AWJ met Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani - Creative Director at Bvlgari Watches during the Watches & Wonders virtual edition
Can you please bring us up to date with your 2021 novelties?
Today, we presented the biggest launch in the perpetual calendar segment - The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, in a titanium case, the customary metal for Octo Finissimo watches, and in platinum as well. The Platinum one is the same finish as the Octo Finissimo with the blue dial and with the polishing and sanding phases. The watch is very important for us and took us four years developing it. The most difficult part for the design team was to develop the dial because as you can see on the perpetual world calendar, often we have many sub dials and information sometimes has to be put in a very small designs. The idea behind Octo Finissimo is to have a wearable application and we have the same layout in terms of aesthetics for the bridges, but completely different components for sure. In all, the watch is super comfortable with the Octo Finissimo bracelet, with a movement thickness of 2.75 mm. We're extremely happy with the result of our efforts.
Do you want to take us through the jewelled watches as well?
We have the two new Allegra watches. I love this execution with different charts for the colored gemstones and the geometry is a part of our DNA. From the beginning of the company, we love to play with pure geometrical elements and stunning-colored gemstones. I love this watch because it combines different geometries, different counters, and it almost looks chaotic. I love this kind of asymmetrical design because even if it is asymmetric you will find a certain balance in the proportion between the elements. The second watch has fewer patterns with a smaller case, easy to wear, less formal in terms of occasions, with two executions with diamonds and emeralds and diamonds with a black strap. I love this kind of connection between the elements, the petals and the diamonds on the emerald case. This is an amazing job that they did at our facility in Italy. It is never rigid as it is part of our heritage. These are the two watches that we presented this year, along with the Perpetual Calendar and we are even proud of the amazing execution of the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra.
Do you propose satin straps for the Allegra?
No. Honestly, when we present the satin strap, the clients ask for the alligator, and when we present the alligator they want satin strap. You know they are almost the same, and at a certain moment we have to make our decisions. We think that the alligator strap is more appropriate for this kind of product, It is more elegant, more suited for formal occasions. We also have clients who love both satin and alligator straps. For Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra, it is a fantastic watch and we took one year more or less to produce it and to find the right stone with the right color. It is not a limited edition but limited in production. The first one is with the rubellite in the center, maybe the second one is going to be with sea green, the third one with marine and the fourth one with another stone.
With almost 20 years at Bvlgari and several iconic designs that won international awards, which is your most favorite design among them all apart from Octo Finissimo, and why?
After the Serpenti all the different business units started to play again with the Serpenti in a different way. It is a great achievement, not only for the watches division but for our company. The second one for sure is Finissimo because it is a real milestone in the company history that completely changed our way of producing watches. And I tell you, thanks to Finissimo when we imagine a new watch we have a completely different approach for the bracelet, for the thickness of the case, the serpenti signatory bracelet etc and this bracelet comes out after the Octo Finissimo bracelet. We would love to have for the future just this kind of super comfortable bracelet with its amazing craftsmanship. And this is again thanks to Finissimo, because it changed for us the entire perception of imagining and designing watches for ladies, men and even for the high profile clients.
Bvlgari watches combine Italian elegance and Swiss precision. What is the main emphasis in the designing process of Bvlgari watches?
The emphasis every time is to try to invent the brand to fit our promise as you can see not only with Serpenti but even with Octo Finissimo. We have different way to wear the watch. We have the Octo Roma, the Octo Finissimo, the Octo Grand complication and the Octo high jewelry, and we have the same for Serpenti. So we try to combine each time different elements to have a new Bvlgari watch. But again, each time we try to reinvent the brand to our iconic science. So in the 50s, and in the 60s we made a new serpenti watch because we love to reinvent the brand each time in a different way. Our biggest challenge honestly, is to combine the Swiss watchmaking knowhow with this versatile creativity and these different ways to read the time. We do love to combine objects and materials to finish it for use in an unconventional way. Octo remains the main pillar of Bvlgari men’s watches. Octo Finissimo won several awards and broke several world records. In your opinion what is the secret behind the success of this design?
We completely changed the way of wearing a Minute Repeater which is the competent way to wear a uniform watch. Before Bvlgari the uniform watch was for a formal occasion with a round shaped case, very thin bezel and white face. Today, it is almost a sports watch. As you can see, on the wrist the Finissimo steel is like a new era in the uniform execution. This is the biggest challenge to face, let me say, with a classic watch to be worn as a contemporary watch. So this is the biggest challenge and maybe that's why Octo Finissimo is so popular with global watch lovers and collectors.
Looking back at your rich archive especially the Gerald Genta- Daniel Roth part, how did Bvlgari benefit from the technical designs of Gerald Genta watches?
We are able to produce our own design. We invest a lot of money and a lot more energy to manufacture the inside of the watch. Today the results speak for themselves. It was a very long journey for me that started in 1999 when we got to manufacture something that is a part of the Bvlgari DNA. The first one of the Bvlgari watch was in the 30s and it was a rectangular watch with the retrograde. For sure it was one similar to Gerald Genta more than Daniel Roth. Frankly speaking, it’s just one brand, Bvlgari, Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth, with the same manufacture inside, the same knowhow and technology. We start again to talk about Gerald Genta with the two watches we presented in the last few years. But again, this vital function or retrograde function is part of our everyday practice because this watch was part of our collection in the 30s. You have insisted on using several new material in your designs such as titanium, ceramic but to settle with the steel Oct recently. As a designer, which material, you feel is more comfortable to work with, and why?
I love Titanium one because it is very nature of the Finissmo. But for sure it is only a segment and that's why we decided to present the steel one. It is more of our mainstream watch - the blue dial or steel watch, and more used in the watchmaking segment. But the titanium is the in thing and is being used like never before. We just want to finish with one color and one material on the watch. It is time to change materials that we started with. So was the case of the ceramic one and it's easier for us because we already know the changing trends when we produce the Octo Finissimo case. But when we change the material, it is almost a brand new development and takes time. To develop the ceramic case we spent two years as it was completely different from metal alloys. We are always working on different angles so we won’t have to wait for the future. Your watch designs are elegant yet very sporty. Do you feel the sporty elements is always a value-add for your designs?
The material is a very key element of the design, and when we change the material, we are obliged to change the design sometimes. We have a different thickness, and sometimes we have a different dial as well. It is impossible to imagine a new watch in terms of design if you don't know which kind of material you are going to use.
Can you explain to us the three elements of the Tadao Ando-Bvlgari activation and how were they implemented in the design of the watches?
This is the new execution on Tadao Ando after the first one was a great success. Just for Japanese clients, we decided to have the worldwide distribution after the first black hole of the titanium edition. Today we have the second edition of ceramic with dark blue dial and it presents a fantastic slice of moon. |