There’s only ever one thing about Bvlgari that you can be certain of – and that’s to expect the unexpected. A Maison that plays by nobody’s rules except its own, its combination of high Italian flair and a gourmet taste for the dramatic never fails to delight and surprise. And when it comes to walking the teetering tightrope between horology and haute joaillerie, all bets are off because we truly never know what to expect.
With the launch of this year’s Watches and Wonders goodies, we’re left in no doubt that the creative juices at Bvlgari are still flowing freely. Helmed by the inimitable Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, and hot on the heels of the beamingly brilliant Tubogas Manchette launched at LVMH Watch Week in January, the orologeria at this Roman Maison goes far beyond the record-breaking thinness of the Octo Finissimo line. Indeed, two new developments in the Serpenti sphere – elevated gem-setting and new materials for Serpenti Aeterna, and the unveiling of a studded silhouette in Serpenti Tubogas – underline the importance of beauty as well as brains for this jeweller-turned-watchmaker. We caught up with Fabrizio, Bvlgari’s product creation executive director, to pin down the finer points of these slick and sensual Serpenti reveals.
WorldTempus: This year’s Serpenti launches show both reverence for the past as well as a distinct eye on the future. First of all, tell me about the new Serpenti Studs pieces we’re seeing this year and how they fit into this narrative.
Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani: This is a project that began nearly 10 years ago, but we were waiting for the right moment to launch it. The Studs were created by Gianni Bulgari in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the Serpenti Tubogas Studs capsule collection embodies the Bvlgari Maison codes as it faithfully reflects the design elements of the iconic necklace.
The new studded Tubogas pieces have a distinctly retro feel. How do you find the balance between paying tribute to the past while producing pieces that will still go on to stand the test of time?
Bvlgari is a very modern and contemporary brand. The necklace designed by Gianni Bulgari in 1982 still feels in tune with the times, and today’s design elements work the same way. For these pieces, we sought a balance between the brand’s craftsmanship, its heritage and modernity.
One of last year’s Watches and Wonders high points was seeing Bvlgari join its peers in the main exhibition space, and marvelling at the reimagination of Serpenti from a deliberately figurative form to something more abstract. How did this transformation come about, and where are you taking the new silhouette next?
Serpenti Aeterna was conceived for the Aeterna 2024 high jewellery and watch launch, which celebrated Bvlgari’s 140thanniversary. It’s something that draws inspiration from the snake without being a snake, yet we can still immediately understand what it is. This year at Watches and Wonders, we are launching two new variations of Serpenti Aeterna. Last year, it was a major aesthetic success. And today we are launching a high-end version with gemstones and a yellow gold version with a slightly modified dial.
Bvlgari is uniquely positioned between high jewellery and horology, so how does that dual expertise influence the design process of a Serpenti watch today?
This dual expertise embodies the brand’s DNA. We apply our watchmaking savoir fair to the Piccolissimo movement and other movements developed in collaboration with the brand’s jewellery division. We are the only brand to possess this dual identity. It is truly unique to be able to create a secret watch featuring an in-house Piccolissimo movement, while the serpent motif evolves in every direction: watchmaking and jewellery. Today, it’s hard to say whether it’s a watch or a piece of jewellery.
