Meeting Fabrizio Buonamassa, Creative Director of Watchmaking at Bulgari

He carries within him the creative spirit of Bulgari and gracefully designs all the House’s watch collections. Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani is a sketching genius. “I was born with a pencil in my hand; drawing is my life,” he asserts. For over 20 years, the Creative Director of Watchmaking at Bulgari has drawn inspiration from the Roman brand’s DNA, without being limited by it, to conceive, sketch, and bring to life the most precious timepieces.

We met him in the plush lounges of the Ritz-Carlton Hôtel de la Paix during the Geneva Watch Days. Equipped with his tools of choice pencil and paper he shared his vision of design and revealed some of his sources of inspiration.

His look, his gestures, and his Latin accent don’t lie: Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani embodies the purest Italian style. A graduate of the Higher Institute for Artistic Industries in Rome, the fifty-something Neapolitan first cut his teeth in the automotive industry, designing the interiors of Fiat vehicles, among others, before joining Bulgari in 2001.

From cars, his first passion, to watches, it’s just a small step. The process is the same you must understand the product, take constraints into account, respect the brand’s identity, and counterbalance it with creativity to constantly renew yourself. “With my left hand, I respect the DNA; with my right hand, I seek to make it innovate,” he tells us.

Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani notably conceived the Bulgari Octo Finissimo collection, whose models have consistently broken world records for thinness since its launch in 2014.

He draws his inspiration from images, music, and his Italian roots, which recall the concept of “necessary beauty.” This is a beauty that one sees, touches, and experiences 360 degrees. Calling himself a “designer, not an artist,” he doesn’t follow trends; instead, he focuses on understanding and anticipating their evolution.

Then comes the revelation, which he puts down on paper, expertly combining colors, proportions, shapes, and materials to give form to his idea. When we ask him to sketch one of his favorite pieces for us, he outlines the features of the sublime Serpenti in a matter of seconds.