ISOCHRONO: Ciao Fabrizio, looking impeccably turned out as usual. Would you take us through the novelties of Bulgari watches for 2024?

Fabrizio Bournamassa (FB):

So we have the Tubogas, which we collaborated on with Tadao Ando;  and we have the fantastic Octo Finissimo Ultra, in which we have the world record for thinness (1.70mm thin) which is also, notably this time, COSC certified. The watch is also in a version made in platinum, which was the first Ultra that we presented two years ago. For this latest version, the development process was very hard because we completely redesigned the watch from scratch due to the change in material from platinum to titanium.

We spent one year and a half to create the bracelet, more or less the same time we used to create the movement of the Octo Finissimo Ultra that is up to COSC certification standards. It was more or less two years, all in all to develop. 

ISOCHRONO: What was the reason why you decided to make an COSC Certified Ultra?

We had a little bit of margin when we produced the first Octo Finissimo Ultra which was very successful. So at the time, we were satisfied. After six months though, we decided that we wanted to maximize the small margin we had to further develop the watch to see how far we could go. 

Due to the fact that  COSC certification demands that every single movement is tested, we were obligated to test every single watch because as you know,  with the Octo Finissimo Ultra, it is not possible to separate the movement from the case due to the unique design of having the movement components on the movement plate itself, which is also effectively the case of the watch. 

ISOCHRONO: Can you clarify what you mean by ‘margin’? 

FB: Yeah, margin means that we had at the time, we had a little bit of room in and around the case.

So the idea at first was to be satisfied and to say enough because we are already unique.   But we realized that we could make the watch even thinner. We had initially left the margin because we had some ideas, for example, that we could make the watch with other dials, or to have different finishing possibilities.  

So on the Octo Finissimo Ultra each component is extreme in terms of thinness. However we wanted it to be a safe watch that you can wear every day. But the origin of the idea is saying, “guys, if you want to change the material, if you want to have another kind of dial, please leave us some millimeters in the case to play with these kind of elements.”

ISOCHRONO: Is the Ultra and the Ultra COSC materially the same watch? 

FB: It is essentially same watch but with slightly different thickness due to the difference in material used 

ISOCHRONO: What’s the difference in material?

The case of the Ultra COSC is titanium, whereas the case of the second Ultra is in platinum. The platinum version at 1.8mm is thicker than the COSC version at 1.7mm. Take note that for both, the movements in these watches are only 1.5mm thick. 

So today we already have three different Octo Finissimo Ultra. We have the first one with the QR code made in tungsten carbide and titanium. Secondly we have the Ultra COSC that is thinner than the titanium one – the same material, titanium and tungsten carbide but thinner (1.7mm). Thirdly we have the platinum one which is the thickest (1.8mm) due to the use of platinum.

Do you know how heavy the platinum version is? 200 grams, which is pretty heavy, because the bracelet is made of platinum too, with the exception of the buckle, which is in titanium, due to the fact that we need a certain rigidity for the buckle. The bracelet is in platinum, the case is in platinum, the central part of the case is in tungsten carbide and the bezel is in platinum.

ISOCHRONO: What did you have to do to achieve the COSC certification?

Honestly, this is a technical question. We have to check with the product development director to get specific on this. However, as I remember, this was not a big achievement for us honestly. We never considered that COSC certification for the Octo Finissimo was a priority. 

When I joined the company more than 20 years ago, a lot of sports watches on the market had COSC certification as a standard feature. At the time, it seemed that every single brand was offering this for their watches. From our point of view, it was something that was not interesting anymore for the client. 

However, with the kind of watchmaking that the Ultra represents, we felt that, if it had COSC certification, it would mean that the watch is not only the thinnest on the market, but it’s also one with the most precise and stable movement. 

So I discussed it yesterday with friends of mine and they said, “Yes, Fabrizio, the watch is beautiful, but the COSC certification is something that nobody would expect.” Nobody can imagine this kind of movement in such a slim watch. In addition I have to mention: the packaging is something special.

Each watch is going to have the COSC certificate in the packaging. When you leave the watch to rest, you put it inside the packaging, you close the packaging, there is a camera to read the time. If it’s not correct, there is a mechanism in the packaging to set the time and charge the barrel. The watch can also be wound via a crown on the underside of the case.

ISOCHRONO: Incredible! Tell us about the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton.

The Octo Finissimo Tourbillon is a new execution with different colors, different materials, but the movement is the same as the previous version. Yes, it’s just a different execution with a movement that we already have. There are three executions:  two hand wound 42mm versions in DLC-Coated titanium or 18K rose gold, at just 4.85mm thick with 52 hours power reserve. Another version is the automatic DLC model with platinum case, thickness of 4.95mm. 

We also presented the Octo Finissimo Sketch celebrating Bulgari’s 140th anniversary, bringing a hand drawn version of the movement and representing it on the dial. Available in 40mm time only in steel and in 18K rose gold. It also comes in  a 43mm chronograph GMT steel edition. 

Each time for us, it’s important to have different materials; to keep working on materials and execution. For sure, in our pipeline, we even have new movements for Octo. We have very important developments on the Octo. We have different materials etc. We are working very, very hard on the Octo Finissimo platform. In the near future, you will have a lot of surprises. Very, very interesting surprises!

ISOCHRONO:You like Japan a lot, I believe. So Tadao Ando has done a lot with Bulgari. Tell us about this collaboration. 

FB: We met each other the first time when working on the special edition Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando. This time Tadao had the idea to work with Bulgari on the theme of nature. He came to us with a very wide brief, with no specific idea about what the watch would be yet. 

At the beginning we started with a certain watch and after a while we were not happy with the progress.

So we decided to go ahead with the Serpenti Tubogas because it’s the most natural watch for this idea. The idea of Tadao was to celebrate nature through the four seasons.

So we started to discuss that internally. The Serpenti Tubogas is the most iconic watch that we have, and its interesting that we have never made a collaboration with our ladies’ watches before. 

The idea of Tadao was to talk about the seasons and the seasons’ colors. Bulgari is the master of color gemstones.

But it was not so easy to find the real connection between Bulgari, Serpenti, nature and Tadao Ando. The previous projects were more dedicated to the aesthetic of Tadao Ando. His Octo looks like a small piece of architecture with the same kind of aesthetics that you find on a concrete building, made by Tadao. 

On this watch, the concept, the idea, was more philosophical.

So at a certain moment, I start to think about this: that we make the dial with artistic stones, which are a natural element in essence.

When we buy a part of a stone, to make a dial, we can use just a portion of the stone. We are obliged to cut the original stone many, many times to create the dial. So I started to think, that is a natural element that we threw out; and this is not something that makes sense. In this project, we talk about nature. So the idea that we don’t want to throw out any natural elements was very interesting for Tadao.

The idea was that in this way, we can play with, say, the history of Italian mosaics – Florentine mosaics made with art stones and marble, for example. And adding something very close to the Kintsugi technique in Japan (the art of putting together broken pottery pieces with gold – a metaphor for embracing flaws and imperfections). The remade object, it’s even more precious than when it was new. 

So I say, guys, it looks like an Italian mosaic as a design motif. We are talking about natural gemstones. Tadao wants to talk about nature, so we don’t want to throw out this part of the natural gem. We have to put this concept all together and we have to make a dial. 

The problem of this particular watch is that the dial is curved, not flat. So we can only accept a certain dimension because otherwise the dial may become crazy and it’s makes no sense with many big and small pieces together, and we can only accept a certain range of colours because otherwise, again, it looks like a Harlequin.

It was not so easy to find the right stones. The green aventurine was the most difficult one because it contains a lot of straight lines going in a thousand directions. In the end, you don’t have the perception of a green forest. So we moved to natural green aventurine.

The most beautiful one for me is the “aki” with the tiger eye that looks like a leaf on the (autumn) floor. It was obvious to choose the mother of birth (What) for the winter season. For spring, it is mother of pearl with shades of pink like cherry blossoms blooming. 

ISOCHRONO: So you had to be very selective about choosing the right stones because of the natural flow (inherent qualities) of the stones. 

Yeah, exactly. As you can see, each dial has different compositions of stone fragments that make up each dial. The colors and shades of stones vary, making each dial unique and individual.

I don’t remember how many trials there were about the different shades. Today we are very happy about this collection. Four limited editions. Summer (natsu): two tone yellow gold and steel bracelet and case with green aventurine dial. Autumn (aki): rose gold case and bracelet with tiger’s eye dial. Winter (fuyu): steel case and bracelet with white mother of pearl dial. Spring (haru): two tone rose gold and steel case and bracelet with pink mother of pearl dial. 

Tadao was always in touch and connected to each aspect of this project – hard as it is to reach him because he travels so much and is very busy – so he is very happy to have his influence on the manufacture, the design, and even the packaging for this watch. 

Thank you for your time and for sharing your ideas and inspirations creating this year’s watches!

Gerald: Hi Dean. Welcome to Singapore. We were just chatting about how Singapore is a new experience for you. What’s been your experience so far taking Norqain around the world?

Dean Schneider (DS): It was a great experience, a big adventure. Still, a long journey ahead of us, I think. It started two and a half years ago. It was actually absolutely not planned. As many people know, up until today, Norqain is my only real brand deal, collaboration, and partnership that I do. It was not planned because it is very tough for someone who wants to stick to his values and his mission in all possible ways – to collaborate with big brands who have budgets to finance such a collaboration – and still continue to stick to those values.

However, my association with Norqain came very naturally. It was suggested by a friend. I said a couple of times, “No, I’m not interested in the watch industry or the luxury industry” Then the friend said, “Listen, it’s much more than just a watch brand. It has a mission to it. It has a message to it. It has a higher purpose in general. So why don’t you just sit down with the CEO who would love to meet you and just have a casual chat and see where it leads to”.

I was anyways in Switzerland so I thought, okay, let’s do that. So we sat down, we chatted for about half an hour and it was an immediate match! We’re friends today as well. So it’s much more than just a partnership or a collaboration. The values are fully aligned. His values are the same as mine. He just practices them in the watch industry and I practice them in the animal conservation industry. And this is why I think that was such a good match.

And that’s when everything started. Up till today, if you ask me, like, how do you experience that whole collaboration thing, I don’t even look at it as a collaboration. We have never really had a real business chat or business talk. We don’t talk a lot of numbers either. It’s just, “You support me, I support you. Wherever I can help you, we will help. Wherever you can support Norqain, you will help”. And that’s how it has been for the past two and a half years and I hope it will remain that way because I love this way much more than the official traditional business, finance, contractual way.

Until the majority of the public started realiizing that by only being with the animals and at the same time creating cool, entertaining content, can all this be financed. So you need an income source.  Norqain has become an essential income source of Hakuna Mipaka and the entire mission.

I think people slowly but surely understand that as well – which makes me happy obviously because often we live in a dream world where our dream scenarios don’t align or match the reality.

Gerald: Tell us about the work you are doing with animal welfare and conservation

DS: Okay, so if you talk generally about conservation, you know, in my world there is like two different chapters. One is animal welfare and the other one is animal conservation and nature conservation.

The welfare part is just doing something for the benefit of an animal, whether it’s in captivity or it is in the wild. Conservation has nothing to do with captive animals. Like helping any animals in captivity, a herd animal or a domesticated animal has nothing to do with nature conservation.

So if we want to look at the global scale of conservation, global warming, species getting extinct, deforestation and all these things, my personal take is very  straightforward : I think it’s something you cannot stop, but you can delay the onset of such effects. Let me try to explain it thus.

The world and humanity will get extinct. Like most of the species will be extinct eventually. In fact, I believe nature will survive. Yeah. It has survived already so many times.

Let’s talk about the world, our planet. All the species, dinosaurs for example, will eventually become extinct. Humans included. However, “nature” will survive. It will recover, it will create a new system for itself. This is a fact and I think no matter what we humans do, it will not change this fact.

What we can do is to minimize the current harm which we cause our planet, so that a couple of more generations might be able to see the beauty of what we call “beautiful nature”.

You know what I mean? Eventually people will have to get used to having less of the nature world; people will forget about certain species…. it’s sad for us, for our reality now. It’s going to be normal reality going forward, for the next 10 generations.

So I think it is very essential to put efforts in protecting nature and in minimizing our negative impact.  We will not be able to stop it, which I think is just a reality which we need to be aware of. This needs a lot of resources. Yes. A lot of effort, a lot of resources.

Gerald: How has your association with Norqain specifically help in some of the projects that you’re working with?

DS: So I think there are two main ways.  First of all funds. Animal Welfare and Conservation is a field that always needs funding – it cannot by definition be a profit making endeavour.

A brand like Norqain can contribute to nature conservation by funding great projects and letting some funds flow into what gives back to our planet. This helps spread the message about having the right values towards conservation; and helps to create a community who is aware of animal cruelty.  This message can come through their products. For example the Wild One watch and all future watches will be 100% free of animal products That’s already one step into the right direction.

Gerald: This was something that you initiated, right?

DS: Yeah, I think pretty much. I think Norqain already wanted to have that uniqueness and do something positive, When they invited me to the table, I had one request: “There should not be any animal products.” Norqain took a calculated risk financially to institute this.

It changed the whole system, obviously. I think it’s a great success for me and Hakuna Mipaka as well, because we had an influence on a brand who hopefully will be a big world brand. Who will in turn be a great example for all other brands who still do unsustainable things, who still have products consisting of animal products, of animal materials.

And yeah, I think it’s a circle.

Gerald: Lets talk about the Wild One, what are your thoughts about how it turned out?

DS: Phenomenal. Like, I think it’s literally… I haven’t been long or big in the watch industry, like, or, you know, I haven’t had a lot of watches before.

You can just wear it and you don’t have to think about that there is anything that you harmed, anything on this, whether animal, nor plants, etc.
It’s sustainably sourced, it does not consist of any animal products, you can just wear it, like without any moral compromises.

On the other side, to have this type of quality, I mean, I’m literally wearing it every day, and it works, it’s shock resistant, you can, I wear it when I go under the shower, and it’s clean afterwards again.
The strap is like the rubber strap, it is fully vegan, it’s practical, not too heavy, it’s light, ultra robust because the NORTEQ material is so hardy that it an take a fall or beating without damage being inflicted. I love it. Not just because of my association with it – I am a user of it at the end of the day.

Gerald: Fantastic. Yes, this is a very unique collaboration. Do you see yourself as a someone who works differently (in a better way) with a luxury brand?

DS: Yeah, this kind of hooking up with this luxury world. From the world of nature and animal conservation is unusual – I think that’s why people like you are so important. Media can broadcast the  message further allows us to have a voice and to be an example for other potential collaborations.

What Norqain strives to have with each and every ambassador is a game changer basically. I truly believe that in the course of not one or two years, but in maybe five or ten years we can truly make a change like that. That even other ambassadors, high end ambassadors, celebrities, think before they create a deal. To think, okay, I’ll do the deal with you guys, but what’s the message behind it? What do I stand for? That this is a requirement for an actual deal. And it’s not just about the money which comes in. Its about what impact the collaboration has on the world.

Gerald Chew (GC): As a jeweler first and foremost, Bulgari has done an amazing job over the past 10 years or so in watchmaking. The main achievement in my opinion, has been in building out a product line so compelling that the brand has been able to convince serious watch collectors to become fans and clients. How did this will to succeed outside your traditional area of jewellery come about?

Antoine Pin (Antoine): Well, obviously, I think it has to do with the definition of the traditional area. Even though we’re a jeweler by essence, we have been making watches for a long time – the first watch that we have in our museum dates from 1919.

So it’s been more than a century that we’ve been doing watches – simply because the wristwatch is a natural extension of the work of the jeweler. The wristwatch is an accessory that you’re wearing; and that you can also set with precious stones and diamonds. So even though it’s not the natural area of expertise per se, compared to jewellery making, it’s been an area of natural extension, of activity, from that moment on. Bulgari is a museum, basically, that has gathered specimens of wristwatches over the last 100 years.

I mean, the Serpenti was celebrating its 75 years anniversary; and with the Tubogas, and this was a watch as well. Those watches at the time had watch calibers, movements that were made by Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger LeCoutre etc. The connection to watchmaking has been there for a long, long time.

There was a shift in the 1980s and 1990s when the volume of activity of watches made turned us into, not by the “natural extension” I talked about, but by business category and output size, to become as much a watchmaker as a jeweler.

Obviously this led us from being just a watch assembler and trader to becoming a watchmaker and ultimately, a truly integrated watchmaker. That’s what we’ve done in the late nineties and the beginning of the new century.

Especially when we integrated Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta. From that moment on, all the pieces of the jigsaw were there. We just needed to assemble the jigsaw. To basically move from a gathering of companies and suppliers that we put together to one unique entity with one unique vision. This has taken us, I would say, a good ten years until we started to develop our own collections, and our identities based on our history. Today I can very proudly say that we are clearly a watchmaker and probably one of the most integrated watchmakers in the industry. Certainly more so than what many people think.

Because again, there is the halo effect of the jeweler. If we were only a watchmaker, people would know without doubt, we would have no doubt about what we do. However there is this kind of balance between the two.

The reality is that today, Switzerland is the second country after Italy in terms of employees for Bulgari. We have more than 600 people working for Bulgari watchmaking in Switzerland. It’s a big entity. So I believe this is the success that turned us from a watch dealer to a watchmaker. And the truth is, we have a history of almost 140 years in this.

We have the power of a big, internationally renowned jeweler, but as a watchmaker per se, we are only 20 years old – and so we are as prestigious as Cartier, but as young and dynamic as MB&F, to put it another way.

So we are at a crossroads where we can merge the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity of what we call the independents, together with the prestige, the heritage and the structure of a big company. It’s a blessed position. We need to make the most of it rather than trying to be frustrated by both sides. So far, I guess the way we are moving forward is paying off because we managed to be the best of both worlds.

GC: Would you say that this was also a recipe for success in your product categories?

Antoine: I think at least it gives us a form of freedom or a willingness to prove that we are a watchmaker; a form of trust as well, that we can really push the boundaries. That’s a recipe for success, I believe: it’s this kind of self confidence and humility together. The humility of the independent brand; the self confidence of the big brands. And if we play this cocktail well, the flavor is something that is unique, a smart creativity, I guess.

GC: Smart creativity. I like that. Now, you talked about the product as something that really does well with people. They like it. There’s also the broad price range, five thousand Euros/CHF etc all the way up the range to the grand complications as well, which obviously costs a lot. Why has this broad range of products worked so well?

Antoine: I think I would add to that the complexity of who we serve. The fact that we are dressing both men and ladies in terms of categories of watches and designer watches. So in that sense, we’re a bit like every jeweler making watches. We as jewelers make watches and develop in watchmaking. I would take Cartier as, let’s say, another example. We are naturally born from our business with ladies accessories and that’s why we both started making watches for ladies first.

But then there is this natural extension to wristwatches for men as well. We are a big company with a large network and therefore access to millions of people. We believe it would be unfair to concentrate our offer only to the very top end of the range because we do not have the possibility to, let’s say, to engage/introduce many of our customers into our world of watches. When we think of the people who actually come to our stores. It’s a great opportunity to try watches at a reasonable price point. So for us, it’s important to keep this price range because we’ve done it, we’ve been successful with it, we’ve engaged many, many young people because of these factors. We also believe that there’s a mission to engage young people or people with less means and to not leave them aside; and not to be so prestigious and elitist that you eventually only talk to a minority of the population.

However I must say that it’s a challenge more than an opportunity. It’s very different to be successful in the very high end than to be successful in the entry price point. Very different. And so for me, it’s probably one of the most difficult things.

You need to shift your mind. You need to move from one of a kind pieces. Extraordinary creativity is needed, fundamentally, with no real attention paid to the cost of things. I mean, if things are expensive in the making, they will be expensive in the price point. But if they’re expensive in the making (of the watch) for good reasons, which means there’s time and effort dedicated to the craft, there is obviously a cost – the cost of the craftsman and their artistry and work. I mean, they make a living and we should pay them well.

So there is a full legitimacy. When you think of products that are much more affordable, they are sometimes very expensive. For the people who have the willingness to purchase those, that is a very difficult goal because here we need to be aware that the notion of value for money is always very important!

It is probably even more important for more affordable products because in terms relating to this buyer’s percentage of their earnings, the watch purchase will represent much more for this segment of the population.

GC: How have you succeeded in these areas? What do you have to do to fix your priorities?

Antoine: In the new Octo Roma, I mean, it’s very much what I’ve mentioned. We believe that there is a price point that we should not cross. We wanted to remain reasonable in pricing at around 7,500CHF for the watch, which is already a big sum of money. We need to always remember this – that people who go for such a watch – they are spending a lot of their earnings and dedicating it to the watch.

It’s important to be able to keep this in mind. It’s a complex answer to provide you because when we think of the construction and the design first and the production or industrialisation following after becomes more and more efficient if we get that developmental process right. We consider factors like: how smart are we in our production process? How can we standardize some elements, some production processes? How can we use very modern machines that can efficiently do some of the functions, particularly for the production of spare parts, for example?

For instance, can we re-purpose elements in the Octo Finissimo, and its caliber etc or anything like that? So it’s really looking for elements of cost efficiency, actually working on the quality of a caliber: so that the regulating process of the calibers is fast, for instance.

We go very much into the details to ensure that we provide value for money. This is why, in the Octo Roma we introduced the interchangeable strap, which is a very easy system. In addition, we offer the bracelet as well as the strap from the very first day. These offers of value are particularly important for this product as we are competing in a very hot market with very experienced houses like Cartier, Omega and Rolex offering beautifully crafted products. We need to be up to that level and that’s what we try to do.

GC: Is there anything from a business perspective you think you might want to work on or improve?

Antoine: I think we’re looking for recognition as a watchmaker, of the work done by our current team and their predecessors. We are both Italian and Swiss; both a jeweler and a watchmaker. To be recognised by the public as excellent in both fields is what I want for Bulgari. I mean, we don’t want to lose our identity, but we want people to think that Bulgari has this capacity to deliver extraordinary watches as much as extraordinary jewelry.

GC: Any other goals that you want to achieve?

Antoine: Lots of them, but some that I can’t share with you. What I can say is I believe that today there is a benefit in being a leader in this category. There are different kinds of leadership. Not necessarily in the sales, but it can also be sales in one price segment. But clearly there is a benefit in terms of visibility, traction, talents, and attraction.

And so clearly, for us, the idea is really to stand out in different segments, and particularly the segment of what I call high horology, high jewellery watches. So those watches mix both crafts with such a level of mastery that almost no one can match what we do, except maybe again, Cartier.

So for us, being able to elevate our watchmaking skills to the level of our jewellery skills is very important. There are very few ladies watches that have both complications in addition to being fully decorated and set with precious stones for example. This is where we want to be recognized – as by far the leading brand providing more and more mechanical calibers to ladies watches like Piccolissimo, like Precious Naturalia, like the Octo Roma Tourbillon Lumiere.

GC: You’re not part of Watches and Wonders this year. Is there any particular reason?

Antoine: Having looked at the way things were, with the experience of last year and expectations around this year, we wanted to build an environment that is extremely welcoming, comfortable, easy, in a way, even if you have to drive to get here. The location at President Wilson gives us a smooth way to manage the experience and we feel very comfortable here.

As you can see, there’s a lot of daylight which facilitates a perfect appreciation of the products. It’s quiet. We try to build some kind of cocoon-like space where you forget about time to enjoy and appreciate us, without the pressure and the stress of a salon and that’s why we’re here.

We want to bring you the best experience, be it in terms of products, or in terms of connection with us. There is a very large space around us. It’s not tight – tight in time, tight in space, tight in questions. We love this Italian way of experiencing things and to share it.

GC: Tell me more about what you are showing this year?

Antoine: Yes, we are presenting this new Octa Roma version. A new version of the Octa Roma that was launched eleven years ago. After the Octa Roma was launched, we concentrated our work on Octo Finissimo. We pushed, pushed, pushed. Our direction went slimmer, slimmer, we worked out the whole scope. We dedicated all our energy to the Octo Finissimo and its complications until we reached the Ultra Thin last year. Then we took a step back and we thought of Octo Roma.

Actually, we did work a lot on it already. We introduced a new Minute Repeater and Grand Sonnerie. We introduced the Striking Time in 2017, but we haven’t touched the watch since. And we’ve changed a lot in ten years. So it was time to step back and to think, okay, what do we bring to Octo Roma to update it to today’s standards, but also to, today’s Bulgari standards in watchmaking. In capitalising on those ten years, there’s plenty of details that we’ve changed. We’ve completely redesigned the watch. It’s very subtle. But you’re looking to make a watch that is right and balanced, and that’s what we’ve done.

So I’m showing you the previous model. If you look at this model versus the previous model, and if you look at the case, and if you touch it, you can feel the refinements, the softness, the difference with the angles.

Yes, also in the thickness as well. Everything’s been designed to bring more elegance, comfort, and wearability. We have improved finishing on the dial with the little guilloche, which is somewhat attributed to traditional watchmaking. The more confident we are with our products, the more techniques we manage internally, the more we can also connect to our Swiss roots as much as our Italian roots represented by the Octo shape.

It’s us, it’s our Octo family. It’s a different version that is more versatile, more universal in a way – more accessible not only from a price point perspective, but also from a design perspective. It matches the standard taste, but it’s also a shape that can welcome very technical designs and aesthetics and calibers, very high end calibers as well.

And also it’s welcoming to our new in-house chronograph, where the pushers are very nice to operate: beautiful pushers, positioned very high compared to traditional pushers. So actually we have cams and levers which facilitate the perfect, easy pressure. We worked a lot between the watchmakers, the constructor and the design studio to make this happen.

GC: And of course, with Octo Finissimo having won so many awards, the expectation now for Bulgari as a watchmaker is very high. Is this expectation always in your mind when you produce something new?

Antoine: Sometimes these kinds of projects are as, if not more, difficult than Ultra Thin. With the Ultra Thin, there is no competition. You’re pushing yourself, but you’re in the field where actually, because you have your expertise, you know how far you can go further. So of course you’re pushing, but it’s under control after a certain time.

Whereas here, you’re in a segment that is highly competitive with extraordinary benchmarks. So to be able to propose something that gives the impression that it’s right, it’s proper, it’s pertinent, is very difficult. In both cases, we are clearly addressing different challenges, but in both cases, we’re facing challenges for sure.

GC: Last question. In terms of market share or some kind of volume, what would you like to achieve?

Antoine: What I can tell you is that we have the potential to grow very significantly. We’re going to invest in our manufacturing, processes, resources and tools very significantly to match the demand. Finally, just being among the leaders of the industry is our ambition.

GC: Thank you Antoine for this interview and hope to see you again soon!

New for this 2023 edition is a true GMT function where the hour hand can be manipulated independently from the red GMT hand; as well as a 24 city world time function that is calibrated on the unidirectional bezel. Hence, it is not only a unique dive watch but also a great travel watch all rolled into one. For these functions to sit so well together on a well made, charismatically designed watch (that invokes design codes of the original 60’s watch) – makes for, in my humble opinion, a huge value proposition, especially at the retail price (in Singapore) of SGD 1,870. 

A quick recap of what the 2020/21 Decompression Timer 1961 is needed here. At heart the original watch and its modern update is a dive watch plus decompression timer which is laid out on the dial. It features a monocoque case for extreme water tightness;  and the patented Aquadura system which refers to the winding stem and gasket which are lined with Natural Cork to protect the winding stem as well as provide another layer of protection from water ingress. In the 2021 edition, the outer bezel is calibrated to help track dive times. 

Every distinctive dive watch manufacturer has focussed on an original solution to the challenges of diving – that often has become a defining feature of the watch design. This often headlines the watch story as well. Examples include Rolex’s oyster case combined with the screw down crown, Omega’s ( and Rolex’s Sea Dweller) distinctive helium escape valve and Panerai’s patented crown locking system amongst others.

Let’s take a closer look here at the solutions offered with the Mido Ocean Seastar GMT. The first standout feature is the Decompression Table laid out on the dial. There are four concentric bands in different colours (for easy identification) encircling the clock face within. At the 12 O’clock position is a strip identifying what each band stands for: namely 25/30/35/40 in metres on the left and equivalent depth in feet on the right. 

There are two functions that can be read from the table. Firstly if you wanted to know the maximum amount of time you could spend at each depth before needing a decompression stop, look for the 0 on each band. For example, if you were to be at 40 meters, the 0 indicated on the accompanying blue band would tell you that you could spend 10 minutes before needing a decompression stop. At 35 metres, the time would be 12 minutes etc. 

Secondly it can tell how much time to spend on decompression after diving at a certain depth after a duration of time. For example, if you were diving at a depth of 25m for 40 minutes, looking at the yellow band, at the 40 minute mark,  it corresponds to the 5 which means that you decompress for 5 minutes. 

(Editor: Check out our video of the 2021 release – the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 if you’d like a more detailed explanation of the history of the line and the decompression timer aspect of the watches.)

The watch is water resistant to 200m and is powered by the GMT Caliber 80.661 with a power reserve of 80 hours. 

The 2023 edition now adds a 24 hour GMT scale and hand; and a world timer function that is read from the bezel. The hour, minute and GMT hands are lumed; as well as the hour markers and the 12 o’clock pip on the world timer bezel. On top of this rich feature set, is also a date function; plus a domed sapphire glass crystal for that mid century tool watch vibe!! 

It would seem that such a tremendous amount of information on the watch would be hard to read. Mido seems to have this problem solved. Each function is manifested as a point of focus for the user either through the use of colour and design; or placement on the watch. On land or in the air, the 24 hour GMT dial, for example, lies outside the decompression timer and is laced in the same green-beige colour as the hour lume plots. This privileges the world traveler who can use the GMT functions in the dim interior of a plane cabin or airport lights at odd times of the day. 

The watch’s ‘True” GMT function is significant as it is rare to access this function as such a price point. Offerings at similar price level usually use movements like ETA 2893-2 and Valjoux 7754 which allow only operation of the 24 hour hand, which is more useful when one is not travelling – the 24 hour hand is adjusted to track time in another location when one is at home, for zoom calls with colleagues, for eg. Mido’s Caliber GMT 80.661, the movement powering this watch, allows the hour hand to be adjusted easily to the local time via the crown as one travels to a different location; leaving the 24 hour hand to keep home time constant. Hence the hour, minute and seconds hands change to the local time conveniently, depending on where you travel to. This ‘true’ or ‘real’ GMT functionality normally exist in the in-house movements offered by Rolex, Tudor, Omega or Grand Seiko, all of which come in at the next price tier and above.

Out of the water, the decompression timer fades into the background but does double duty as its colourful and charismatic codes adds to the fun and unique presence of the watch. The world time bezel works in complementary fashion with the GMT functions and because it is on the bezel, isolates its functionality from the underwater functions. This is such an visually appealing and versatile design as it is effectively read on the ground, in the air and underwater – without overlaps that can cause confusion. Somehow it blends together as a wholly attractive and usable package.

The watch is solidly built, feels good to the hand and is comfortable wearing on the wrist. Mido reprises the new versions of the two popular colour options in the 2020/2021 editions – one with a black and shades of organ for the Decompression Timer colour range (my personal preference);  or navy blue on the bezel with pastel shades of yellow, light blue, pink and green for the Decompression Timer. 

Technical Specifications

Movement: GMT Caliber 80.661 MOVEMENT – Up to 80 hours Power Reserve. Independently adjustable hour hand and GMT hand. Date function.

Watch Case: size 40.5mm. Full polished stainless steel case. Super-Luminova on hour, minute and seconds hands, GMT hand, pip on bezel at 12 O’clock. Domed Sapphire Crystal. Screw-down crown. Caseback with stamped Seastar logo. 

Water Resistance: 200 metres/ 20 Bar

Strap: Comes with stainless steel & additional rubber strap

Bezel: Unidirectional aluminium bezel with 24 city world time calibration. 

Retail Price: SGD$1,870.00 / 

Available : 15 March 2023

Welcome to Singapore, Ben, and congratulations on the opening of the first brand boutique in Asia. Tell us about the beginnings of Norqain – how you conceived it and what motivated you to start your own independent brand?

We observed that there were no more independent brands below CHF10,000 in price. We were not sure if it was for a good reason, but we noticed it. I knew there was a trend towards independent brands in the high price range, but I felt that was because they were transmitting passion – they were talking about their story and how they produce watches; and those watches are part of the spirit and the culture in Switzerland.

So I feel that’s where I’m coming from. I love watches. My father has been a great role model for the family – producing watches (Küffer Senior, Marc, founded the private label watchmaking firm Roventa-Henex and spent 25 years on the board of the Swiss Watch Industry Association, and is currently Chairman of the Board). I felt that (heritage and family tradition) is something that should come into the market. I started to talk to retailers. Obviously, everybody like me knew how difficult it would be, but it was really that mission to bring in an independent brand, retailing watches below 10,000 Swiss francs. A family owned brand with a long term vision, with no pressure from shareholders to really innovate, do new materials, produce X number of products etc. That was my motivation at the start.

Was this something you already had in mind, this direction that you wanted to move in; and how you wanted to play a part in the watch industry?

Yeah, but to be honest the circumstances were not ideal. Rolf Schnyder, he was the godfather of my sister, unexpectedly passed away in 2011. I’ve been lucky when I was young to witness Ulysse Nardin close up because of him; and later I was fortunate enough to work with Teddy Schneider at Breitling.

And those are two huge family owned brands that have been sold in the last year. So I looked at that as being a bit like sad. The groups (watch conglomerates like Swatch, Kering and LVMH etc) are always getting bigger and fewer independent brands stay or last. I was one of the guys talking about this; and a few people really were like, oh, yeah, you’re absolutely right. So I felt like it could be a mission of mine – as it bothered me so much that I actually wanted to change something. But soon after this realisation, came the real eureka moment, actually with Norqain. The biggest, and for me, the best decision we took was in 2018, at the very start when we decided not to buy a brand. As in not to just buy a story and add some Küffer genes to it. Our story is that we are a 35 year old team from Switzerland that believes in watch culture so much that we want to pass it on to the next generation and we want to really show our passion for this endeavour.

And I think that helped us tremendously, that our story was believed by many people. They could see that it was authentic, it was real. I think that today, Norqain, has, in the space of four years, is very clearly positioned because of that. When people can say, “oh yeah, they’re independent….they’re very much about Switzerland and the mountains”. So I think we got across that very clear image because we created our own brand; and told our own stories.

You obviously brought in this ‘independent’ brand contrary to the trend where they tend to be high end and exclusive etc. So how did you arrive at this position – both with the products and in the market? I know it’s a market differentiation position, how and why is that?

It’s a very good question. Here’s how and why. Suppliers in Switzerland, of course they work with the big brands. As a smaller brand, there is no access to these leading suppliers. But I knew from the past, that our family still had very close ties to all of them; and also the Schneider family. So we really talked to them and said, “Listen, we think it’s really important to continue to also have independent players and not just the groups.” So this was really the moment when the suppliers agreed to work with us, (who normally are closed to young or independent brands without a track record).

When they agreed to produce Norqain watches together with us, I knew that we could offer to market, in terms of quality, something unique – and that the watches were definitely going to be at a price starting at CHF 2000. I wanted to go back to the price segment that had been left by many brands as what used to be the entry level price for a piece at CHF 3000 is now CHF 6000, today, for many brands. I also knew that Norqain would not be measured by turnover, but by people actually wearing and enjoying the watches on the wrist. This suits my character more than doing expensive watches that most of the people I know can’t relate to.

This arrives at the product itself. We know it’s centered on sport watches as a base. What influenced that decision?

In order to be authentic, I knew that it would be good to create a brand that was really around what we do as people. Two of my co-founders, Mark Streit included, are both professional hockey players. Ted Schneider also has a very sporty and a big crazy lifestyle when it comes to doing extreme sports. So I just felt it would be very natural for us to make a very sports oriented watch brand. I feel that a lot of brands have a sports line, in addition to many other different lines.

My focus with Norqain is to just be honest to our core: that is Switzerland – outdoors, adventure, sports. Even in a market like Singapore, where there are no mountains, there is a big community engaged in sporting activity, like running. Sports is about emotions, and I think that’s something that really goes well with Norqain. That’s also why we talked to the New York Marathon to be a sponsor. I really believe this is where we belong as a brand.

These collaborations that you work with also seem to add to the Norqain story. How do you decide who you work with?

It’s really a good question. Some things are purely emotional, like the Butterfly Help Project, “Neverest”(when we never rest). The name came from COVID. I felt that we needed a positive name and “Neverest” sounded so right coming out of the COVID crisis. Like, never rest, be positive, always continue. And so that was the Butterfly Help Project, where we support education for kids whose families have been affected by COVID, in Nepal. So those kind of things I can say are purely emotional.

When we look at how can we get the awareness level of the Norqain brand up, I think it’s really about finding partnerships that suit your brand. So Dean Schneider, for example, is a perfect “My Life, My Way” Norqain ambassador because his life and lifestyle, work and personality really suits our character – to be different and to go your own way in life. The New York marathon, of course, was the first, global major partnership we signed, and that’s also great. Now we have Jean Claude Biver on board. I discussed big decisions with him to get his opinion, and we both just agreed that with the Wild One line, it would be the perfect moment to go into the NY marathon.

My Life, My Way. Is this your tagline? Did you invent it?

100%. It’s so funny because we talked about that in Zermatt at the launch event. There are quotes and slogans, but this slogan, for the rest of my life, will always remind me of the moments at the beginning, when it was super difficult, I always said we have to find some slogan, like “be positive”. Then one day I just said, “my life, my way.”! It resonated with everybody – “My life, my way…. in your world”.

What does it mean, for you?

I just feel that it means to dream and to follow your dreams. I feel that it’s one of the big reasons why Norqain has managed to build this quickly, into a community ( of Norqainers). I think people can relate when I say “My Life, My Way”, Let’s face it: nobody needed a new watch brand. Nobody. I knew that, I never said it’s going to be easy, but “My Life, My Way” is a symbol of pushing through all that. So”My Life, My Way”, is strongly associated with the brand. It is really nice to see that people who are part of the community hashtag #My Life, my Way, and they use it on Instagram a lot.

I think the Nike tagline “Just Do It” is probably the best slogan in the history of marketing. With “My Life, My Way” at Norqain, it underscores that we are doing something right. Many people at the time said such a brand could not be done. I said, “Yeah, I know, but I have to do it. It’s my life, my way”.

It really is a unique and evocative tagline.

In the beginning, I thought, maybe it would be just me posting it on social media – because it means a lot to me. Then I noticed that all the guys who are brand ambassadors wrote ‘My life, My Way’. They know it’s really a tagline, not a brand name, but they still use it: “Norqainer- My Life, My Way”. I don’t want to be sound arrogant, but I think it is the only slogan I know that works like that. I think it’s a huge compliment that people use that slogan because it that they can actually identify themselves with our values. It’s a good sign for our brand.

Like you say, it’s kind of translated to so many people’s lives, and you can adapt it.

It speaks to and about many people from all walks of life. I think people who know me well, know that I don’t like to exclude people. I don’t feel better than anybody. I just feel like we’re one planet and we have to all enjoy our time here. Everybody has a different passion. So that’s something that I’m happy about.

I’m sure it helped over the Covid (2019-2022) period very much. We have to talk about Jean Claude Biver coming on board as Advisor. How did this come about?

This is a cool story. I'm at home. It's during the second week of lockdown. Third week of lockdown, at Easter. Out of nowhere I get an email from Jean Claude. We had not met each other. I knew him, of course, but he had only read about Norqain and didn't know me. But he reached out and said, “Hey, I heard a lot of good things. You are the young team, I would like to come visit you, if you would like ''. “Of course” I said. We were super happy, and he came to visit us the first day after Easter!

He was eager to get going?

Yes!! We showed him our young team, we showed him the office. Eventually he asked me, “how is business?”. I told him how we had done in the first year. He was really impressed. Then he said to me, “the brand is good. There's something about Norqain, the way it sounds, the logo, I see big potential in this brand. Why are people buying your brand today?”

I explained to him, “I think they like that we are a challenger brand, that we are the new kids on the block, and that we offer good quality”. Then he said, “Okay, but now it's time to challenge through innovation. You challenged through a modern and cool image and price to quality ratio. But now, the next step, we're going to challenge through innovation. Call me if you're ready.” I called him the next day and said, “Jean Claude. I thought about it. I would love to do that, but would you help me just to get some contacts?” He said, “Yeah, sure.”

Two weeks later we were at suppliers - visiting them, exploring - without having any defined ideas. The title we gave this project was always the one that's on all our campaigns, the “Ultimate High Performance Sports Watch”. That was always what we said when we went to see every supplier: we are producing the Ultimate High Performance Sports Watch. Of course they asked: “what does that mean?” We did not know at the time…. But we knew it was a good name. Making it happen was the challenge. That's when the project really started with Jean Claude Biver.

And the suppliers obviously were also energised by this.

They felt challenged. I remember our meeting with Pascal Bourquard from BIWI, (@biwi_sa) who developed Norteq with us. He asked me, “what do you want to do?” Jean Claude said, “It has to be ultra light, it has to be ultra robust, it has to be the ultimate sports watch. That's why smartwatches are so cool and today, people wear them. So we want to do the same in mechanical watches, and we want to make it at a low price”.
Pascal said, “That’s impossible. I thought you were doing a product for CHF10,000?”.

(Of course, he had some experience in production at the very high end. He works with the Richard Mille collection for example.) So I said to him, “We're going to make it possible!”. In the end, we managed. He's very proud to have contributed to this product.

I saw this interview where Jean Claude Biver said, “you have to be innovators, and therefore you are first, unique and different."

What impresses me, (and there are a lot of things with Jean Claude that impress me), is the amount of passion he has, at 74, for this industry. It's incredible. Then there is the fact that he is so humble. He has been probably the most successful guy in the industry of the past few decades. Yet he treats everybody with respect. And the last point that I really respect is the level of challenge he brings to the table. Unbelievable. Every meeting we go in is to find something that's never been done and finding the next level. What started the Wild One for me is the moment we received the first versions of the Norteq material. When you see the material, you start to visualize a watch. I realised that we were not going to stamp a watch. We're going to build a watch. We were going to do it completely differently. And that's when the 1.3 millimeter thick Norteq cage was developed, because we wanted to do something different.

So tell us about this new material Norteq.

Please put the watch on the wrist. It's really important to wear it so you can feel the comfort. You have the Norteq cage on the top layer and lower layer connected with four custom made screws that we made to measure to be perfectly integrated into the case. There is the rubber shock absorbing part in the middle, which automatically gives the watch an inner bezel to the design of the watch on both sides.

Also on the back case, you have that rubber part also surrounding the container housing the Kenissi chronometer certified movement, with 70 hours power reserve. It’s 200 meters water resistant. We managed to pack a lot of features into this watch!

The Norteq material has a warm tactile feeling, yet it is hardy. It has a density of 128. (It is six times lighter than steel and 3.5 times lighter than titanium). My buckle has been worn for two months. No scratches. It is super resistant to scratches. The rubber shock absorber that you see here has small tolerances. So you actually have a small resistance when it is subjected to shock.

Last but not least, the dial. The watch is called the Wild One, so we needed a wild dial! It's a three layer dial, brass plates. They laser cut it for 1 hour 20 minutes and they make three different levels, ) 6/100th mm on each level. So it's a beautiful and it's the features the Norqain pattern in three directions. There is almost a Mandala style to it. There is the black and khaki version and an electric blue version which is very popular.

Yeah. This is definitely for the modern lifestyle and yet it's still a Swiss mechanical watch.

What we wanted to do was to have a fun, different mechanical watch that you're wearing to do everything in life with. The case shape was really made to adapt perfectly to the wrist. Something that I'm really happy about hearing from customers is that the comfort on the wrist of the Wild One is very high.

We did everything to really give it that ultimate performance watch feel and utility. I'll just finish with the third laser cut version. Something completely different. This is a world premiere, the Wild One in that burgundy colour. There is carbon fibre in the material combined with bio-sourced material (castor oil). The problem is with carbon sheets, it breaks when you cut them at the end, at the edges. We coloured the carbon fibres before injecting it into the case mold. The end result is a case with an even colour without sacrificing any robustness.
This grey and burgundy version is in an edition of 200 and is already sold out.

Last but not least, the Hakuna Mipaka. That was one of the big highlights. We produced it together with Dean Schneider. So there is a lion fur pattern on the dial and on the strap. And in the rubber we have sand from South Africa. So we actually incorporated the sand into the rubber piece. You get a special box with it and we produced only 500 pieces which sold out directly after from the Zermatt boutique.

The Singapore boutique - how did you identify this as the place to be at?

This has to be the place. First of all, I love Singapore. I was in charge of Singapore with Breitling! I have an emotional attachment here. The first trip I took with my son was to Singapore, with my wife. So we love Singapore. And then when COVID started, it just felt so right to say, hey, we're a family. We think long term, Singapore will always be a special home for us. That's where our boutique should be in Asia. So it is the first Norqain boutique in Asia, and I'm very proud of that.

Plus this beautiful location on Orchard Road, we feel lucky to find this space. We love it. And I hope you like the concept. We really brought the same concept from Zermatt, Switzerland here. And I'm really happy to see it in person. I feel the same spirit. It's warm, it's a nice place to be. And I wanted people to just feel comfortable coming in here. Sales are good, so it's a very good start.

Norqain has only been in Singapore for somewhat over a year now, and we already have people trusting us coming to the boutique. And I think it's really good.

It feels like a ski lodge.

Yeah, exactly. But that's what we want. And just to enjoy some time with friends, to have a drink. That's what I felt like, that they should feel comfortable. I'm sure you noticed we have a unique concept where we have the watches visible (not behind glass cases) because we want people to try them. We want people to enjoy them for real, without feeling you have to ask to see the watches. We want to remove all discomfort and improve the closeness and friendliness of the watch buying experience.

Where else after this? What would you plan for Asia?

I just came back from Japan. There will definitely be a boutique opening in Japan very soon and we are looking to open in South Korea as well. China is obviously a bit complicated at the moment to start, but for Southeast Asia, we have good plans and we’re looking to start in Vietnam and Laos, then Cambodia.

This year was a huge jump for the brand. You could feel it everywhere. It feels like a different brand but with the same core. Awareness, I would say, and also appreciation has made the difference. The Wild One definitely helped to cement our role in the industry. So it's been a big step for us. I'm looking forward to the year. It's a big challenge now too because of the speedy growth. The most important thing is to keep our values, and that's what I'm really looking after now. We're hiring a lot of people around the world, so I'm trying to travel to meet these people, to tell them why we're successful. If one guy is arrogant, to remind him that he's not at the right company. What makes us unique is that we are a humble team and family - who is working with partners well and having fun. That's who we are. At the Zermatt opening I was so happy and proud because there was an atmosphere I could only dream of - where everybody was smiling! Everybody was positive. Everybody asked, what is this story? You could feel the vibes. That's really something for me - it is a dream come true - because when you see everybody smiling, full of energy, then you know, okay, we're on a good track.

Find out more about Norqain watches here: https://www.norqain.com.sg

Welcome to Singapore for the LVMH Watch Week 2023 Fabrizio! What has your experience been of coming to Singapore for this event?

I think it’s amazing after four years to be back in Singapore. For me, I am very happy about that. It is important to be here in person after two years of Zoom calls. I know that Singapore has historically been one of the most important markets in the world, especially considering the evolution of watchmaking in the last 20 years. My last trip here was in 2018 – somewhat a long time ago – I’m very happy to be here again.

For the first event in 2023, we decided to focus on the feminine side of Bulgari watchmaking, namely, the jewellery watches. The most important novelties here include the new evolution of the Serpenti Tubogas – for the first time, coming with a diamond setting on the bracelet. So it’s the beginning of a big chapter in jewellery watches, signalled by this new Turbogas.

Since we’re on the subject of the watches, would you like to take me on a quick tour of what is in the offering for LVMH 2023?

Yes. We introduce the new Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Infinity. With a brand new bracelet set with diamonds for the first time. So we completely changed the construction of the bracelet – it’s not anymore constructed like the previous Tubogas bracelet. It’s more like a new form.

Each gold element that forms a bracelet link sits free on the titanium module within (that is holding the construction together as its spine). The roll of the gold elements turns around the flexible module, but this time each gold element link is independent of each other. This way, we can remove a link or links; we can change the colours; we can change the stones. It’s more versatile. It’s modular. So we can play with different elements to change the feel and the look.

The other watch that we present is, the evolution in terms of the dial, our cocktail watch called Divas’ Dream, the round shaped watch with the small jewels around. It is a very successful line. We started with the production of this line more than ten years ago. Thanks to Divas’ Dreamtime, with this design, we won our first GPHG award in Geneva with the full diamond and emerald version. So this is a very important line for us. It’s easy to wear, very cute, with the opportunity to play with several elements on the bezel, the dial, the stones around the watch and even the patterns. So, here, we have two different executions – One with the malachite and the stones and the other one with diamonds and ruby.

The other watches that we present are an evolution of our Mosaica concept. It’s a pattern with the petals, the same triangular element even on the dial – for the first time with brilliant cut diamonds with different colours on the dial, case and bracelet.

What is special about the connection between jewellery watches and Bulgari?

Firstly, Bulgari is unique in that we are able to produce the watch movement in Switzerland; and the jewellery part of the watch in Italy. We have a jewellery atelier in Rome. We also have one of the biggest jewellery production sites in the north of Italy, one of the biggest in Europe.

Secondly, the aesthetics. Look at this Divas’ Dream watch. It’s absolutely unique in the blend between the geometry of the watch design, and the different cuts, colours and shapes of stones. It’s absolutely Bulgari . The way it plays with materials, in a simple yet sophisticated way. It all comes off as a seemingly simple, elegant yet beautiful product. However, this is very difficult to achieve because, as you can see, the bezel moves with the wearer’s hands, it’s not rigid. This bezel took a long time in the design process and manufacturing execution – but we’re very happy about the result because when you put it on the wrist, it’s absolutely unique. It’s easy to wear, it’s colourful, it’s joyful! (Find out more about all the Bulgari novelties via link below)

Tell us more about the research and development that goes into these watches.

We have to do a lot of research when it comes to the precious stones. In the Divas’ Dream, for example, in terms of shape, size, quality, grades, colours, in order to find the right combination between all these.

But honestly, the Serpenti Tubogas is one of the most difficult bracelets that we have done. It took two and a half years of development to find the right thickness to the links, to find the right size of stones. Each link is different in terms of size because the neck is very wide and the tail is very narrow. So we have a lot of different links. In addition, it takes a lot of work to ensure that the presentation of the whole design as it is worn on the wrist moves like the body of a snake. It adds another layer of complexity. For the jewellery watches, the most difficult part sometimes, let me say, more than often, is to find the right colour and stones that we have in mind, with the right quality.

You speak a lot about Italy as the centre of your inspiration. Tell us more about this and its influence.

It's difficult to say because now it's part of my DNA. I’m Italian, I think that I design Italian things. Bulgari is an Italian brand that comes from Rome. So it has a very unique aesthetic sense, a very unique sense for proportions. We have a very unique idea of colour. I think you can see this kind of approach reflected in our watches and in our products.

What has been your most proud achievement at Bulgari to date?

I think the Serpenti Tubogas and the Octo Finissimo. Serpenti is the biggest franchise of the company and everything that happened in the company, in terms of watches, started and evolved around Serpenti from 2010 onwards. Another phase of growth came with the Octo Finissimo which recently everyone knows a lot about!

When you hold and wear these watches, there could be no doubt that these are Bulgari watches! You speak about designing the watch as a whole object - as opposed to the watch head and a bracelet or strap as separate elements.

Yes it is all about integration, or if you are not able to have integration, disassembly. I don’t like anything in between….for me that is a bit strange.

The idea of matching different materials, different shapes, different colours, different stones in a unique way - is absolutely Bulgari. I love these watches because they are a combination of geometry and gemstones.

How and why do you decide on a new variation or direction of the line?

Honestly, we try all the time to be inventive. For example we try to reinvent the Octo Finissimo through different materials, different dials, and through different opportunities - the partnership with important architects and designers - (Kazuyo) Sejima, and Tadao Ando, for example. So each time we collaborate with an artist or company to make a new edition, I have to see that the watch evolves in a different way. This is my objective. If we have to make a limited edition, we have to make something that makes sense, that changes the perception of the watch, changes the aesthetics. It is good when this happens because the rules, the geometry of the Octo Finissimo are very strict and very rigid.

How do you select your collaborators?

Actually it is they who make a proposition!! We see if this could be good, exciting, in line with the aesthetic and identity of the family and brand. The problem you have as the maker is that when you are too close, you don’t necessarily end up making a new edition that is exciting. So finding the right partner, the right guest designer, elevates the whole watch.

I do want to ask a retrospective question regarding the 10th Anniversary Sketch edition. How did this come about?

We tried several ideas before and I was dissatisfied with the way things were going. There was a suggestion to use one of the first sketches that we made of the Octo Finissimo. My first instinct was to refuse the idea. But we started to find the sketches; and then made several prototypes. At the end, the idea was very well appreciated. For me, it's wild. The appreciation was amazing. Very important and cultivated collectors have said that they had never seen something like that.

How much does the response from the industry as well as from collectors influence your design?

It does in a very conscious way. A lot of the time. At the beginning of the creative process, the idea is very fragile. That's why often creative people don’t want to talk about ideas at this stage because it's at the beginning and it's very easy to receive the wrong comments that change the mind; to see the things in a different way than originally intended. When the idea has gone through a lot of process, thinking and experimentation, you can show it. But at the beginning, it's riskier.

So at which point would you feel comfortable?

Personally, when we are able to imagine a lineup! I'm interested more in creating a lineup so that the idea works with different executions. For me, this is a good idea. If the idea works just with one execution, it means that it's just one project. These are two different approaches - so it depends on what we are looking for to do
Speaking of the lineup, what is next for the Jewellery Watches and Octo Finissimo?

It's two different paths. For the jewellery watches the challenge is combining a lot of different knowhow, different craftsmen, technical and creative aspects. To be able to create a watch which is also an amazing piece of jewellery. Furthermore it has to look and feel good on the wrist. Thereafter we have to think about what happens with use - durability or repairs etc. With these considerations we arrive at the right quality, the right price, the right emotion expressed in the watch. Sometimes, compared to Octo Finissimo, the jewellery watches can be more difficult to do.

You have the might of Bulgari behind you. Surely that helps?

It's a big advantage because sometimes the design can be assessed quickly by the manufacture if it works well or not. They already know how to make it. So we are very lucky because we have the agility of a small independent brand, but with an important great machine behind it.

What have you noticed about men getting into jewellery watches? Will you make men’s jewellery watches?

This is one of the most interesting development trends. There is a lot of feedback for this.

To me, it’s more a matter of cultural approach. In Europe there is not so much a preference in men’s watches for this but on the other side of the world yes, there is! Things are more fluid. I noticed during dinners in Asia that gentlemen are comfortable using beautiful pieces - brooches, rings, some necklaces - there is more of a market for these kinds of products in Asia and we have some very important gentlemen clients who want jewellery in watches. We received a lot of requests about Finissimo with baguettes, diamonds, for example. We will see….

If you can reveal what your next ambitions are? You have won so many world records.

My next ambition is jewellery or ladies watches. It is the most difficult part. You need to find an idea. Otherwise you make just another product. I want to make something that is more common, mainstream, but at the same time, absolutely unique! With very important 'qualities’. This is the most difficult thing to do. Every watchmaking brand is looking for the same. If nobody is able to do it, there is a reason - it's extremely difficult to find this magic combination!

Available for sale in boutiques from January 11th 2023, this is the first release of many to come this year that celebrates the Carrera family’s 60th Anniversary in 2023. 

This 60th Anniversary Carrera is a modern update to the beloved ‘panda’ dial original from the 1960s, celebrating 60 years of its chronograph genre defining run. First introduced by Jack Heuer in 1963, the design has been an everlasting favourite over decades for legibility, ease of use and understated,  functional beauty. The Carrera is legendary in TAG Heuer’s history which speaks of its long lasting appeal – and is testament to how well it projects a cool, bold energy in a highly wearable action oriented watch that is both classic and modern. Personalities from F1 driver James Hunt, Mick Jagger and recently, Ryan Gosling have been noted to be among the fans of Carrera. 

TAG Heuer’s engineering and design teams have leaned on the 2447 SN original – complete with the silvered dial and three registered black sundial design of the counters , reflecting the “SN” nomenclature: Silver and Noir.  The hour markers and hour/minute hands have stripes down the centre for ultimate legibility; and at 12 are double stopped to indicate when the chronograph hand is zeroed. White hands and markers on the black counters make for easy legibility and the beige Super-Luminova employed on the hands and at the tips of the hour markers extend that capability in low light.

The case has been updated to a modern sizing of 39mm from the classic’s 36mm. There is now a see through sapphire case-back which showcases the Heuer 02 column wheel chronograph movement that has 80 hours of power reserve, Geneva Stripes and a special 60th Anniversary rotor. The box shaped sapphire crystal raises the case profile; the slim silver flange on the outer edge of the dial has a 60 seconds/minute scale and the vintage styled rounded pushers and winding crown invoke a retro feel. Operation of the pushers is smooth, confident and firm, as expected from the column wheel TAG Heuer Calibre 02 Automatic movement powering the watch.   This update even offers the vintage Heuer logo. 

Water resistance is rated at an everyday wearable 100m, which is good to survive in water if the watch is on a rubber strap. That being said, the supplied vintage inspired strap in a perforated black calfskin leather with polished steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons, will make this more of a land dwelling time-piece instead, perfect if you’re driving.

For any vintage lover, especially of the Heuer Carrera, this is a solid, highly specified and modern update that sacrifices little on the original yet offers substantial modern qualities like wearability, increased water resistance, and robustness; with an in house movement with a three days plus power reserve and a modern chronograph function that operates precisely and smoothly. This exciting opener to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the family signals a promising start to what will be a succession of exciting, excellent Carrera inspired releases all year.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REFERENCE: CBK221H.FC8317

CASE: 39 mm polished steel with polished fixed bezel; box sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment; crown, push buttons at 2, 3 and 4 o’clock in steel; screw down case back with the limited edition number engraving. 

MOVEMENT: TAG HEUER CALIBRE 02 AUTOMATIC, 80 hours power reserve

DIAL: Silver Sunday brushed dial, silver flange with 60 second/minute scale; 3 counter configuration with black background and silver hands and markings. Minutes counter at 3 o’clock; seconds counter at 6 o’clock; hour counter at 9 o’clock. Rhodium plated, facetted and polished hour, minute hands filled with beige Superluminova.

Availability: January 2023

One of the most significant pieces of the Tag Heuer stable, The Monza, arrives in a 2023 contemporary form, manifesting the luxury watchmaker’s “advance expertise in dial design and performance timekeeping”, according to Frederic Arnault, CEO of Tag Heuer. “It is a bold and resolutely modern reinterpretation of its famed ancestor”, invoking the original watch’s rich emotional and historic racing heritage. The Monza was introduced to celebrate Niki Lauda’s historic 1975 F1 World Championship with Scuderia Ferrari, for which Heuer was its technical timing partner. The watch is named after the Italian racetrack which is still part of the Formula One racing calendar today – its famed location near Modena, the home of Ferrari, features high speed turns such as the Parabolica – and is still one of the favoured tracks that F1 drivers love to drive on and win!

I have always enjoyed the tactile almost pebble like haptic feel of the Monza case in its original form; its very readable dial and hands set against a serious, professional black dial with contrasting red and cream colour codes to lift the arrangement into a spirit of energetic ‘raciness’.

This contemporary version enhances the spirit and feel of the original in more ways – its striking black dial featuring a two registers arrangement with translucent fume blue sapphire crystal chronograph counter at 3 and permanent second at 6 o’clock.

The movement is seen through a skeletonise dial and the blue colour code is replayed on the date window at 9 o’clock, as well as on the  lacquered indexes. Super-luminova applied hour and minute hands offer great legibility in low light. The watch is powered by TAG Heuer’s in house 02 Flyback calibre – allowing the chronograph hand to reset without stopping it for lap timing. 

In action, the Monza offers a chronograph, a tachymeter to calculate average speed over a kilometre or mile, and a pulsometer, which determines heartbeats per minute. All useful functions for any racing driver, in theory and ostensibly, in practice! Red details, as in the original Monza, contrast elegantly against the black dial, case, blue indexes and stitching on the textile strap. 

The Principal of the F1 Red Bull Racing Team, Christian Horner, says that the Monza is one of his favourite personal watches, having bought the original at Nice airport to celebrate a successful race in Monaco. TAG Heuer also happens to be a partner of Oracle Red Bull Racing Team (since 2016)! Available from January 2023, and sold in boutiques, this superbly engineered and well designed watch will surely set the hearts of TAG Heuer collectors racing!

Technical Specifications

Reference: TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer (CR5090.FN6001)

Functions: Chronograph counter at 3 o’clock/ Seconds counter at 6 o’clock/ Tachymeter/ Pulsometer/ Hours and Minutes/ Date at 9 o’clock/ Central seconds hand

Case: 42mm Diameter/ Carbon case/ Carbon Fixed Bezel/ Domed Sapphire Crystal with double anti-reflective coating/ Black DLC coated crown at 3 o’clock; Round push buttons at 2 & 4 o’clock/ Black PVD grade 5 titanium casebook/ Water resistant to 100 Meters

Dial:  Skeleton Dial

Strap: Custom black textile with blue stitching; black textile lining, Carbon folding clasp with double stay safety push buttons

Available January 2023

Movement: TAG HEUER Calibre 02 COSC Flyback

The first ever Aquaracer appeared in 2004, featuring the line’s six signature features: unidirectional bezel, screw down crown, 200m water resistance, luminous markings, sapphire crystal and double safety clasp on the bracelet. The 2022 Aquaracer released last year added a solar powered movement by famed movement maker in La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Joux-Perret, in keeping with the philosophy of being in tune with nature, whilst navigating the great outdoors. This 2023 version comes with all these elements intact, now presented in titanium and offering durability, lightness, comfort and robustness.

The design here always proposes ultimate readability in any lighting condition, or lack of. The dial is partly translucent to allow the solar charging, complemented by polar blue accents to invoke the northern lights of the Arctic Circle, recalling the outdoor origins that inspired the Aquaracer.

The features and titanium construction already makes this a standout candidate for a do anything, go anywhere watch for all times. The icing on the cake, so to speak, is the in house solar movement, Caliber TH50-00. No one can dispute the convenice and usability of a quartz powered movement, let alone one powered by solar energy. This movement only needs a 2 minute exposure to the sun to power the watch for a day.  After a full charge, the watch can run up to 6 months provided it is exposed to another 20 hours of sunlight. Thereafter, only 10 seconds of sunlight gets it started again.

As an Aquaracer and with a unidirectional timing bezel, it can be used for diving, and this is where I find the application of the solar powered technology especially useful. First of all, it is nice that Swiss made versions of solar powered watches are coming to market more and more. It’s no secret that Japanese solar powered watches have been around for a long time, and while these offered many technical advantages to buyers who were interested in a set in and forget it type of watch, they didn’t have the kind of styling and name-cachet of their Swiss made counterpoints. To this end, it is good that TAG Heuer is heading the charge in this kind of technology for the entry level segment of the market.

The Solargraph does look good and wear well after all, and I see potentially two types of customers for this watch. The first type would be those who love their mechanical watches but would not want to put them through any abuse when engaging in outdoor activities. The second are for those who are looking for a Swiss made quartz watch to wear everyday, but can now get a watch like this, and dispense with the need for regular battery changes.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph (WBP1180.BF0000)

Movement: TH50-00
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Dial: Black Sunray brushed dial
Black applied indexes with white Super-LumiNova® Black hour hand with white Super-LumiNova®
Black minute hand with Super-LumiNova® /Polar blue lacquered central hand with Super-LumiNova® Rhodium plated TAG HEUER sticker logo / 3 o’clock angled date / AQUARACER SOLARGRAPH 200 M / 660 FT printed
Case: 40 mm diameter/ Titanium grade 2 sand blasted case/ Titanium grade 2 sand blasted 60-minute scale unidirectional turning bezel Flat sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment/ Steel screw-down crown at 3 o’clock/ Sand blasted titanium grade 2 screwed case back
Water resistance : 200 meters
Bracelet/Strap: Sand blasted titanium grade 2 bracelet/ Titanium grade 2 folding clasp with double safety push-buttons with comfort link extension; TAG Heuer shield
Availability February 2023 with a 5 year warranty

The new watch is a collaboration with provocative Tokyo based streetwear label #FR2, and is named the #FR2NCK Muller Vanguard, which explains the unusual corruption of the usual brand name on the dial of the watch. For sure, it might come across as an uncomfortable interruption to the usually bejewelled and/or high horological orientation of the brand, but the accompanying aesthetics are thoroughly in line with the high contrast, bold monochromatic aesthetic that characterizes the #FR2 streetwear label. 

The main highlight of the dial of the #FR2NCK Muller Vanguard are the streetwear label’s Fxxking Rabbits motif applied at the seven and eight hour markers, and these along with the hand-applied exploding Arabic hour indices that are in black PVD are set up against a background of matte white, which comes in stark contrast to the Super Luminova on both the skeletonised obelisk hands and the #FR2 rabbits logo really makes these elements “pop’’ in the dark. 

The single spot of color in this arrangement is the red eye on the rabbit, throwing a cheeky, knowing wink – as if to say: “Have fun with this watch, as much as I’m having fun!”

This stark monochromatic dial is then contrasted with a new dark coloured carbon and glass fibre composite Vanguard case, which is then attached to a white nylon strap with velcro closures. These additional ingredients not only further the monochromatic theme of the watch, but also makes the watch wear very lightly on the wrist.  

And then with the watch on, check out what the words printed on the strap when you tilt your wrist a little – “#FR2 fxxkingrabbits NO SEXUAL SERVICES”

The watch is powered by the brand’s MVT FM 800-DT, a self-winding movement with bidirectional rotor system, 165 components, 21 jewels, beating at 28,800 alternations per hour, with 42 hours power reserve, which is hidden behind a solid caseback. This caseback comes engraved with the full Franck Muller name (so we know that it is still a Franck Muller). the Fxxking Rabbits motif, the #FR2 logo, some references numbers, and finally your edition number (out of 800 limited edition pieces)

Do note that this 800 piece limited edition collaboration is only available for the Southeast Asia and Australia markets, though if you’re hard up for one, I’m sure that Franck Muller will help you out no matter where you are in the world if you contact them. 

Overall, what I like about the #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard is how it brings together traditional luxury Swiss watchmaking and Japanese streetwear cool in an engaging watch that expresses the flavours of both seemingly disparate universes. Not only that, the watch itself is attractive, and makes for a fresh, casual, sporty, wearing experience. Lastly,  after the relative gloom of the past couple of years, it’s nice to have a new year watch release that is cheeky, tongue in cheek and fun again.