This is a story that was a long time coming... In fact, it comes all the way from TAG Heuer maybe 10 years ago. While various titles in the group have indeed scored interviews with Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin since 2013, WOW has not got one since at least 2016. Given that WOW has recently managed to interview the CEO of every LVMH watchmaking brand (from Hublot to TAG Heuer), it was particularly galling that Babin eluded us. Well, no more because we finally did it and thus achieved the LVMH Grand Slam of CEO interviews.
Seriously though, Babin represents one of the last of the old school watch and jewellery bosses, yet is not at all married to tradition. Indeed, he often zigs when you think he will zag, as they say. We, and no doubt you too, recall very well when Babin announced Bulgari's ultra-thin watch challenge in BaselWorld, probably in 2013 or 2014. It was a deeply astonishing move from a man who had only just moved over from TAG Heuer, where he had been CEO since 2000. The seeds for this had already been laid at brand he would lead from then right up to the present because the Octo Finissimo had debuted in 2012 and the Serpenti was already successful. On the boldest frontier yet, Bulgari had already jumped into home furnishing and the hospitality business by Babin's era.
Denne historien er fra Spring 2024-utgaven av World of Watches.
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Denne historien er fra Spring 2024-utgaven av World of Watches.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BRAND ELEVATION
On the sidelines of Geneva Watch Days, Bulgari CEO JeanChristophe Babin talks about the challenges of having one brand identity across all categories, and tells us what he really thinks of watch fairs.
EVEN MORE HANDS
For the third year in a row, the collective WOW team shares the watches we ponied up for. As always, we include a couple of fantasy pieces and more than a few fails.
CONCEPTS AND CONSEQUENCES
What is the legacy of concept watches? What happens when the show is over and it is time to actually manufacture them? How do these ticking research labs translate into actual, wearable timepieces...if they ever do?
THE QUESTION OF SUCCESSION
In the watchmaking industry, a company’s longevity is oftentimes measured not in decades but in centuries. What then happens to a brand beyond its founders? We speak to three CEOs to answer this question.
LEAPS AND BOUNDS
The quest to add one day to a month every four years may seem like a mundane task in the digital age, but achieving this mechanically is anything but.
FLIP SIDE
Omega celebrates the first human flight orbit the moon with a new Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon.
SNAPPING BACK
A powerful showcase for a one-of-a-kind constant force mechanism, the Girard Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement is now available for everyone.
GO FOR GOLD
Forty-five years after Piaget released its allgold Polo 79 luxury sports watch to critical acclaim, the maison revisits this iconic collection with a new ultra-thin movement.
CLEAR WINNER
Hublot's fourth collaboration with Takashi Murakami puts the artist's joyful flower motif at the centre of a bold new case design.
HISTORICAL TRIBUTE
Parmigiani Fleurier launches a new version of their Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar with a vivid green dial.