AND… ACTION! Bulgari Brings The Magic Of Cinema To Capri

At a recent event in Capri, Bulgari presented the new Cinemagia high jewelry collection. We had the opportunity to live Capri in grand style and sit down with CEO Jean-Christophe Babin for a cinematic chat.

Picture yourself in the blue sea surrounding the magical island of Capri off the Bay of Naples, Italy. From the earliest Roman emperors to the most celebrated film stars, this mythical rock has always held a particularly festive and elegant energy. The setting is perfect and reminds us of the link between Bulgari and the art of cinema.
 

This year, Bulgari has been able to focus their magic around a collection or rather a place inaccessible to the common man. A Cinecittà-style showroom perched on the rooftop of Capri Palace. Ultra-shielded and ultra-scintillating. It's difficult to describe the grand staging of gold adornments, precious cuffs, and other solitaires. It is rare to find such an accumulation of stones so pure and unique as well as the know-how and renowned craftsmanship of the Roman jeweler.
 

On the men's side, Bulgari presented the full baguette versions of the Octo Tourbillon set with over 480 baguette diamond and a magnificent Octo Roma Sapphire Lapis Lazuli which I must say was a perfect match with the stunning blue sea backdrop.
 

As for the ladies, the Serpenti High Jewelry collection was present with unique pieces that were lined with rubies and other precious stones. But undoubtedly, my favorite is the Serpenti Misteriosi Romani cuff. It’s an incredibly unique piece with a snakehead that is discreetly hidden in the timepiece, a Sri Lankan sapphire of 10 carats with 60 carats of diamonds and some more 35 carats of sapphires. The price you may ask? Around two million Euros. Two million reasons to dream... it has been most likely already sold.
 

Every Bulgari event artfully transports its guests to a unique experience. Undoubtedly when the most impenetrable places open their doors for a spectacle such as this, it’s sure to be discussed for years to come. We mingled with a myriad of celebrities while sharing some great Negronis until very late. All the ingredients of an exceptional event were there, but it is the concept of "Italianità" that Bulgari with its iconic CEO and Dream Team shared with their guests, that makes these moments truly special. This concept is difficult to replicate. A blend of La Dolce Vita, glamor, style, Italian class, and generosity. Lo stile Bulgari.
 

AF: What is the feedback from Baselworld?

JCB: At the commercial level, we achieved the results we were hoping. I would say that we did not necessarily see a significant change. Fewer retailers came, but that's good because we are trying to reduce our doors. We aim to go from 600 to 300 points of sales in two years, which is pretty drastic. Having fewer retailers allows us to have more quality time with those we meet and with whom we want to build a much stronger relationship. In parallel to the reduction in the number of watch retailers, we also remove the jewelry of the watch retailers to be sure that the focus will be on the watches. It's a bit raw as logic goes, but it's good since we want our boutique networks that sell watches and jewelry that compliments each other, and the retail system must attract a clientele that we would not see just a jewelry store. In this context, Basel was excellent because there were fewer retailers, but we had more quality time with our other retailers.
 

AF: Why do you think there is such desirability for the High Jewelry cuff that you make?

JCB: The cuff is an excellent alternative to a bracelet that makes an object equivalent to the necklace, but a wrist object. So besides if you can slip in a secret watch, it's even more subtle and sophisticated. While keeping room for creativity like on a necklace. It is also a way to upgrade the "secret watch" over the historical secret watch that we still produce and inherited from the '40-'50s that wraps around your wrist. The cuff is a different element and style, and I think that in a lot of bracelets there is more and more room for innovation.