Bvlgari CEO: 'We decided to become the most desirable experience of the 21st century'

Jean-Christophe Babin on history, world records and an undying love for the Eternal City

Bvlgari chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin. Photo: Bvlgari

‘Without Rome, we wouldn’t be Bvlgari,” explains chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin. “At the end of the 19th century, our master jewellers, without even thinking about it, were influenced by the monumental size of the temples and the contrasting colours of the roofs. So it is not a surprise that Bvlgari was born with a strong pedigree. It is just tracing and mirroring Rome.”

The brand was born in the city in 1884 by its Greek founder Sotirio Bvlgari (or Sotirios Voulgaris) and it retains an indelible place in the house's psych. “Rome is a source of inspiration and a thread to understand the style and narrative of Bvlgari,” Babin explains.

Having been at the helm of the Italian house since 2013, Babin has engineered its growth from a family-run business into a global luxury empire spanning high jewellery, high-end watches, leather goods, perfume and hotels – all aligned with design codes and exclusivity that have driven the house since its inception.

Case in point, in the early 2010s Bvlgari decided to create a contemporary slimline men’s watch that embodied Roman sophistication and style. The result was the manual winding Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in 2014, upending what was thought possible with a tourbillon movement.

It was only 1.95mm thick, inside a case that was 5mm deep. It broke the world record for being the thinnest watch and set Bvlgari on a path of upping its own standards year after year. A decade later, Bvlgari now holds nine world records.

“For Finissimo, we had to totally rethink the movement, because it was just impossible to take an existing one and reduce every subcomponent by up to 60 per cent,” says Babin. “We had to reinvent the watchmaking chain without losing its primary purpose, which is to give perfect accuracy.”

Today, Bvlgari holds the title again with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which is only 1.7mm thick.

While he is clearly proud of the awards and the attention these have garnered, Babin insists the house would stop tomorrow if it meant compromising on design. “We can’t imagine designing an ugly watch or a watch that is difficult to operate,” he explains. “We have to maintain the essence of luxury, which is timeless beauty.”

“Today Bvlgari is mastering different expertise at a pretty sophisticated level,” says Babin. The brand's skilled artisans have created gem-encrusted bags that cost about $440,450 and come with hardware that can be removed and worn as jewellery. “Bags are themselves becoming pieces of high jewellery, where the head of the snake can be detached and become a beautiful pendant. Underneath there is a secondary head that is diamond set so you can still use your bag.”

Then there is the $220,225 perfume born of a collaboration between the jewellery and perfume divisions. “It is a very, very sophisticated fragrance, that comes in a bottle of Murano glass and gold. The bottle is like a piece of jewellery for the home and is an extraordinary piece of contemporary, luxury art.

“We decided a few years ago to become the most desirable experience of the 21st century,” explains Babin. “To do that we had to start at the pinnacle, which is high jewellery and high hospitality.”

Bvlgari opened its first hotel in Milan in 2004 with the aim of bridging the elegance of Italian design and the warmth of Italian hospitality. Now there are nine locations around the world – in cities such as Shanghai, New York, Tokyo, Rome and Dubai – with a further three set to open in the next two years. “These are not necessarily the political capitals but the cities that attract people for the intensity of the business and cultural life,” says Babin.

With both Italian and Arab cultures placing such store in hospitality, it is no wonder that the Dubai hotel is considered the jewel in the crown. “On one side it looks like the Maldives and on the other you are overlooking downtown, that’s the beauty of the Dubai property,” Babin says of the location, which is set on its own island.

Back in Italy, Bvlgari is involved in the restoration of historic treasures, such as the Spanish Steps, the Largo Argentina archaeological site and, most recently, bronze sculptures and marble statues from the Vittoriano monument in Rome’s central Piazza Venezia. For Babin and Bvlgari, it is a way honour the company’s Roman heritage.

“Our roots are immediately recognisable whether it’s a watch, a bag or jewellery,” Babin explains. “Immediately you can feel that. So as a company, we feel it’s our duty to give back to the city, to the excellence and craftsmanship this country has gifted to us.

“We work with the state to make sure this magic environment sparkles in the future, despite so many centuries.

“There are still a lot of major landmarks that need restoration and we are very keen to contribute, to make the city even more beautiful. It’s our mission to participate in the future of the city. I like to think that the next 27 centuries will be together.”

One discreet element of this bond is the eight-pointed star that features across the Bvlgari stores and hotels. “It means all roads lead to Rome,” says Babin. “Which was one of the mottos of the Roman Empire. And it was true actually, that all roads eventually arrived in Rome. I love Rome, I love Bvlgari and it’s difficult to take one without the other.”