At Watches & Wonders 2024, Bvlgari’s mission was clear: reclaim the throne of the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, and their Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC did exactly that, earning the maison their ninth world record. While so, Bvlgari also introduced the Tadao Ando x Bulgari Serpenti Limited Edition, blending Japanese artistry with Italian craftsmanship to celebrate the beauty of Mother Earth.

To better understand the master-craftsmanship and architectural brilliance of these haute horlogerie marvels, we spoke with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani – Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director. Stagliani, hailing from Naples, Italy, has been at the helm of Bvlgari’s watch design for over two decades and is the maestro behind the Octo Finissimo’s glorious streak of accomplishments.

You’ve been with Bvlgari for over two decades – how do you think the brand’s design objectives have changed over time?

Be it two decades ago or today, the initial process of designing a timepiece has remained the same – I begin with raw sketches and pitch them to our design, R&D, and marketing teams, and we collectively determine the path forward.

What has changed is the latter half of the job – complexity has taken centre stage at Bvlgari in the last decade, which has altered our methods of producing watches. Today, our watches are required to meet a certain degree of complexity in matters of components, materials, and dimensions. Furthermore, as Bvlgari’s manufactures today are of various sizes, it allows us to create our watches from scratch, deepening the process of producing timepieces.

What does the process of creating new timepieces look like at Bvlgari?

Once I have an image in mind, I begin endlessly sketching my ideas, one version after the other, until I have a clear design. After this, we go to the rendering studio and make prototypes.

Sometimes, in your mind, you have a spectacular idea for a watch – it may seem super cool and appealing. But when you see its first prototype, you realise how much tuning it needs to turn it into a reality, sometimes leading you into a deep rabbit hole. But other times, things move faster – you sketch, have your prototype ready, it needs a couple of nifty tweaks, and it’s ready to go into product development. Quick and easy. Sometimes, we have trouble with a brief. Sometimes, we question the very idea of the watch and whether its creativity can be transformed into reality because we’re also bound by time. Hence, I try to sketch as many variations as possible.

I also believe that some sketches/designs aren’t always meant for immediate success but are destined to find their light of day in the future. Sometimes the world isn’t quite ready for certain ideas yet. As a creative artist, you need to be in a seamless flow regarding creativity, creation, and of course, a sense of timing.

In a macro sense, in terms of creativity, vision, and inspiration, what’s been the mission of the 2024 collection at Watches & Wonders?

At Bvlgari’s core, we’ve always dared to be different, expressing our unique spirit of haute horlogerie since the maison’s genesis. Unlike our competitors, material and mechanical innovation will always be at the forefront of our offerings. At the same time, we play with coloured gemstones and new designs – this is entrenched in our DNA to date. Regarding our mission for 2024, we strive to be consistent with Bvlgari’s heritage while creating an innovative distinction with our models.

Bvlgari holds innumerable records for crafting the world’s thinnest watches. What is the brand’s philosophy with these special projects?

Before the Finissimo, high/grand complication watches were mostly round with similar bezels and dials. The Bvlgari Octo was the first to incorporate titanium into this mix, with a fresh set of complications and a new approach altogether. Bvlgari strived to redetermine how the world looks at grand complication watches – giving it a more contemporary spin. So yes, that’s the Octo’s philosophy.

What technical challenges did you face with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, and how were they overcome?

In the beginning, we were quite conservative in our approach, being alone in this endeavour. But six months in, we were in good company and had much more confidence in the project. It wasn’t enough for us to have the thinnest mechanical watch on the market – creating a beautiful or ultra-thin watch is a feat Bvlgari already accomplished many years ago. Still, we needed the movement to showcase a complimentary degree of mechanical acumen too. The objective was to create an Octo that doesn’t only exude style but also mastery in mechanical design. To accomplish this, we swapped out various components to accommodate a technically brilliant COSC-certified movement, blending accuracy with the thinness of the Finissimo.

Uniquely, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC came with a platinum case option – what’s the idea here?

Oh! Platinum completely redefines the objective of the timepiece. When you change the material with such thinness, you start development from scratch – it’s a whole new caseback and bracelet. Interestingly, this is our first time seeing a Finissimo with a platinum bracelet.

The thought was to have a different option for those not interested in COSC certification or owning the ultra-thinnest watch in the market. Instead, something more elegant with a slightly more aesthetical approach. Since the material is different, so is the slimness, and the dial is blue because we wanted its unique approach to stand out amongst the Finissomo’s greyscale palette. Many clients have requested a platinum-make instead of titanium simply because it adds much more prestige to the piece.

Tell us about the creative collaboration between Bvlgari and Japanese architect Tadao Ando – how was the Serpenti used as a canvas for his creativity this year?

Initially, Tadao aspired to play with natural elements, and we suggested experimenting with the Serpenti. We nearly locked onto an idea until we changed our mind mid-process, striving to direct this collaboration differently. We decided to concentrate on our most iconic watch, the Serpenti Tubogas and proposed a few options to Tadao. Tadao was in love with the idea of creating a patchwork-style dial of precious stones and gems on the Serpenti, stringing back to our initial concept of focusing on natural elements. This time in the form of treasured stones like aventurine, pink and white mother-of-pearl, tiger’s eye, and more. The creative idea was for the patchwork gem-set dial to represent a new life for the stones and create a new aesthetic for the Serpenti Tubogas

The Octo Roma was blacked out this year – what led to that decision?

Black is eternally elegant. No matter the era, it never fails to find its appeal. The Octo Roma is the access to the world of the Octo. Also, if you’re not a fan of ultra-thin watches, you still have a massive Octo family to look at. The Octo assortment is the largest at Bvlgari, from more modest variations to our most expensive, like the Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, Grand Sonnerie, and others with in-house movements. The inclusion of the matte-black finish this year was more of a “why not?” move. It’s interesting to see the chronograph and date-window variant in black and a new DLC case, its latest evolution – offering a highly metropolitan appeal overall.

The post In Conversation with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director About Watches & Wonders 2024 Launches appeared first on Kapoor Watch Co. | Blogs.