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Transcript of bulgari 8
It has been one heck of a year for Bulgari – joining the portfolio of
luxury giant LVMH, seeing the appointment of its first non-family
CEO, buying back some of its most iconic pieces at Christie’s
Elizabeth Taylor auction and, most recently, reshaping its men’s
watch collection. QP looks at the new Bulgari Octo.
Tracey Llewellyn
PIECES OF EIGHThen Gérald Genta died in
August 2011 a tidal wave of
interest flowed through the
watch world for the designer that created
classics including, among many others,
the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek
Philippe Nautilus, Vacheron Constantin
Overseas and IWC Ingenieur. Already
recognised as a genius, Genta’s death
pushed him into icon territory and for that
reason alone, surely it would be crazy to
remove Genta’s name from the dial of a
watch instantly recognisable as one of
his legendary designs? Yet that is exactly
what LVMH’s newest watch acquisition
has done with the introduction of the new
Bulgari Octo.
This eagerly anticipated launch is the
reason that the international press was
gathered at Complesso Monumentale
Santo Spirito in Sassio in Rome, Bulgari’s
home city, on 13 July this year. The venue
– whose roots date back to AD 727 – was
chosen not only for its natural beauty but
also because of the octagonal shape of
the Tiburio located in the Monumental
Complex, which is where Bulgari chose to
display the new collection.
34
RESTRUCTURING
Michael Burke was appointed Bulgari
CEO in February this year, the first ever
non-family member to take this position
(vacated when Francesco Trapani became
Head of Watches and Jewellery at LVMH
as part of the Bulgari acquisition) and
bringing with him 25 years of LVMH
experience at both Dior and Fendi. He
explains his decision to take on the role at
Bulgari as being threefold: “First of all it
is Bulgari – who would say no? Secondly,
it is LVMH – a company renowned for
helping family-owned businesses to
W
With the new
signature Octo watch
Bulgari has taken the most
distinguishing element of the
Genta original – the case – and
fused it with a typical Bulgari
dial. The result is a timepiece
that will set the pace for all
new Bulgari men’s
watches.
36
achieve their full potential without destroying
the heart of the brands. Thirdly, the position is
in Rome, a country I have called home for the
past eight years and a place that I appreciate
more and more as I mature.
“Perfection for a Roman is all about balance.
Between ancient and modern, straight and
curved – where the extremes meet, this is where
you find perfection. And this is what we have
strived to achieve with the new Octo.”
The piece is certainly stripped back. Along
with the Genta name, all other dial adornments
have also been done away with. Gone are the
retrograde hands and multiple subdials of the
über-complicated originals and in their place is
a refined, sophisticated elegance featuring just
a simple hours, minutes and seconds display
with date window at 3 o’clock, the complex
case shape belying the conventional set-up of
the dial.
GLOBAL APPEAL
The case of the Octo remains – obviously –
eight-sided as Genta originally designed it, the
octagon being rich in meaning across many
cultures. In engineering terms it is known as the
geometry of perfection, it is where the curved
meets the straight, the circle meets the square
and is the traditional pinnacle of structural
strength and natural elegance. In Eastern
philosophy the circle historically represents
heaven and the square earth, with the octagon
being the perfect balance between the two and
where the eight pillars of personality meet.
Doubtless the octagonal theme that was
established in the 1970s and is emphasised in
this new incarnation will ensure that the watch
is popular in the mighty Chinese market, but
beyond that its appeal is potentially universal.
At 41.5mm in diameter and 10.55mm thick, the
in-house produced case is smaller and thinner
than its 43mm predecessor and is made up
of three parts – the middle, the bezel and the
screw-down back – comprising 110 hand-
finished facets with new, more streamlined,
lugs and a black ceramic crown with functional
octagonal grip. The polished black lacquer dial
features applied indexes, which are faceted to
match the look of the case, and the signature
Bulgari ‘6’ and ‘12’ numerals.
UNDER THE BONNET
Inside the case is the new in-house automatic
Bulgari movement Calibre BVL 193 beating at
4Hz and providing a 50-hour power reserve.
The finishing of the movement components
is as expected of Bulgari, including circular
grained mainplate, polished pivots and satin-
brushed driving wheels.
So here it is, the new ambassador for Bulgari
horology, available in two versions – steel case
on alligator strap (£6,350) and the gorgeous
pink gold model (£18,600). Still very much from
the Genta stable, Bulgari has stripped away any
excesses and in so doing imparted an elegance
that will make it a future classic. Managing
Director of Bulgari’s Watch Business Unit,
Guido Terreni, summarises: “The new Octo is a
foundation on which all Bulgari men’s watches
will be built. We believe that beauty enhances
life and we want to create the most beautiful
timepieces in the world – this is our first step.”
There is no doubt that the model is a real
looker, but with a price that pushes it into the
realms of other Genta-designed legends, who
does Terreni think will buy it? His answer is
assured: “It is not for everyone and is certainly
not or those who follow the stream, but rather
for those who are able to make a personal
choice and stand up to its charisma.”
Further information: www.bulgari.com
37
E X P E R I M E N T
The hand-finished Octo
movement, the BVL 193
features 28 jewels, beats at
28,800 VPH (4Hz) and has
a 50-hour power reserve.
In the
new Octo,
circle meets square in
perfect balance, creating a
shape that has been a powerful
symbol in architecture, folklore
and mysticism since ancient
times. Assembly of both case and
movement plus case polishing
are all carried out
in-house.
The launch
of the new
Bulgari Octo in the
Complesso Monumentale
Santo Spirito in Sassio was
followed by an evening of
Roman celebration at the
awe-inspiring Stadio
Olimpico.