Octo ROMA - La Nuova Sfida Di BULGARI e Fabrizio Buonamassa

Hi guys today we are in the company of Fabrizio Buonassa in Rome Fabrizio is Head of design at Bulgaria and we have been talking about it on our profile for a long time now Today we are going to talk about OCT Rome and in a truly [Music] special location fantastic location In my opinion one of the most beautiful hotels there is That there is in Rome and not only opened very recently We are at the Bulgarian Hotel in Rome and truly a Roman masterpiece I would say In terms of architecture finishes materials truly a place where you can breathe a lot the DNA of the brand Certainly Well you talk about design because it is something that is very close to you and we met 2 years ago in 2021 talking about OCT fin finissimo OCT fin finissimo is a very important saga which has many records now in its curriculum speaking of OCT Roma what is special about this collection And what does it represent for Bulgari So they are two very different objects In the sense that Octo Roma was born much after OCT finissimo and was born to let's say to expand the range a little Octo il finissimo is a very great success everyone knows it very well. But let's say that if you don't like plate watches or if you want to spend a little less. Let's say that you didn't have a lot of choice until a few years ago. Octo Roma had precisely that purpose of expanding the offer of Octo and to give customers who wanted something a little more different from a dimensional point of view but also access to the Octo family the possibility of finding in the Octo Roma an answer that was consistent with the aesthetics of the Octo range This is the second edition that we have created which is now on the market. Let's say that it is very different from the first while remaining an octagonal watch with an important physicality, of course OCT Roma we are talking about portability on different types of wrist we are talking about interchangeability with So versatility with different straps and we also talk about compc actions because we have the time only version we have the chronograph version and we have the world time version and what is special about introducing a complication at a non-ultra thin level Then it must be said that the The Octo Roma is by far the case we use the most because the very fine OCT is restricted to a world of ultra-flat watches while the Octo Roma case, thanks to its geometry and ability to accommodate movements of different sizes and thicknesses, is the case that we use as an entry into the Octo family but also as a watch case with chime so it is used much more than the very fine, the very fine essentially there are the eight world records and then there are a couple more references such as movements But let's say that we talk of approximately 10 10 references as a type of movement in the Roma we start with the hour minutes seconds then there is the cross Then there are the skeletonized movements then there is now there is also the turbon bow tie there are the watches with repeater there are high jewelery watches So we also make watches that are full baguette or with colored bezels so the range of use of the oct Rome is much wider than the range of use of the very fine oct Of course because we have complications as we saw the papillon tourbillon that was presented this year we then have all the turbons with gemset Exactly we also have all the watches with cases made of hard stone in onyx in malachite in Lapis in tiger's eye so let's say from a point of view of the fine watchmaking of fine jewelery is more versatile because thanks to the shape and construction it allows us to use more movements Then let's say that it was also born with a different purpose the very fine oct F was born to be the thinnest watch in world while the oct Rome has canons of versatility requirements which are totally different Of course when when you have no restrictions in terms of thickness you can go and play with many features you can play with the Bezel you can play with the bracelet which however is very close to that of very fine OCT However the bracelet of the bracelet Let's say that from a geometric point of view it is the same therefore Hao same design This was something that we had wanted from the beginning so let's say that the only thing that has not changed in the Octo Roma which is currently on sale in our boutiques is the bracelet the first link of the bracelet has been replaced because now we have the interchangeability which did not exist before however the remaining part of the bracelet Let's say it is the same as Octo Roma in the first version everything else has changed the case has changed the Bezel we didn't have a Chrono movement and now we have it the dial has changed which before the texture Now it has a texture the hands have changed to have more luminous material inside they have changed the indexes so let's say the buttons the crown everything has changed The only thing that has remained the same as before is the name and the parallel links of the bracelet of course Well seeing an octom between the first edition and the current one However you can recognize the aesthetic codes of this watch from this collection talking about design in bulgar Let's say that there is a trend in watchmaking that is a bit nostalgic because it sees a whole series of sources of inspiration in the past but it is difficult to maintain a balance between past and future style, however a design current In your opinion, how do you balance these two things eh This is one of the most complex challenges for a designer because as I see it for how the brand intends the design the aesthetic approach Let's say that we are less tied to one type of vintage inspiration it is true that we are now celebrating 75 years of serpents. It is also true that the first wristwatch made by bulgar is more than 100 years old but let's say that everyone has known us since 1975 when Gianni Bulgari designed the Bulgari Roma and then the Bulgari Bulgari we do not have a vintage approach Perhaps because our history in terms of watchmaking that everyone knows is very short but not even with snakes which I repeat we are celebrating 75 years We always try to let them shed their skin a little to tell a different story In fact I think we have OT or nine different ways of wearing a snake on the wrist and beyond the 9-10 10 different movements that there are on the very fine oct there are just as many on the oct Rome therefore the very fine oct you cannot assimilate it to a Vintage concept the Roma oct not even the serpenti Perhaps in some references the gas tube of serpenti gas tube no because it is a watch that is just 10 years old so it is not exactly the only vintage object we have in quotes the bulgar Bulgari But since I 've been in the company I've redesigned it at least four times so let's say it's a bit vintage it doesn't represent much for us because Eh We always try to reinterpret the brand the postmodern approach is a bit it tends to make it easier for you in quotes it's simpler because at a certain point you repeat things already done while our extreme ease towards boredom prevents us from always redesigning the same things yes even when it is redesigned there is always a c 'It's always something different, we also receive special orders for snakes, there are customers who ask to have exactly the same snake as Elisabeth Taylor and we don't make it the same again partly because it's not correct and partly because we don't like it so But you see it even in the very fine form that they are, it's always the same watch But we change the material G we change the finish and every time it looks like a different watch it's a bit of a distinctive element but perhaps even more part of the DNA of the brand always trying to recreate the Brand because it is still a modern contemporary brand that has never based its aesthetic canons on the archive or on research into the past, yes it is not, it is not at all simple because always looking to the future still requires a certain amount, perhaps the most difficult thing is the most uncertain Why not It's easy to open the drawer and say this year we'll redo this case next year we'll redo another one or it's even simpler to never change of course but it's not it's not part of the Brand's DNA we are a jeweler famous for having introduced many aesthetic elements into the world of jewelery and many different materials into the world of watchmaking so it would be a bit like betraying our very nature to always do the same things again Absolutely And precisely speaking about what has changed we met two years ago in 2 years changes a lot In your opinion what has changed in Bulgaria in shatel you travel a lot you have many inspirations we had a pandemic for a moment but what has changed in reality you know 2 years in watchmaking is not that many in 2 years it has changed that now we have the very small that hadn't changed before that OCT Rome didn't exist before as it does now but now it exists you know We are developing the movements and watches for the next 4-5 years so 2 years is too little time Basically it's a continuous process of change which then in the end you see little in such a short period of time We are continuing to work on very fine we have completely redesigned octor Roma We are now designing things that will be on the market at the end of this year at the end of next year at the end of Year after year we are developing and improving or let's say implementing some movements so you know. Once you have to manage a factory that makes cases, dials, bracelets and movements it's a job that is almost daily in the sense that every day is different because you have different complexities respond to different needs Once C We have a problem in quotes a discussion about a movement Once about a dial Once about a case when you buy components in quotes it's much simpler Sure because you just have to assemble them a little But when do you have to produce yourself Some in some cases As regards some movements D the very fine oct you also have to develop the tool to make the CH component so thin so small so it's all very much in a phase of evolution now the number one phase has also begun In my opinion two of the very finest because after all these World Records and all these references and these different designs we are now starting to manage the collection in a much more in- depth manner. Also because we find ourselves having to deal with complexities in quotes that before we didn't have the satisfaction and l the dissatisfaction of very important collectors the scarcity of product on the market which is not due to our will but is nevertheless a fact also because there was a very high demand the limited editions which are a very important aspect of the very fine dct there are many elements that are on the table now the evolution of some movements the evolution of some very fine OCT references of course well so 2 years Yes in watchmaking there aren't many you see a lot but they aren't many they aren't many but I came back from Mexico the other day and a journalist asked me a question he said How many references do you manage In a year how many watches designed in a year and in the end I had never thought about it I did some back and forth calculations and we will be among the 80 and 100 references so many all together starting from an evolution of a dial but also a lot from jewel watches from watches with great complications from limited editions from the evolutions of existing references So it's clear that I 'm not alone I'm here I can have ideas sometimes but there are the guys who work with me in Cent design there are all the people from marketing product development communication otherwise you would have a lot of sketches on the table a lot of drawings some ideas but you wouldn't have a finished watch so the work of the design is also that of coordination once you pass the exciting moment of the idea and the spark given to the creative process then you have to manage all these references of course and alone it would be impossible no it would be impossible a final watch wouldn't arrive we wouldn't have a very fine Octo fom al Poo Exactly Absolutely Before we talked about versatility we talked about ergonomics in OCT Rome what is the main difference in terms of sensation on the wrist how do you design a watch that feels good on the wrist So we do it once we start with the idea So the oct Roma had a very long development because there were some important changes during the work we changed the chronograph movement we consequently changed the buttons we changed the system twice of interchangeability of the Movement So we changed the case twice we were not happy with the finishes we were not happy with the thicknesses So it is a watch that has had a very long product development period of almost 3 years because it is a very complex watch made up of many parts and it's something that we wanted to do to have a certain let me say a bit: we wanted an object that would last a long time on the market and then we wanted an object that reflected all the development and experience we had on the very fine OCT so the finishes thicknesses, spokes, the comfort of the bracelet had to all come from the very fine one that However, the watch that radically changed our way of imagining watches Well Certainly So there is a business unit before and one after the very fine one and the very fine oof arrived on the market because we changed our way of imagining watches. And in my opinion, thanks above all to this way of seeing different watches, the customer saw a different approach in the very fine oof but if you don't change first, it's difficult to follow you No, it doesn't come directly to the level of communication, the concept must change, so we create many drawings, in particular freehand, however. Immediately afterwards, we use the software known in the world of design and engineering, then we create many maquette many plastic prototypes where for the first time You have the dimensional sensation of the watch so we put it on our wrist for the first time and this happens on average after 3-4 months Ok when we approve one or two of the 4 5 6 plastic machets we make of the metal prototypes in the meantime let's launch the prototype for the dials anyway Ok Then it's clear that the hands are missing it takes I don't remember how many weeks to have a hand so the times in watchmaking are very very long because essentially the components that you you can't make it inside if you are looking for a certain quality they are made by a small group of suppliers who are full of certain work And so you have to wait so sometimes the customer says But how is it possible that I have to wait so long for a watch too in the after sales But if there is a broken component that we cannot make internally we have to order it and sometimes you even wait 2-3 months like we wait months for a prototype of a hand sometimes Ok so it's all very complex there is also a job of supply chain and coordination of those who are the external suppliers of the components that we do not make internally which is extremely complicated at the moment, for example leather straps, we do not make them internally, we do not make rubber straps We don't make the hands inside. However, once we manage to assemble the first watch made of prototype components, let's say it's the first time you have a real watch on your wrist. Sometimes there's also the movement which gives you a feeling of weight and from there we basically start again we start to rough out everything that is extra or Add everything that is not enough then if there are no major technical constraints there are no important technical changes the clock moves forward in stages then the prototype is approved and then we move on to pre-production the components are ordered and then the pre-series is created and then the series the pre-series is very important for the approval to see that all the components are in order that the watch does not present defects and this is, let's say, a crucial phase, watches are made by men, components and products are still made by hand today. It is impossible for them to be 200% perfect. Of course, it is clear that C C puts in all the effort possible but then sometimes they are noticeable some comments that are a bit strange one happened to me the other day and the watch doesn't fit and the customer had a watch on his wrist that was new I said but she never wears this watch he tells me No actually not I never wear it Then you should start putting it on And wind it because otherwise you'll put it on once Then you leave it on the bedside table and take it after a week it's normal for it to stop of course therefore mechanisms like all automatic watches with with with a normal power reserve l watchmaking and therefore sometimes there are also situations in which you receive somewhat strange feedback but essentially the thing that makes watchmaking unique is the fact that there is a very high component of human work even today Well that makes the watch Something unique unique exact then let's not talk about watches with a chime because there is a master watchmaker who begins and it is the same one who ends and it is a journey that can last even 6-7 months the assembly of a chime Of course I also remember when you presented for the first time the Locto Roma watch with the chime, that is, a Yes watch because then we make different movements with chime, we make one of the most complicated watches on the market which is the Grands Ry how many perpetual moonface tourbillons and to assemble a watch of that type it takes 6 months 7 months and it is the same watchmaker who starts and finishes as when you assemble the engines of Formula 1 cars or very high performance cars There is a mechanic he specializes in the exact sector then if in the clock with chimes the watchmaker must be able to imagine what will be the sound and the characteristics of the sound that the clock will have when he has completely assembled it and the clock is assembled and disassembled different times because you only hear the real sound of watches with chimes when you screw the case so it is completely closed so you feel the impact of the gaskets of the glass of the Hammers on the Gs so then you take it apart and start a fine tuning phase again to get to the quality of the sound you imagine Yes There is an unthinkable job It takes a particular talent and it takes 20 years of experience Well I imagine then I have to say that precisely at the level of complications This is one of the most complex in terms of realization at the level also then of repair then to a whole series of yes like when you service an exotic car Exactly You have to go to a place and you have to wait the time it takes Of course the last question is about the future of Bulgari as always we like a we can imagine what the future could be And in your opinion what is the next challenge in Octo Roma and in Bulgari It's a very complicated question I'd like to know I have to tell you the truth no we try to be very very consistent with what the DNA of the company is brand so basically we already have a variety of important aesthetic lines that starts with the bulgary bulgary aluminum lucea serpenti serpenti tubigas mysterious snakes enchanted snakes OCT very fine octor Roma divas Dream So we have let's say a watch capable of satisfying every request in the female part and in the male We have many movements that we carry out in Aus of all complications So now what we try to do and to be quite consistent with what we have done up to now try to continue to serve the customers we have but also to attract new ones so we are continuing working on Octo We are continuing to work on aluminum on bulgar Bulgari obviously on snakes to always try to have a slightly Wow effect which is what characterizes the expression of customers when they enter our boutiques Yes well seeing here in Rome there is It's that very fine effect that you can only find with us. It's clear that they are watches that are sharp in some cases, but it's also one of the characteristics of the Serpent Tubogas brand. You must like it, but it's true that there isn't a comparison on the market. there is a comparison the very fine oct although there are many ultra-flat watches if you are looking for an ultra-flat watch with a modern fit that is very sporty and at the same time discreet it is not that you have many options it is the same when you are looking for a watch that is at at the same time a watch a jewel more than a tube gas snake or a snake in general it is very difficult to find Then it is clear that there are more mainstream watches so there are all the Bulgari Bulgari the aluminum and light a lot of watches with small complications and jewels we will continue to make watches of this type trying to capitalize as much as possible on the experience of the finest and on the experience of watches with great complications jewel watches well Fabrizio I thank you for this nice conversation and we will probably see you in Dubai [ Music] definitely