The world of Bulgari with CEO Jean-Christophe Babin

Lara Mansour   |   08-09-2016

jc_babin_03

President and CEO of TAG Heuer for 13 years before arriving at Bulgari in 2013, CEO Babin brought plenty of watch brand leadership with him. He nevertheless had to adjust to the complexity of the Bulgari brand as it comprises five different businesses, jewellery, watchmaking, fragrances and cosmetics, accessories, and luxury hotels. During a meeting at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, a hotel which embodies the classic glamour and timeless chic of both Bulgari and the French Riviera, Babin talks about the adjustment and his passion for fast cars.

What accessories convey your personality and style, and how?

I am not much of an accessories man, but thank goodness I am short sighted so I can wear the Bulgari eyewear, which is a new collection. It is very cool and contemporary, but with an Italian sophistication which is something that is always present in our jewellery. Usually our main accessories tend to be more conventional, but what I love from Bulgari across the board is that the pieces are stylish but also breaking some commercial codes.

Aside from high jewellery and timepieces, what other collector’s items interest you?

I am not really a collector in the sense that I don’t mind having many of what I like. So for watches I have 5 or 6 that I personally cherish, from Bulgari and also some other brands, because you know collecting goes beyond your job. It is something like art, you can’t like just one sculptor or painter. When it comes to cars I don’t need to have many, but the few I have need to speak to my heart and my senses. It could be the smell of the leather or the noise of the engine, just something that you love yourself and not something you need to show off. My car doesn’t need to be red to be exciting.

serpenti-with-sketch-1

Your background was originally with watchmaking before joining Bulgari, has this translated well to the jewellery market?

To some extent the two categories are pretty similar, as they are both ornamental products. Watches have started to become far more complicated, because they have a function to provide you with the time, day after day, year after year, making them quite complex to craft. However, jewellery is more ornamental. It is about how credible the design is, and that it stays consistent with what the brand stands for. They both speak to each other a lot, as they all have the same Roma inspirations, and they all break the rules in their own way.

How have you adjusted to working across a brand with so many facets?

It prevents me from edging too fast. It is very exciting as the temptation is to go into further categories. However, instead we want to stay in the categories and bind them closer, which is what we try to do with the snake which is a major symbol and is present across the board, even the fragrances remind you of the snake. It is important that the customers invest in the same story and lifestyle, making the experience unique.

Are there some areas of the business that you have more of an affinity with and passion for?

It would probably be the hotels as I travel a lot. I actually don’t feel the difference between being at home and being at a Bulgari hotel. Even before I joined Bulgari I always preferred their hotels and felt at home there. For someone travelling often, the real luxury is to feel good in a hotel, and that is why they are special. Also being a man, watches speak to me so I have an affinity with this sector. Because of this I always have a passion for watch design, whereas when it comes to jewellery I can never completely understand how a woman can be so passionate about it, as it is not something that I wear myself.

By not being entirely dependent on one market or one source of business, does this give the brand more stability during these uncertain times?

I think beyond financials and in terms of creativity is an extraordinary stimulator. Your vision and ideas if working on one category can lean towards becoming a bit conservative as you aren’t experiencing diversity. Whereas when you have 5 different divisions across the board, you are getting ideas from 5 different businesses. The snake actually originated from the watch, has now spread across the board, and this illustrates how being in different businesses can bring more ideas to the core business. When it comes to financials, a brand which covers many different markets has the advantages of their different cycles. Fine jewellery is rare and less frequent, however we also have highly frequent fragrance market. Combining these different cycles gives you stability over the year aids a healthier growth.

bulg_marmi_13mag8418 bulg_marmi_5217

Which collections are the most successful for Bulgari? Why would you say they are?

No discussion, I would say the Serpenti, the B.Zero1, and the Diva. One is hugely symbolic, one came straight from colosseums of Roma and the third comes from mosaics, in homage to the brands historic heritage. So they are all expressing signs and monuments from very ancient times, although the way that we have reinterpreted them has been extremely contemporary.

bulg_marmi_13mag8471

Rome is what distinguishes the brand from other high jewellery companies. How do you ensure this heritage remains?

Obviously it starts from the creativity objective and constraints that you give to the designers. We are not too specific when it comes to the high jewellery but it must lead to express Roma, the Mediterranean and Italian lifestyle. Some may express it more than others, for example, Diva may be a bit more farfetched and feminine. However, we always have a brief, even though it is flexible and nothing is forced, to ensure that nothing will come out the workshop completely disconnected from what we stand for.

How would you describe the brand DNA?

Roma is an essential part, the Dolce Vita and Italian lifestyle. Then there is the cool, joyful, luxury and of course the boldness. We never hesitate to do what we think is right.

By Eliza Scarborough

TAGS