At Watches and Wonders this spring in Geneva, Bvlgari, the iconic maison of pioneering perfumes, high jewelry, accessories, hotels, and more, showcased its innovation and craftsmanship in watchmaking. Behold Bvlgari Watches like Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, which, in tremendous fashion, sets a 10th world record for ultra-thin watchmaking. Developing avant-garde, horological treasures that will stand the test of time has become a grand mission and far-reaching accomplishment of Bvlgari. This is further exemplified in the brand’s debut of Serpenti Aeterna, a revitalized legend that invokes the beguiling reptile, enhanced as a coveted jewelry masterwork. Thus, Bvlgari, Master of the Art of Time, has certainly arrived.
Whitewall had the opportunity to catch up with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s visionary Product Creation Executive Director, to speak about this much-anticipated, dreamlike moment unfolding for the brand, the boundary-breaking, hero timepieces unveiled, and the singular, creative perspectives that Bvlgari offers the world.
Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani on Pushing Boundaries in Watchmaking
Courtesy of Bvlgari.
WHITEWALL: Bvlgari has consistently redefined the boundaries of ultra-thin watchmaking. With this year’s unveiling at Watches & Wonders, how have you further innovated within the Octo Finissimo collection?
FABRIZIO BUONAMASSA STIGLIANI: The hero piece, for sure, is the new Ultra Tourbillon that arrives after working on Finissimo, starting from the first Tourbillon manual winding that we introduced at the Basel Fair in 2014. Now it’s the latest chapter, with the thinnest Tourbillon on the market.
“My brain is always looking to see things in a different way.”
-Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani
WW: Heritage and modernity coexist in Bvlgari’s watch designs. How do this year’s timepieces balance the brand’s Roman roots with cutting-edge horological advancements?
FBS: In the case of the Aeterna, it’s a brand-new Serpenti without the decorative elements. The Aeterna is the essence of the Serpenti. You have to be able to remove all the things that you don’t need anymore in order to concentrate on the core of the object.
WW: How do you actually start?
FBS: The beginning of a creative process is something that is very difficult to explain. At a certain moment, the idea emerged: to have just one line that turns around the wrist—to remove the head, to remove the tail. My brain is always looking to see things in a different way.
Blending Craftsmanship with Material Innovation at Bvlgari Watches
Octo Finissimo Ultra TB. Courtesy of Bvlgari.
WW: Jewelry craftsmanship is a defining element of Bvlgari’s watchmaking. Can you tell us about the creative process behind the integration of high jewelry techniques in this year’s collections?
FBS: A bit less than 10 years ago, I was in Bond Street in London. I saw two young gentlemen wearing Serpenti jewelry pieces on their wrists. I thought, Wow, this is cool. It was my first time seeing gentlemen wearing a Serpenti watch. As a designer, you have to be able to know the needs of the market and the client.
WW: Material innovation is a key focus in contemporary watchmaking. What new materials or finishing techniques are Bvlgari introducing in 2025, and how do they enhance both aesthetics and performance?
FBS: The Octo Finissimo is in titanium today because we had an issue with the minute repeater.
Someone said, “Fabrizio, this is the most noble complication in watchmaking history, we can’t use titanium, we have to use a noble material like gold.” But we’re not Swiss, we come from Rome, so if someone can make a minute repeater with this kind of movement in titanium, it’s us. Necessity and constraints turn into an opportunity. And today we have this amazing aesthetic signature.
“As a designer, you have to be able to know the needs of the market and the client.”
-Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani
WW: This year’s launches include a mix of technical prowess and artistic expression. Which piece from the collection best exemplifies Bvlgari’s mastery of both, and what makes it stand out?
FBS: We have the Phoenix in the big showcase. We have amazing pieces of high jewelry watches. But the Ultra Tourbillon with the skeleton execution is the hero piece of the fair.
Every year, we’re able to make six or seven Grande Sonneries, made by Pascal, who’s in the booth, working on the movement. He’s in charge of the Grande Sonnerie atelier. In the watchmaking industry, there are only 10 watch masters at the same level, with the same skills, and the same passion. It’s a big asset for us.
Designing with Agility and a Fresh Point of View
Serpenti Aeterna Bulgari. Courtesy of Bvlgari.
WW: Bvlgari has built a strong legacy in both men’s and women’s watch design. How do you approach designing for different audiences while maintaining a singular brand identity?
FBS: The most interesting thing about this company is that we have exactly the same agility as a small independent brand like MB&F, for example, but we have a huge financial group behind us. In the watchmaking industry, you usually decide five years in advance what kind of watch to start working on for Watches and Wonders. But we have agility because the environment is different, the brand is different, and our clients are different. Because we are not Swiss, we have the advantage of playing with the story in a different way.
Courtesy of Bvlgari.
WW: Do you think your industrial design background helps thinking outside the box?
FBS: I have designed cars, motorcycles, sunglasses, chairs, luggage—so many things. And I am attracted to a different point of view. Otherwise, we get boring and make watches just like the others. This is very risky because it’s not a mainstream approach. If you are looking for round-shaped watches with a metal bracelet, maybe Bvlgari is not your first idea. But if you are looking for an incredible ultra-thin watch with a modern look, maybe the Octo is now at the top of the list.
Octo Finissimo Ultra TB. Courtesy of Bvlgari.
