Modernization meets magnificence in Bulgari's watch collections for 2021.

As far as Bulgari is concerned, there is plenty to be excited about in the world of fine watches this year. The Italian luxury house has just introduced two fresh endeavors &mdash; first, the launch of Magnifica, its upscale new collection, and second, the debut of the Octo Roma Naturalia timepiece coupled with the newly developed customization app Maestria.
Magnifica leverages the Rome-based maison&rsquo;s Swiss watchmaking expertise to deliver four breathtaking &ldquo;secret watches&rdquo;, crafted with Bulgari's trademark opulence. The star of this decadent quartet? The most expensive and precious timepiece Bulgari has ever produced: the Ruby Metamorphosis watch, designed as a set with its namesake necklace. Requiring 1,650 hours to complete, this one-of-a-kind secret watch is made from platinum and features a dial concealed by a cover crowned with a stunning antique cushion-cut 6.3 carat Mozambique ruby, whose intense red tone evokes a magnificent Italian sunset. The bracelet is an intricate construction mingling the finest baguette-cut rubies and diamonds.

Photo courtesy of Bulgari

Meanwhile, the Octo Roma Naturalia will be available in three models: black onyx, lapis lazuli, and malachite. Each natural stone is imbued with legendary properties &mdash; black onyx is said to be a conduit to inner strength, elegant lapis lazuli represents honor and possibility, and green malachite is known as a stone of transformation. Creating the Octo Roma Naturalia line posed a bold challenge, as to preserve the harmony of the grain and color, each watch's different parts all had to come from a single block. In a process that took two months, each rock was selected, cut, and polished by hand.

That same earthen energy was teamed with a modern mindset to develop Maestria, Bulgari's personalization app. Designed for a tablet device and currently only available for the Octo Roma Naturalia line, the customer will be led through steps to create their own tailored version of the timepiece, including choice of stone, case material, case setting, and any engravings.
Clearly, innovation and splendor are the house's keywords for 2021. Here, L'Officiel Philippines speaks to Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari&rsquo;s Design Director for Watches, to learn more.

We love the idea of a "secret watch." What was the inspiration behind the Magnifica collection's concealed dials? What was the creation process like?
"The inspiration this time comes from the jewelry department because the idea was to have four watches to pair with four necklaces. It was not so easy for us to design these kinds of pieces because, you know, it's a watch &mdash; you need the case, the dial, the hands, you need all the technical features of a watch, but with the feel of a jewelry piece. The adjustable link on the buckle, for example, is hard to configure when it is jeweled...and, it was not so easy to find the right stones to match with the necklaces. So, it was a long process. It took more or less one year to produce these four pieces in our Italian ateliers. And, it was very tough due to the pandemic, the lockdown. It was not easy at all, but we're happy to be here, we are very positive, the clients love the watches."

So there are only exactly four of these watches in the entire world?
"Yes! This year we present four high jewelry pieces, one-of-a-kind, made in platinum and rose gold."
Fantastic. And, we've read that the Ruby Metamorphosis watch is the most expensive one Bulgari has ever produced. What sets it above all of the house's other watches?
"This watch is very expensive due to the [main] ruby &mdash; it's just under seven carats, a vivid, vivid red. Honestly, when I saw the stone, I was...wow, absolutely stunned. It's the most expensive watch we've ever produced not just because of the ruby on the case, but also because of the other baguette-cut diamonds and rubies on the bracelet. The sapphire Celestial Sky watch is also very pricey, for example, but Ruby Metamorphosis is the cherry on the cake, let me say. The idea was not to create the most expensive watch but to create the most beautiful watch. And, unfortunately, when you combine beauty with gemstones, the price can get very high."

There is an exciting sense of newness and modernity ushered in by the Octo Roma Naturalia's debut, coupled with the introduction of the customization app Maestria. Will this be the future for Bulgari's bespoke orders? Are there plans to expand Maestria's functions for personalization of the brand's other watch lines?
"Yes, this concept is the first step and might be extended in the future to Bulgari's other iconic designs. We definitely have some clients that are looking for personalization. It's a part of the market, let me say. It's not the whole market, but for the Maestria, the idea is to have different ways to play with natural stones and mechanical movement. With Octo Naturalia and Maestria, it's the first time that we have a combination of these two souls of the company, and we're very happy about that...as a jewel-maker, this is a very important element for us. So it's not just about the client's desire for customization, but also for the management of bespoke orders. The idea is to try to manage the many, many requests we have for high-end watches in a more creative way, in a way that's easier for the client, because sometimes we produce new watches and we start receiving [feedback] saying "yes, but I would love to have it in this material, with this color, with this stone." So now, with Maestria, you can make your own one-off watch in various different combinations."

Innovation and Splendor are Bulgari's Keywords This 2021

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