Haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie brand Bvlgari has for some time now been creating records on the thinnest – thinnest tourbillon, thinnest minute repeater, thinnest automatic watch, and the thinnest automatic tourbillon watch.
This year too, the brand continues to tread the ‘thinnest’ path and has unveiled the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT, which is not only the thinnest chronograph but also features an automatic movement with a GMT complication.
“Day & Night” magazine sat down with Guido Terreni – Managing Director of Bvlgari, for a scheduled interview. Imagine our surprise when Jean-Christophe Babin – CEO of the marque, walked in unannounced half-way through, and sat down with us to contribute meaningful information. Read ahead for an interesting insight into Bvlgari…
Does the new Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT, which has broken the record for the thinnest movement, have an entirely new movement or is it a modification on your earlier automatic movement with a module on top?
Terreni: It is an absolutely new movement – a fully integrated chronograph movement started from the scratch. This took us two-and-half years of work in our Le Sentier Manufacture, and builds on all the experience we have acquired in ultra-thin watches because it is the thinnest chronograph ever – with a GMT function. We think our customer is a gentleman, who is not a technically sporty type but rather an elegant person who travels – for pleasure or for business. So, the Finissimo is taking the ultra-thin watches into the 21st century with this contemporary masculine elegant style. This watch simply changes the proportion of what we have on a chronograph.
How are you able to offer a chronograph – with an integrated movement – at a price point of only CHF16,500?
Terreni: It is due to the fact that we have a fully integrated manufacture in Le Sentier, and we produce everything in-house. We work on cost; we don’t have to factor in margins to the supplier and so we can be competitive. This is the true value of the watch.
Bvlgari has been breaking records every year; why is that?
Terreni: We have been doing that because we didn’t have the movements we wanted, so we made them as thin as possible.
How stressful is that for you?
Terreni: Well, there are a lot of challenges because it is a monumental project, but when you achieve them it is so rewarding. This is the most complicated thing to do – a chronograph after a minute repeater; that is why you don’t see so many of them. We achieved this, thanks to the expertise of what we have put in all the other Finissimo movements. We have a peripheral rotor as we did in the automatic tourbillon, and this allows you to admire all the work behind the column wheel that regulates the chronograph function. It is a chronograph born for the 21st century, compared to the other references that are 50 years old when watches were 35 mm or 36 mm. You can see how it fills the counters, and it is the right distance and the counters are bigger because they are meant for a 42 mm watch.
How does it feel to have all horologists look forward every year to see what Bvlgari is offering?
Terreni: We strongly believe that innovation has to take you to a better place, so we don’t look back and copy the past. We look to the future using our heritage as an inspiration, and we put our technical skills into the making of something new. Something that gives you a different proportion in what you have on your wrist. When you put a Finissimo on your wrist, it is seductive because when you take it off and put on something else, it feels bulkier and heavier. It really changes our perception of what we have on our wrists.
How were you able to do a ceramic watch that is as thin as the Octo Finissimo Ceramic?
Terreni: It took us a lot of effort to develop this watch, because ceramic is a material with no compromises. You cannot make it wrong; that is why we gave it a slightly more tolerances for reliability – the bracelet is 2.8 instead of 2.5; the case is 5.5 against the 5.15 of the titanium, but it does not change the allure of the watch. The watch is totally of ceramic – the dial is of ceramic, as is the case, the bracelet, and even the buckle. This has never been done before; in the buckle you usually need an elastic movement, and metal, to close it. But here we have the system that allows you to clip it in so that it becomes a buckle. Most people don’t think much of the buckle, but it is an important part of the watch and it has to be integrated. It also has to be slim on the other side of the wrist.
The watch has an allure that is young, fresh, masculine and elegant. You can wear it to the beach and then pair it with a tuxedo. Plus, the readability of the dial was something that was difficult to make, because when it is black on black, it makes it difficult to read the time. But in this, you can see the matt finish on the ceramic, which is sun-blasted, and contrasts extremely well with the hands and the indexes. The indexes are applied and are of black chrome. The chrome has been added to the hands and the indexes because it reflects light in such a powerful way that you can see the time really well. I think this is the sexiest watch we have ever done. It is a daily watch that is scratch-proof, so you can wear it every day and not worry about it. The ceramic gives it a black matte that is so pure; if we did this in titanium DLC, it wouldn’t have the same finishing. This ceramic is flawless.
Why is your product pricing so aggressive, especially since the launch of the Finissimo?
Terreni: We have the advantage of being a fully integrated manufacture and we make our own components. When you make your own components, you don’t have to give a margin to your supplier. Instead of putting that in as a margin to ourselves, we put a correct value what we think is the value of the watch. It is also the best way to ensure that we have people wearing it, and endorsing it because the more people wear it, the more visibility we get.
With the launch of the new edition of the Serpenti Seduttori, do you think it will be possible for ladies to use the Serpenti as a daily-wear watch?
Terreni: For sure; I also believe that the Tubogas is a daily-wear watch, but it takes courage and personality to use it every day. For women who do not see that, we wanted to present an effortless way to wear the Serpenti. When I think of a Bvlgari woman, I think of her as wearing a Serpenti Tubogas; very sexy, very feminine. Nine out 10 ladies wear a men’s watch, only smaller. This is our interpretation and our ambassador watch. But the Serpenti is so powerful as a sign that it can also be interpreted in a different way. That is why we took the iconic case that is now ten years old and recognised as Bvlgari by everyone, and we made it extremely thin so that it is effortless to wear; in a very classic way but with a twist. It is not a round watch, nor is it a square one; it has the Bvlgari touch and it is a Serpenti watch.
To me, it is immediately a legitimate Bvlgari watch even if you remove the logo. The jewellery aspect is visible because the bracelet is inspired by our jewellery collection but at the same time, it is totally new, contemporary and very feminine. It has those two strengths: immediate legitimacy and it is a women’s watch, but totally different in the women’s universe. With the clasp, it is easy to wear for many ladies, and it is an iconic shape. It is also very sensual; it is very caressing and fits on small wrists beautifully.
Babin: It is so classy and totally feminine. The scales on the bracelet are extremely flexible; it graphically represents the skin of the snake in a synthetic material. Initially, we thought of mother-of-pearl for the dial, but that was more appealing to the older ladies. We wanted something fresh in the execution and so fixed on a warm tone that is meant to be gold, because gold is the material for jewellery and it is feminine, warm, sensual, and luxurious.
Do the female watches also have in-house movements?
Babin: No, they are quartz movements because a case like this would not work with a mechanical movement; it would have been much more thicker. It is also more comfortable to have a quartz movement in ladies’ watches as they do not have to go to the trouble of setting it when taking it out after some time. Of course, there are ladies who like mechanical watches, and for them we have the Lvcea, which is mostly mechanical. The shape and the design of the Lvcea is meant for a mechanical watch. It would be very difficult to have a mechanical watch with a Serpenti case.
How have you managed to be the only company that has had double-digits growth year after year, in spite of market perturbations?
Babin: Creativity combined with a fragmented market; if we had a consolidated market, with few players, it is difficult to overcome a downturn. It is a combination of our commitment to creativity, which you can find across board – amazing watches, our high jewellery is very daring as well. We are combining the timeless design of the Serpenti with edgy capsules, all of this add up. Obviously, we are taking advantage of being a fragmented market as an industry. Even the leading watchmaker has only a modest market share; it is the same for jewellery and accessories. When times are tougher, our creativity helps us get market share; when times are easier, our creativity helps us grow even faster. The fact that we are outsiders in the world of watchmaking and jewellery perhaps also helps. It keeps us very humble and very passionate; eventually, it will help us be the very best.
In the past few years, Bvlgari has come to be seen as a very sexy brand; how difficult was it to achieve that?
Babin: We have this amazing Roman inspiration that is not only the art and architecture, but our lifestyle itself. We try to envision what Dolce Vita means in the 21st century when it comes to interacting with our partners and our clients. It means joy, which is also sophisticated, and which translates into an experience you will remember forever, whether you buy it or not. Whether it is forever with a gold ring or for a night only at the Bvlgari hotel. We would term it as a cool but sophisticated experience, which is exactly what the Bvlgari hotels are delivering. It is the utmost in terms of luxury.
Terreni: The emotional connection to the brand is very strong, and that is the reason for our growth.
