character that always feels safe? But Sng isn’t one to shy away from reinvention. He’s an actor hungry for growth, even if it means throwing himself into the unknown and rebuilding from scratch.
When Ayden Sng first stepped into the industry at 25, Mediacorp was the unknown, an uncharted territory for a young actor eager to make his mark. Five years and countless Channel 8 dramas later, Mediacorp has become a familiar space, almost too familiar. The shows blend into each other, the roles begin to blur, and the people—well, everyone knows everyone. “TV filming in Singapore is like a big family,” Sng tells me, playfully cross-legged on a couch in a narrow studio. I’ve never been to the set, but I nod because I can imagine it. Sng, with his easy charisma, fills the room with a lightness that’s both infectious and disarming. He speaks with what I can only describe as a fragile meticulousness, but with the crew during the photoshoot, a more relaxed side of him surfaces, emboldened by the cadence of Singlish and the occasional slip into Mandarin. It’s been a long day—leather jackets layered against multi-layered turtlenecks, striking pose after pose under blinding lights—but you wouldn’t know it from the way he carries himself. There’s no posture here; this is the Sng his collaborators have come to know. It’s obvious he feels at ease here, but for an actor dedicated to their craft, comfort can be a cage, and growth, after all, often blooms in discomfort.
In late 2023, Mediacorp’s The Celebrity Agency embarked on a collaboration with China’s Huanyu Entertainment to select three local actors to be represented by the prestigious agency. Sng was selected as one of them, which meant that the actor would have to be based in China for the foreseeable future and direct his focus on the sprawling Chinese market. An opportunity like this is the stuff of dreams for many Singaporean actors because it could spell the eruption of their career into global heights, beyond the shores of our small nation. Yet, with any leap into the unknown, it carries its fair share of risks. For Sng, it is akin to pressing the reset button on his career. If navigating the local scene in Mediacorp was his first unknown as an actor, then the colossal landscape of China is his next great unknown.
Regardless, this is a fresh start, and in a market brimming with unlimited possibilities, Sng can finally break free from any typecasting and fully explore his range as an actor… right?
“In China, I’m essentially starting from scratch, so ironically, I’m looking to be typecast again,” he reveals, catching me completely off guard. Quite honestly, I had mapped out the entire interview in my head during my research—half-ready to set pen to paper and frame the cover story as “The Reinvention of Ayden Sng”. It would have been a grand angle that showcased how Sng has a second shot at avoiding the pitfall that is being typecasted. After all, wasn’t breaking out of typecasting part of his struggle back home?
He elaborates, “Stage one for any actor in a new market is to be typecasted because people need to think of you for a specific type of role, that’s the easiest way to get cast.” He continues, “After you’ve been in the market for a few years, that’s when you need to break out of that mould and showcase your versatility.” When we spoke to Sng last year, he was at the tipping point, on the verge of shedding that mould in the local market. “Stage three for me would then be to defy all of this.”
However, navigating a market as vast and varied as China’s means that “typecast” isn’t as simple as it sounds. “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out,” he admits. “China has a lot more genres than we have in Singapore—historical dramas, fantasy fighting, WWII period dramas. It’s a discovery phase.”
Despite this ambiguity, he’s finding his footing. In one of his recent projects, the wuxia drama 临江仙 (Lin Jiang Xian), he plays an immortal—a role that tested his physical limits as an actor. “It was my first time doing wire work, in over 40°C weather,” he recalls, smiling. “I was flying around with a sword for over 12 hours a day. It was exhausting, but memorable because it was a series of firsts for me.”
But there are challenges acting in China that go beyond the physical. The uncertainty of navigating a foreign territory, on top of the pressure of having to perform at the top of your craft can be intensely palpable. “You get one shot, and you have to make it count,” Sng confesses. This urgency means that now the hunger for growth he’s held for years—the one that has felt so distant—is within his grasp, he’s finally seizing it. From vocal training to movement classes and picking up the intricacies of wire work, Sng has been placed in an environment that demands rapid growth, a stark contrast to what he had been used to. “Growth used to be something that was always on my mind and was something I was trying to do”, Sng admits. “But now, it feels like I have to do it, and quickly.”
Despite the highs of being in a new market, being uprooted from everything familiar—culture, routine and rhythm—has been taxing. “Even though my Mandarin is fairly proficient, I don’t have the cultural context to respond in a way that is required of me,” Sng reveals, likening himself to a deer in headlights during social interactions. He also describes himself as a sponge, absorbing more than contributing, which he concedes makes him a dull conversationalist. “There are times when I wish I could reply to them in English, then I would know what to say, but I can’t.”
“And this is coming from someone like me who thoroughly enjoys Mandarin and Chinese.” Ironically, this challenge is part of why he loves being in China: the total immersion in Chinese culture. This affinity with Chinese culture can be traced to Sng’s childhood. “Growing up, I definitely consumed more Chinese content [than Western content],” says Sng, enraptured for the first time in our conversation. “Which is why working in China feels like a dream come true for me.” Before the internet made television shows and movies from other countries like China widely accessible, Channel 8 was the cornerstone of Sng’s childhood entertainment. “Chen Li Ping was my favourite actor,” he beams. “I watched her when she was [My Teacher] Aiyoyo.”
Creating and starring in Chinese media clearly ignites something deeper within Sng, which explains why his tone remains upbeat and hopeful, even while opening up about his challenges in China. The 30-year-old isn’t closing the door on Western projects just yet though. “The goal would be to be involved in more international projects,” he says. And in true Sng fashion, the reason is quite simple: growth.
Whether it’s Hollywood, the UK or regional countries—it matters not which foreign market he steps into. He’s more concerned about discovering the inner workings of the industry across different settings and refining his own craft. His journey in China is a prime example. “You go there completely clueless,” he confides. “You do two shows, and then you have a stronger understanding of what you can and cannot do. You realise what you’re weak at and the skills you need to improve on.” This learning process endows Sng with a roadmap, a clearer path towards bettering his craft and guiding him to becoming the actor he wants to be.
For many, success in this industry can be measured by the number of followers you have on Instagram, the accolades, the fame. But for Sng, the idea of “making it” isn’t as straightforward. “Someone earning SGD3,000 might want more, and when they get SGD6,000, it still won’t feel like enough,” he continues. “There’s always going to be something you want or feel like you need to improve on. So, it’s really about enjoying the journey.” Instead of asking himself “Have I made it?” his instincts are to ask himself, “Are you happy with where you are, and what you’re doing?
It is a grounded view of success, one that emphasises that cliché of journey over the destination.
Yet, in a career that has been marked by transitions—from Singapore to China, from typecasting to growth—Sng’s definition of “making it” is more about internal satisfaction than external achievements. He is more concerned with his own evolution than ticking off boxes of conventional success. “To create that kind of joy machine for yourself. That’s something that people need to find.”
The television format is fast-paced and unrelenting; actors are typically not afforded the luxury of time when preparing and filming for a role, especially in Singapore where productivity is a priority. While a drama with 30 episodes (roughly 1,200 minutes) may take three to four months to film, a 110-minute movie often takes just two to three months. For an actor, the unhurried, deliberate nature of cinema creates an ideal environment that allows them to fine-tune every performance and mull over every nuance. “Taking more time to create something good, that’s something that every actor would like to do,” Sng says, earnestly.
The extended preparation time that films offer actors—the slow burn of cinema—may explain why the medium has yielded some of the greatest acting performances in history. Think Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon, Mahershala Ali in Moonlight, Tony Leung in In the Mood for Love. From Sng’s perspective, it wasn’t a particular film that has triggered his desire to explore cinema. Rather, it was the performances themselves that struck an emotional chord with him. “It’s just something that would make you want to be in a position where you can do something like that.”
His criterion for a good film is refreshingly honest, “as long as it’s entertaining”. Whether it’s laughter, tears, or fear, if the film elicits the intended response, he would consider it a success. And if it can keep his attention for more than 10 minutes… cue the score and hand over the Oscar. Who’s to tell Sng a film is bad if he enjoyed it? Film, like all art forms, has always been subjective. A distraught office worker suffering from corporate burnout will have a completely different experience watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower than an awkward teenager battling with social anxiety and identity. That same office worker could watch My Dinner with Andre and form their own interpretation of the film, coloured by their own life experiences. “Filmmakers, in some sense, have a huge role to be able to shape how their audience thinks based on their own worldview.” Sng opines. “But how the audience reacts to it is a reflection of overall social sentiment at that point in time.”
If you couldn’t already tell, Sng thinks—deeply. A scroll to the bottom of his Instagram page reveals pictures with long introspective captions attached to them—mini dissertations on maturity, identity and freedom. These days, those personal journal entries are long gone, replaced with simpler captions and sometimes, even just a single word. What changed?
“Somebody in the industry told me that nobody’s reading any of my posts,” he reveals. “They suggested one-word captions instead.” It’s practical advice considering the fleeting attention span in the landscape of social media today. However, there’s more to this than a strategic social media move.
“I think I used to have more things to say,” he reveals, pointing to the insular nature of filming in Singapore. “When you are stuck in an environment for very long, you’re not really absorbing enough knowledge to form a perspective about a lot of things,” says Sng, adding further depth to his move to China.
Comfort, close relationships and familiarity—these are some of the things Sng has had to leave behind in dedication to the craft. But there is something else: his cats.
“I feel like my cats would call me irresponsible because I’m hardly ever home.” His life is divided between two countries. He has cats in China, cared for by his assistant and also in Singapore, looked after by his family. It’s far from ideal for someone who doesn’t mind being branded as that “crazy cat uncle”. In a perfect world, Sng would have Doraemon’s magical door, bringing his cats along with him wherever he went.
He admits that the constant travel and time away from home come with emotional challenges. “I wish I could spend more time with them,” referring not just to his cats but to the other important people in his life. But instead of letting the guilt consume him, he approaches himself with kindness, “I don’t let the guilt eat me up. I know that I’m trying my best and that’s what matters.”
Photography, Digital Imaging and Retouching: Jayden Tan
Styling: Asri Jasman
Art Direction: Joan Tai
Hair: Christvian Wu using KEVIN.MURPHY
Makeup: Ying Cui Pris at AASTRAL BEAUTY using LANCÔME
Styling Assistant: Kyla Chow
Held for the first time at the Genesis Art Gallery—designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando—the Serpenti Infinite Tales exhibition concludes its global journey in Beijing. This final stop marks the largest Serpenti Factory to date, with extensive participation from both local and international artists.
"Throughout the history of human civilisation, the serpent has been a powerful symbol of bold visions and profound meaning, inspiring countless artistic and cultural creations. Bvlgari's Serpenti collection, with its iconic snake motif, embodies classic Italian aesthetics and female empowerment. The Bvlgari Serpenti Infinite Tales exhibition debuted in Shanghai and now arrives in Beijing, an inspiring city with a deep cultural heritage, to celebrate the grand finale of the Serpenti Factory. The Beijing exhibition showcases artworks that embody the spirit of transformation and innovation of Serpenti, allowing us to share this with the Chinese audience," said CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.
The Beijing edition of the Serpenti Infinite Tales exhibition showcases previously unpublished works alongside significant pieces from past international venues. The exhibition is a journey split into five thematic chapters that shed light on the enduring connection between the serpent motif and art, bridging the past and present as well as the East and West through the timeless symbol's multifaceted nature. Multimedia artist Wu Junyong created a contemporary ink animation installation titled "Seeds of Light", inspired by the caduceus of Asclepius, and the snake-bodied Gods Fuxi and Nuwa. Meanwhile, artist Wu Jian'an drew inspiration from an ancient Chinese text, creating "Zhu Long", featuring the snake-bodied ancient Chinese God of the same name achieved by utilising modern cutting and setting techniques with gold and silver coatings.
Aside from the works inspired by the Serpenti, Bvlgari also showcased a number of in-house creations in honour of the Serpenti's 140th anniversary. A series of high jewellery pieces draw inspiration from previous iconic iterations of the Serpenti as well as cultural ties to its Roman roots and China. And for the first time since its reveal in April of this year, the exhibition displays the Serpenti Tubogas watches done in collaboration with Ando—both as an honour to the architect responsible for the space that the exhibition is held in as well as the landmark debut artistic collaboration for the series.
The opening event was attended by 300 international guests, including Babin, brand ambassadors Yifei Liu and Leo Wu, as well as a number of celebrities and artists.
The Serpenti Infinite Tales exhibition is now open to the public until 18 August 2024 at the Genesis Art Gallery in Beijing.
Among the many designs in Bvlgari's extensive repertoire, the Serpenti is arguably its most recognisable and synonymous with the House. Think of the snake in the context of luxury watches and jewellery, and Bvlgari's Serpenti would immediately come to mind.
Like many great design icons, the Serpenti has seen a slate of interpretations over the years. The serpentine design was first birthed by Bvlgari in 1948—a watch-bracelet in gold featuring the now-signature Tubogas technique—and has seen its design as well as silhouette reworked in many different ways. Life-like (yet still with an Art Deco influence) forms are often riddled with precious stones, while more contemporary abstractions add a sense of timelessness to the piece they're shaped into.
The Serpenti Viper was introduced a few years ago. Like its name suggest, the aesthetic of the Serpenti Viper is meant to exude a more energetic and somewhat menacing appearance. It's a bolder interpretation and not in the sense that it's a statement piece—there are certainly pieces intricately decorated with precious stones—but rather, the stylistic vibe is a contrast to the Serpenti's elegant aura. Think of the Serpenti Viper as the edgier update that’s versatile enough to be worn for just about any and every occasion.
The beauty of the Serpenti Viper lies in its stylised snake scale motif. It’s an expertly rendered gradation as each link—differing ever so slightly in size and scale—curves out of the head and down to its tail. This maintains the Serpenti’s distinct enveloping lines that instantly connects the wearer and the creation in a snug embrace. Whether it’s a ring, necklace, or bracelet, each piece interacts similarly as a mark of Bvlgari’s ingenuity and craftsmanship.
Sleeker than ever, the 2024 Serpenti Viper editions enrich the series further with designs crafted in 18-carat yellow and rose golds. Some are embellished with a touch of demi pavé diamonds while still maintaining the minimalist foundation of the series. The latest necklace, for example, features a gold chain with a coiled up Serpenti Viper pendant tipped with diamond pavé, each matching the scale of its placement.
The heroes of the collection—and arguably the most versatile—are the new rings and bracelets. A new single-wrapped ring is the embodiment of the Serpenti Viper. Available in rose and yellow gold, the design includes one with diamonds as well as a pure gold body. It’s perhaps the simplest form of the series yet at the same time, able to take on a new expression when stacked with either the same hue of gold or its other iteration. The same goes for the new single coil bangle bracelets. A piece has a presence on its own but thin enough to stack for those who’d rather make a bigger impact on the wrist.
Like the moulting of a snake’s skin, the Serpenti is no stranger to evolutions as it constantly does so. But with the Serpenti Viper, the attribute is more apparent as not only is a Serpenti Viper an evolved form of the Serpenti, it also can change within its own line—a personalised impulsivity, if you will. Now that’s rather menacing, don’t you think?
The latest Serpenti Viper collection is now available in Bvlgari boutiques and online.
You'd probably find it odd holding a Bvlgari Aluminium for the first time. You heft it in your hands, unsure of its weight. It’s undeniably metal, but the light, cool, matte aluminium feels unlike any watch you’ve encountered. Then there is the rubber bracelet, each supple piece of rubber linking to the next, softly swivelling on partially exposed joints. You can’t quite put a finger on its design either—is it a sporty watch? Contemporary? You'd wager it’d look equally at home paired with a suit though. The Bvlgari Aluminium is complex, avant-garde even, but it’s a haute horlogerie affair, and this one is unmistakably Bvlgari.
It’s 1998, Bvlgari, a titan of luxury, just revealed its latest collection—a luxury watch line made from two heretical materials: aluminium, a material typically relegated to soda cans, and, well, rubber. It was a defiant move that sent shockwaves rippling through the realm of haute horlogerie. Little did Bvlgari know, this one step would propel the brand into the future, and it was dragging the entire watchmaking industry along with it, whether they liked it or not. Just ask what Apple thinks of aluminium watches.
Having received acclaim as an iconic watch at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2020, Bvlgari finally took its celebrated timepiece out of its award case and unveiled the second generation in the same year. The Bvlgari Aluminium returns in 2024 with three new models—a black GMT model, an emerald green chronograph, and a white automatic version—and they’re arriving with upgrades.
While each differs in capabilities, all three variations share a hallmark: the unabashed “BVLGARI • BVLGARI” signature carved around the 40mm watch face—its stirring arrogance inspired by the names of past Roman emperors stamped on coins, subdued by the black velvety surface of the rubber bezel. Born out of FKM rubber—a notoriously durable material in watchmaking—its bracelet features rectangular rubber blocks held together by pivoting aluminium links. This ensures a perfect drape on your wrist, providing an airy feel absent in most rubber straps while eliminating that clingy grip on sportier days. Though powered by different calibres, all three watches have a power reserve of 42 hours and water resistance of 100m.
As the only watch widely available in the collection, the Bvlgari Aluminium Black GMT builds upon its predecessors by introducing a Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) function, flaunting its capacity for dual-time zone capabilities. This serves as a homage to the inception of the Bvlgari Aluminium when it was brazenly printed onto the fuselage of an Alitalia Boeing 747, which, of course, shared a material common between them: aluminium. Speaking of which, Bvlgari has developed an alloy of aluminium designed to be more durable than the original 1998 collection. Set against an off-white dial, the black hands with luminous sword ends stretch towards the indices surrounded by a colour-coded GMT function with red representing day and black for night. Nestled deeper lies the Calibre B192, a self-winding mechanical movement that allows adjustments for seconds, minutes, hours, GMT hands, and the date to be made through the watch’s single crown.
In a nod to its Italian heritage, the limited-edition Chronograph Smeraldo draws inspiration from the alluring island of Capri. The name of the game is la dolce vita: picture yourself at the heart of Capri, wading in the turquoise water of the Marina Grande. The sand, so fine it feels like powdered sugar squishing between your toes. As you venture deeper, the water deepens just enough to lap at your calves. The water shimmering like shattered gemstones, an impossible emerald so vivid it seems to hold the entire sky itself captive. Here, you feel only the sun on your skin, the cool embrace of the water, and you let the breeze carry your soul into the ocean.
This scene is brought to life in the Chronograph Smeraldo that’s limited to just 1,000 pieces. Now, let’s talk design. Dark green dominates here, unifying the bezel and rubber bracelet to form a cohesive theme. Dark green hands sweep across a gradient dial, transitioning from white to turquoise—a reflection of the Capri coastline. The chronograph counters echo the same palette, hammering home the elegance and essence of an Italian summer. Just as the sun's energy fuels life on Earth, the automatic B130 mechanical movement powers the chronograph and date function of the watch. An engraving of the compass rose adorns the aluminium caseback, ready to rest flush against skin.
The White Automatic completes the 2024 Bvlgari Aluminium trilogy, embodying a blend of minimalist elegance and unflinching boldness, while capturing whispers of the Colosseum’s grandeur all at once. Perhaps the most striking piece in the collection, this limited edition watch evokes the spirit of '90s Bvlgari being draped in all white, mirroring the brand’s audacity back in 1998 during its initial release. The inspiration from ancient Roman coins is magnified by a sleek, one-toned aluminium white dial, creating an honest canvas that complements the splash of red added by the seconds hand. Rhodium-plated indexes and hands treated with Super-LumiNova® only add to the grandeur. Legibility is close to perfection with this timepiece, featuring the classic Bvlgari touch of a 12 and 6, and a clean date display at 3 o’clock. The White Automatic owes its soul to the Calibre B77, the reliable automatic mechanical movement that energised its predecessors.
From the functionality of the Black GMT to the Italian charm of the Chronograph Smeraldo and the minimalist Roman grandeur of the White Automatic, each Bvlgari Aluminium is a conversation starter. On its own, it's a watch that serves as a statement, a bold declaration that luxury can be redefined, that elegance can be found in the unexpected. But on your wrist, it’s a watch that not only speaks for itself as a symbol of supreme confidence in one's own artistry, but also one that undoubtedly screams Bvlgari, Bvlgari.
