Bulgari CEO drops an Octo Finissimo Chronograph on the ground to make a point

Bulgari CEO drops an Octo Finissimo Chronograph on the ground to make a point

Andrew McUtchen

I like interviewing Jean-Christophe Babin. There is a playfulness to the Bulgari CEO; in fact, I’d go so far as to say there’s a wickedness to his personality that makes the exchange unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen, or what direction the conversation will take. But wherever it goes, it’s almost always with the element of surprise. Take this last conversation. We were reflecting on a previous interview, where he’d – what do you know – startled me with a twist in the script.

In terms of moments in interviews I’ve never forgotten, it’s up there. The interview was focused on the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon shortly after its release. The meeting was in Shanghai, at a boutique within the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai. It was an interesting discussion, and centred on Bulgari’s goal – to make high complication watches as comfortable and therefore as wearable on the daily as possible. How did he demonstrate this point? You’ll just have to watch to find out.

Andrew McUtchen and Jean-Christophe Babin in Shanghai, 2019

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