VELVETISSUE • n°35 • 2023
[ T he WATCH ] 168
A detailed sketch of the Giardino Marino Grande by Bulgari designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. Opposite page, the final result
M editerranean t reasure
A colourful undersea world of gold high jewellery pieces by Bulgari studded with 4,800 glittering gemstones. Designed to wear on the wrist, but also to show the time with a montre à secret hidden behind a small fish
by Diego Tamone
Like the undersea world it’s a constant source of wonders. Our eyes are enraptured, scanning every square centimetre of its surface intensely, constantly seeking new surprises, full of amazement and admiration. We are enchanted by its colours, its elaborate shapes, even its sinuous, unexpected movements. Then it surprises with its startling ability to disassemble itself, in a shape shifting process where functionality, too, is transformed. Bulgari conceived this piece in Neuchâtel, the base for the Roman brand’s global operations with a manufacturing facility for the design and production of high-profile timepieces. Over the past few years the brand has created some extraordinary mechanisms in terms of technology and miniaturisation – always with an Italian feel, in an opulent evocation of Mediterranean sensibility. The House clearly draws aesthetic and creative inspiration from its Italian roots, and from the individual who has long overseen
its watchmaking and jewellery design - Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. The eclectic Neapolitan designer influences any object that bears the brand’s name against the background of a pair of watch hands. In his role as Bulgari Watches Executive Product Creation Director he has given free rein to his imagination and memories, drawing inspiration from the sea surrounding his native land to create an entire themed collection of unique pieces, where the watches are transformed into jewels and jewels are transformed into watches, all bearing an iconic and evocative name - Mediterranea. A selection of magnificent pieces of extremely high-quality execution, where Italian exuberance harmonises with the most rigorous Swiss watch movement know-how. It is an unusual combination, but the complementary elements ensure its success.
The most stunning piece in this celebration of marine life is Giardino
169
Clockwise from top, a starfish with rubellite cabochon. A pave-set fish. The secret watch hidden beneath the fish. Setting the jewels on a flexible white gold coral-shaped framework
Marino Grande, a dazzling stylistic exercise that takes as its subject the undersea world of the Mediterranean with a rich, colourful representation of what lies concealed beneath the water’s surface. The talent and creative flair behind the creation of these pieces belongs to Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, but over 3,900 hours of manual work was required to make them, with artisanal skills applied to the goldsmithing, setting, and assembly of the watch components – because although it may not seem so at first sight, Giardino Marino Grande is a watch. To be precise, it’s a montre à secret, a timepiece designed to conceal its primary function behind its appearance as a piece of
176 [ T he WATCH ]
Clockwise from top, a stage in the creative development. Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Executive Product Creation Director for Bulgari Watches. A sketch of the removable starfish. A preliminary sketch of the fish
revealing among the over 4,800 precious multicoloured stones the dial of a small watch, powered by the smallest round manual movement currently available on the market – of in-house manufacture, of course – with a 30-hour power reserve. “Piccolissimo” by name and shape, with a diameter of 12 mm and overall weight of only 1.3 grammes. www.bulgari.com
172 [ T he WATCH ]