[Interview] Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, Senior Director of the Bvlgari Watch Design Center

On August 26, 2020, Bvlgari announced several new products. One of the highlights was the revival of the "Bvlgari Aluminum." I'm skeptical of aluminum as a material, but I've heard that Bvlgari spent a lot of time developing corrosion resistance. Given the company's long-awaited announcement, I have high hopes for the new aluminum watch. Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, the designer, explained the new product to me.

Aluminium is part of Bvlgari's tradition of innovation

Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani
Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani leads the design department as Senior Director of the Bvlgari Watch Design Center. Born in Naples, Italy in 1971, he graduated from the University of Rome's Industrial Design School and joined Fiat in 1998. He later went independent and established his own design studio in 2005, which Bvlgari absorbed and joined the company. Since then, he has revamped the company's product design. Originally an industrial designer, he has also recently turned his attention to Métiers d'Art. His representative works include the Octo Finissimo and Lucea.

"Bvlgari is an innovative brand, and the combination of an aluminum case and a cowboy strap, which was introduced in 1998, was a breakthrough. It has become a Bvlgari tradition." However, Bvlgari has just released the innovative "Bvlgari Bvlgari City Edition" with a resin case. Why add aluminum to the mix?

"The Octo Finissimo is a watch aimed at the high end. The new Aluminium is aimed at a different demographic: a sporty chic watch that can be worn by people who aren't particularly interested in watches. Millennials want a product that combines heritage, technology, attractive pricing and quality."

It's true that the new aluminum could open up a new customer base for Bvlgari. However, the corrosion resistance of aluminum is a concern. Bvlgari cleared the corrosion resistance test for aluminum in its previous model, but what happened to that point?

"Materials and technology are different now than they were 30 years ago. The aluminum used in the automotive and aviation industries has changed dramatically, and is now also used in laptops and smartphones. This time, Bulgari has used the best aluminum on the market. The design has remained largely unchanged from the previous model, but the quality has been further improved." The attention to corrosion resistance can also be seen in the combination of materials. "The case back, chronograph push buttons, and bezel surround have also been changed to titanium. However, we have deliberately kept the design almost the same. This is out of respect for the old design, and because this is a watch that can be used for many years, not just one or ten years. If you had to say, the only thing we have done is slightly enlarge the crown and push buttons. The finish of the dial and the manufacturing process have not changed either."

　The new aluminum models announced are two 40mm three-hand models and a chronograph, for a total of three models, but it seems Bvlgari is considering expanding the collection.

"We plan to continue expanding our aluminum collection. As a new interpretation, we are considering collaborating with the Italian Air Force. Wouldn't it be interesting to create a special edition?"