Bulgari’s super-slim supremacy at Watches and Wonders 2024

CEO Jean-Christophe Babin says the race for the world’s thinnest mechanical watch is also a service to the industry

Earlier this week, Bulgari unveiled the thinnest watch on the planet. Attendees at Watches and Wonders Geneva (till April 15), who have tried on the new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC highlight its robust quality despite its 1.7 mm thickness. One popular reviewer likens it to a strand of spaghetti and others have been pulling coins or credit cards out of their pockets for comparison. It is a timely reminder of Jean-Christophe Babin’s favourite line: “Innovation never ends at Bulgari.”

Last month, when I met the Italian luxury group’s CEO in Mumbai, Babin was in the midst of several things, as usual. He had just flown in from Seoul, from the launch of Bulgari Studio, a new platform to encourage creative collaboration among artists. Bulgari had also updated the Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch Dial in time for the brand’s 140th anniversary and the compliments were still pouring in. There was a spanking new Bulgari store to celebrate, located in Mumbai’s luxury mall, Jio World Plaza. And later that night, a ‘Roman Holi’ bash and high-jewellery showcase with global ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas at Antilia, the Ambani residence. 

Yet Babin found the time to dash off quick messages to his teams, his celebrity ambassadors and perhaps update his 195k Instagram followers. “Even if I go off for a two-week holiday, I am connected and tracking our sales online,” he said. “My wife (designer and architect Marzia Babin) is used to it. I don’t see a line dividing my professional and personal life, it is intertwined.” Excerpts from our interview: