Fabrizio Buonamassi’s job is particularly challenging — because the individual responsible for the BVLGARI watch designs, he juggles the need for invention and the preserving the brand’s tradition, together with the Italian talent for design and Swiss know-how and technology capacity. The watches are created in Switzerland. He asked him about his job, about BVLGARI and about design in general — and this is what he had to say:
How does one become an eye designer?

I think a designer must have the ability to draw anything; chairs, cars, aircraft or watches.
The most essential thing is to obtain the right language/expression to use for the different kinds of merchandise.
How would you define BVLGARI’s layout DNA? In your mind, what’s your contribution to it?
Bulgari has a different taste when it comes to proportions and shapes.
We utilize objects and forms that come from other worlds and are able to turn them into icons of luxury, as it’s true with Tubogas.
This is feature of Italian Design where bold the use of proportions and materials meets the typical Italian taste.
My function is to operate in this historical journey hoping to evolve the signs of the brand to make new Bulgari products.
Can you find watch style more artistic or more technological, or both?
It’s the mixture of both; not just technical but also aesthetic as a watch needs to be exceptional and the identifiable.
BVLGARI includes a history of over 130 years — how do you manage the challenge of appearing forward without failing the past?
This the challenge for each and every designer, to work attempting to evolve the signs of the brand yet respecting its own history.
What’s your favorite BVLGARI watch? Why?
The next one.

What’s your favourite design thing (not observe related)?
The list is very long, clearly, many icons of Italian style; the stool Mezzadro of Acille Castiglioni, TVs made by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Brionvega, calculators Divisumma that Mario Bellini was created for Olivetti and also many car by Pininfarina, Bertone and Touring.
According to your professional expertise — is luxury watch style influenced more by tendencies or by heritage?
It’s the perfect blend of the 2 ingredients.
What professional peaks have you yet to conquer?
Probably to able to possess all of the essence of the history and the ionic indications of Bulgari at a new item.
If you were asked to choose your favourite competitor’s layout, which one would you select?
I’d choose the one which is the essence and history of a brand, with very few signs.
What Design Museum (globally ) do you consider a”Must-see” for almost any design-enthusiast and would suggest to our readers?
One of my favorites is that the Tate Modern in London.
After spending a long period in Switzerland, Which Hotel and Restaurant do you believe our readers would like?
I honestly do not know.