Introducing: The Bulgari Diva Finissima Minute Repeater including our interview with Guido Terreni

Since 1918, Bulgari has been creating beautifully ornate women’s timepieces embellished with the iconic Roman jeweler’s masterful gems. To celebrate the 100^th anniversary this time-honored craft and expertise, the brand is introducing the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater. Which brings forth the very best of Bulgari’s watchmaking whilst drenched in a delicate array of flawless diamonds.
 

The Finissimo Minute Repeater movement was first introduced at 2016’s Baselworld fair. Produced at the brand’s Le Sentier manufacture, this caliber ended up setting a world record for thinness. The Italian brand has now brought forth a lady’s version that impresses just as much as its male counterpart. Meet the FinissimA!

A stunning 37mm pink gold timepiece that epitomizes everything that Bulgari is known for. Don’t let the 4.26 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds fool you – this is a very important timepiece that is sure to turn heads wherever it goes.

The first thing you’ll notice on the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater is the dial. The be exact, the brand calls it a “Urushi lacquered and gold-spangled” dial. At first glance, the beautiful dark brown dial shimmers as if it was a night sky on the darkest of evenings.
 

The production process for this dial is positivity mind-blowing. Made via an ancient Japanese method that takes month to produces. Multiple layers of plant-based lacquer are brushed unto the dial plate. Between the multiple rounds of application, the dial is polished with a stag-horn powder which gives it the dynamic sparking motif. Lastly, gold spangles are sieved through bamboo shoots which allow the master craftsmen to delicately sprinkle the final surface texture. Capping off the dial production, a transparent lacquer is applied with gives the dial a stunning depth.

Of course, I’d be remiss to not mention the gorgeous gemsetting taking place here. The artists at Bulgari were able to set hundreds of diamonds on the lugs, buckle, and a small gem set gold charm that activates the minute repeater. More on that later.
 

On the occasion of Watches & Wonders, we arranged a sit down with Bulgari’s Managing Director of watches, Guido Terreni. He shared with us his vision and passion for designing the finest timepieces for their discerning collector base. Along with a few hints towards the future of Bulgari timepieces.

Josh Shanks (JS): How are you finding Watches & Wonders so far?

Guido Terreni (GT): It’s the first time this event takes place, so it’s a good start. There’s a lot of traffic to the district so this is positive. People that are fond of watches and it’s a good start to bringing more watchmaking culture to the US market.

JS: What’s been the big hit for Bulgari during the last year and at Watches & Wonders?

GT: Of course, the Octo Finissimo has been on the minds of everybody since the collection started. The double GPHG awards we won in Geneva last fall gave us another moment of attention. It was quite a surprise that a jewelry brand from Italy could win TWO GPHG awards! The best is the response from the public, we’re enjoying sales (in the Octo Finissimo collection) which are almost double the forecast. We still have scarcity to recover because the production takes time to catch up with the demand, but this is luxury and luxury should have a demand that is higher than production.
 

JS: It’s good to be in that position!

GT: It’s certainly good to be in that position because we really did something – in my opinion –  that is unique in style and technique

JS: From a production standpoint, what are the numbers looking like on the Octo Finissimo? Are you releasing any official numbers?

GT: Since we have been acquired by LVMH, as a brand, we are not disclosing anything. In my opinion, this is very important in luxury because if you are obliged to have a three-month review by the financial industry, this takes away the ability to do a long-term trajectory. Which is what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been building on the grounds of our success and gaining market share because we went to the soul of the brand with the launch of Serpenti, Lvcea, and Octo. These three collections make up 70% of what we do, and they are very new. So, we have to continue to make them understandable and go deeper into the creativity of these collections.
 

JS: Next time I see you, we’re going to be at Baselworld together, is there any hints that you can give us something to look forward to?

GT: If you’re talking about a new world record – ok! –  there’s another one coming!

JS: You’ve brought the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater to the United States for the first time for Watches & Wonders. Could you give us a bit more detail regarding its creation?

GT: The movement is the Finissimo Minute Repeater which is the thinnest minute repeater in the world. Being small and thin enough, it’s perfectly fitting a lady’s case. Different from what the industry does, which usually takes a men’s watch and does a smaller version to sell to ladies, we’ve really designed a whole minute repeater, and this is the first time we’ve done it for ladies. The Divas Dream Collection is a very feminine aesthetic. The fitting tribute to this collection is the charm at 7 o’clock that is the lever to action your minute repeater. Which is extremely feminine, and it is a way to celebrate our very first jewelry watch made in 1918.

JS: Congratulations again on your well-deserved success and see you at Basel!