You joined Bulgari a year and a half ago, what is an aim that you would still like to achieve that hasn’t been done yet?
My aim is to create more desire through excellent quality and creativity. If and when I leave the company one day, I want the desire from the consumer to be even stronger than when I took control.
With a brand that has many different offerings, how difficult is it to stick to one message, one DNA?
In the case of Bulgari, it is quite easy because we were born in Rome as a jeweller. This, we should never forget. Rome is in our DNA. It is a source of inspiration for our brand when it comes to the jewellery and boutiques and more. It’s a stepping stone from which we captured our main jewellery codes that have made Bulgari famous such as the Serpenti, B.zero1 and Bulgari Bulgari. So that is the frame and form that we try to expand the codes into other categories which are consistent with the jewellery. For example, the ladies’ watches are derived from the jewellery as a latest release. The bags are also touched by jewellery elements. So you see, we are framing our creativity within the codes of jewellery which have been inherited from Rome.
When it comes to watches – Swiss made vs. Italian made. These days, people want to invest in Swiss-made watches. What are you doing about this?
Well, first of all, our watches are designed and crafted in Switzerland in our very own workshop. The added Italian value is design. The Swiss are very good when it comes to engineering however, there is something that has been missing from the Swiss watch-making industry, and that is design. Only a select few can excel at both engineering and design. Design is not always in the Swiss DNA but it is definitely in-built in the Italian DNA. What makes Bulgari unique is that we are the only Swiss-made brand with a very strong Italian soul and design language.
After the success of Serpenti, what do you anticipate for Lucea?
Lucea is an offspring of Serpenti. We really wanted to design a mainstream, round-shape ladies’ luxury watch from scratch that is like Serpenti. We also wanted a non-logo watch but it needed to be immediately recognizable as Bulgari. That is not easy because there are so many watches. So, we took the inspiration of Serpenti and invented a new Serpenti design for the bracelet which is even more contemporary. When you look at it, it will remind you of the snake thus confirming its creation by Bulgari. We’ve added a crown in a coloured gemstone that again captures the essence of the brand. I believe it will be a major pillar.
SERPENTI
This year, Bulgari won six awards. Tell us more about this.
I can’t really recall every single one of them. The most recent one took place in Mexico and it was for the Octo – a watch with a lot of ambition. The fact that the Octo was awarded is very important to us. Being a jeweller, we are obviously very credible and compelling when it comes to ladies watches but there is a question mark when it comes to men. I am not saying men don’t like the design. On the contrary, they love Octo, and Bulgari-Bulgari has been a winner for men for such a long time however since we are a strong dimensional ladies’ brand, men may be a bit hesitant. So, the fact that we won such awards is the ultimate proof of Bulgari’s craftsmanship of beautiful ladies’ watches as well as extremely complicated men’s watches. These awards will provide us with a lot of legitimacy among male targets which have always been important to us.
OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON
You were quoted earlier saying that you aim to be among the top 10 in the watch-making industry. What strategy are you adopting to make this possible in 2015?
We are just going to be quicker than the competition this year. The Swiss watch market was quite slow in 2014. A lot of the novelties (Lucea, Octo Finissimo) were released quite late in 2014 therefore; they will reach their full effect and greatest impact this year.
With those novelties plus the additional ones that will be released during Baselworld will speed up our growth. The novelties released this year will reach the market much quicker, right after Basel in fact. I believe that in 2015, we will have an even stronger growth of watches. We are not so far from the Number 10 position. It might take us maybe 3 or 5 years however, we are content knowing that we are one of the few brands with extremely strong ladies’ watches. The market right now is dominated by men’s watches and so it is great that Bulgari has a great offering of watches for women.
What challenges do you foresee this year for the brand?
Last year, we went through a very demanding year. We had some huge gaps in terms of portfolio that we managed to fill. Of course, we still have a few gaps that are quite obvious therefore; the challenge this year is to really leverage those gaps. We will focus on the three collections for ladies. Likewise, on Octo for men – we have to be focused and promote them properly in order to take them to the next level in terms of design and eventually sales dimension. Compared to our competitors, we are not too far behind in terms of jewellery. However, we are in terms of watches.
In terms of endorsing celebrities, you are a brand that works with faces. To what extent do you think this will affect positively the brand?
We don’t endorse or use celebrities. If we do, it’s normally for jewellery. For men, we don’t. For example we used Leonardo Da Vinci in the advertising campaign for Octo as he portrays the Italian genius of design combined with technology. When it comes to perfume, we use models that are totally unknown to the public but are able to convey an attitude and style that fits with each perfume. Being a top Italian brand, our jewellery and products are endorsed and advertised by Italian beauties as this further reinforces our message that we are completely Italian across the board!
OCTO VELOCISSIMO
DIAGONO
You have only been with Bulgari a short while. What’s your proudest moment at Bulgari since the day you joined?
I would say…helping the Bulgari team to realize their unleashed potential and capability. Not that the brand wasn’t successful, but there was a certain kind of ‘second place’ mentality. Today, I think the mentality is progressing and there is a much stronger ambition. This company has everything from the know-how, credibility and resources to break through even more and go much faster and higher than any other competitor. So, I’d like to think I probably brought back a lot of confidence that was missing in the company. The potential was always there, but sometimes the people just did not realize it. It was as if they were sitting on an incredible treasure without realizing its vast potential.
What is your favourite watch from the collection?
On a daily basis, I really love the Diagono. It is a great quality Swiss watch that allows you to feel the incredible Italian design. It is also very versatile and can be worn on the beach or in a boardroom. For a more formal occasion, there is nothing I like better than the Octo. It is a statement of style and refinement; a masterpiece of art, regardless of the engine that is in fact equally exceptional.
What would you like to tell our readers to expect at Basel?
Basel will be continuity to what we initiated last year so you will see more of Lucea. You will also see more of Octo and discover totally new expressions of jewellery watches.
How would you describe Bulgari in three words?
In three words, I would describe Bulgari as Roman, Magnificent and Contemporary. All this makes it pretty exciting.
