As a Roman maison excelling in Swiss watchmaking, Bvlgari has leveraged its unique position into one of its strongest intangible currencies: identity. From Rome’s endless wealth of creativity stemming from architecture and art, along with its very own jewellery heritage, Bvlgari has produced distinctive icons such as the Serpenti and Octo Finissimo (read more about the new Octo Finissimo 37), in modern horology. Who would have thought that a serpent could become a watch and the pursuit of ultra-thinness could be equally artistic as it is technical. Thanks to its increasing sophistication in Swiss watchmaking, Bvlgari is making those confident strides as it continues to expand its watchmaking ambitions. Our conversation with Jonathan Brinbaum, managing director of Bvlgari Watches, explores Bvlgari’s delicate intersection between Roman creativity and Swiss watchmaking excellence.

This year’s theme centres around “The Art of Time”. As a Maison rooted in both high jewellery and watchmaking, how do you interpret this idea in a way that feels uniquely Roman and distinctly Bvlgari?
As a maison born in Rome, this makes us special. We have two legs in watchmaking. The first is rooted in the Roman world of art, design, architecture and jewellery. This explains the strong bias in our brands toward the importance of design, since every piece is cultural and architectural. No other brand could have made a watch like a Serpenti, because this is our Roman and Italian heart. On the other hand, we have true watchmaking expertise after Bvlgari acquired the Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta manufactures in 2000, which helped elevate and internalise our watchmaking capabilities. We’ve been developing our savoir-faire for 25 years now, and the idea of pursuing ultra-thin watchmaking began at the start of the 2010s. Unfortunately, there wasn’t such a calibre in existence, so we decided to create it ourselves, which started the Octo Finissimo saga. Occupying the space between Roman design and Swiss savoir-faire really makes us special.

Do you pick distinct elements from these two worlds [Roman creativity and Swiss watchmaking], or do you simply take everything on board?
You can’t take everything because you end up doing everything and become unrecognisable. The point is to be recognisable. Clients today are looking for icons: watches that are anchored in time. The Serpenti, Octo Finissimo, and the Bvlgari Bvlgari, which I have a special love for, even though it isn’t on the level of the two mentioned, are iconic designs. So, to your point, we need to be very deliberate and intentional about the DNA of the pieces we’re exploring, because they need to be truly and authentically aligned with the brand. Each time we do something, it has to be tied to a tangible element of our past.

How would you define an icon, given that the words “icon” and “iconic” are used so freely today?
Firstly, it’s not up to us to define what an icon is. I think, by definition, a product becomes an icon when you lose control of it. We have men wearing the Serpenti Tubogas and Seduttori these days. Our Friend of the Brand, Hudson Williams, picked the Tubogas for the Oscars. When I was in New York a few months ago, I saw men wearing the Seduttori, since we now have it in automatic configuration. These are the signs I mentioned earlier of losing control: we deliver the experience and emotion, while clients adopt it in unexpected ways. This is what makes an icon last.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 37 in yellow gold (left) and titanium (right)

How sensitive is Bvlgari in responding to consumer shifts and trends?
I approach trends by being very demanding about how we respect the brand, and, in the case of Bvlgari, respecting its almost 150 years of history. Even though we adopt a “client first” philosophy and acknowledge their trends, we need to be subtle and cautious so as not to divert the brand’s direction too abruptly. One big trend in this new generation is the blurring of the lines between men’s and women’s watches. As such, we launched the Octo Finissimo 37 as an evolution to approach this trend. It’s about fine-tuning an approach and angle so that it’s a bit different today than it was in the past.

Bvlgari isn’t chasing record-breaking thinness with the Octo Finissimo 37. How does it reflect Bvlgari’s ongoing approach to refining the everyday watch?
We love breaking records, but beyond that, what’s important for a brand like Bvlgari is to be audacious. Records are audacious; it’s a surprise for the industry and clients. It’s the same in our approach to collaborations, such as the one with MB&F. So tomorrow, it could be breaking records again or releasing something unexpected. This is more important for me, but don’t get me wrong, you’re right about the Octo Finissimo 37. Even though we’re offering a more universal watch, we’re not compromising its mastery and excellence. You’re right to acknowledge that the Octo Finissimo is now an icon, and, like any other icon, it deserves a more universal version for everyone.

Where do you think the ceiling is for the Octo Finissimo, or is there even one?
There’s no ceiling for the Octo Finissimo as long as we respect its origins. The 40mm Octo Finissimo will stay because it still has a very important role to play in terms of technicality and conveying what the Octo Finissimo is about, while the new 37mm version will have a more universal appeal. With two sizes available now, the Octo Finissimo is not just a product but a concept, allowing us to develop it as a platform rather than as a single watch.

This year’s Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum on the left

Speaking of concepts, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum continues Bvlgari’s pursuit of extreme thinness and now pairs it with one of the most demanding materials in watchmaking. What does this piece represent for you beyond its technical achievement?
You’re right to bring in the Ultra as part of the Octo Finissimo discussion, because it is our R&D concept watch, where our engineers can do whatever they want. There are no limits or boundaries, which is an absolute requirement for us because this is our platform for innovation. We’re working with platinum this year, which by definition is one of the most precious materials. Even though platinum is one of the most difficult materials to work with, it acts as a bridge to our jeweller’s history, DNA and heart.

With such limited and concept-driven pieces, how do you see the role of the Ultra series within Bvlgari’s watchmaking universe — is it a laboratory for innovation, a statement of capability, or something more emotional for collectors?
I see it as a laboratory for innovation where we explore and push the boundaries of thinness and energy management. My belief is that the biggest challenge in watchmaking is not thinness but a combination of thinness (or miniaturisation) and energy management. We had to be extra demanding of the Ultra’s and Octo Finissimo’s energy management and efficiency, since thinness and energy management are enemies of each other. There are many questions about managing a watch’s power reserve and adapting it to the watch’s various constraints.

Sketch of the new calibre BVF 100 in the Octo Finissimo 37

With the Octo Finissimo, Serpenti, and high jewellery watches, what’s next for Bvlgari in five years’ time?
I’ve a lot of belief in ladies’ watchmaking. More women are interested in watchmaking, and they’re often entering it through the jewellery world. That’s why we’re tying jewellery and watch collections together. On top of that, many more women are now interested in mechanical watchmaking, which is why we have the Serpenti Seduttori line, featuring the new Lady Solotempo automatic calibre launched last year. Bvlgari’s stance on this is to be a true lady watchmaker because, for a long time, women’s watches were smaller replicas of men’s watches, with diamonds or mother-of-pearl dials. We’ve always treated ladies’ watches as their own design for many years already, and we’ll keep doing so. We’re one step ahead compared to other brands.