Bvlgari’s Jonathan Brinbaum On The Future Of The Brand’s Iconic Timepieces

It is not a typical career path, but one that makes a great deal of sense for Brinbaum. His interest in watches began at a young age, and he joined Bvlgari in 2015, only a year after the brand electrified the watch world with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, the thinnest tourbillon watch ever made at the time. It was the herald of a whole series of ultra-thin, record-breaking releases—including automatics, chronographs, perpetual calendars, and more tourbillons—that continue to the present. It was a powerful statement of manufacturing capability, something that Bvlgari was not traditionally known for but had been developing since the early 2000s, as well as a statement of contemporary design.

Brinbaum had a front-row seat to witness its impact. “I was fascinated by how much the brand managed to create an icon from nothing,” he recalls. “And then, obviously, the second thought was, at one point I want to be part of it!” It took some time, during which Brinbaum achieved plenty in his other roles, including a stint as managing director for Travel Retail Europe during the COVID crisis in 2020. Then, in 2022, he was made managing director for the Perfume Business Unit. When Antoine Pin departed Bvlgari for the CEO role at TAG Heuer, Brinbaum was approached as his successor. “Arriving at the helm of the division is a wonderful opportunity,” he says. “Observing the previous successes gave me a lot of respect for what has been done.”

“There are not a lot of brands that were able to create something completely new that has become an icon in the 21st century. And it’s only the beginning, because 10 or 11 years in watchmaking is nothing,” Brinbaum adds. “I want to keep nurturing the success. I also want to write the second chapter for Finissimo—as with every icon, we need to respect the tradition, but we also need to innovate. If we don’t, we will not be relevant any more. That’s the mission that I’ve assigned to myself.”

Bvlgari’s greatest horological strength today is its in-house manufacturing capability, honed over the years in designing and building the cutting-edge movements of the Octo Finissimo. This expertise is allowing Bvlgari to also become a powerhouse in a different class of watchmaking: movements principally meant for ladies’ watches, an area that Brinbaum sees as having significant potential. Bvlgari released the manual-winding Piccolissimo and the automatic Lady Solotempo in 2022 and 2025, respectively. Both are ultra-small movements that inject a new level of technicity into the brand’s traditional strengths: iconic women’s timepieces such as the Serpenti and Tubogas. All too often, women’s watches are an afterthought where movements are concerned, left with quartz calibres that may be perfectly functional but lack the allure of mechanical craftsmanship. Brinbaum feels that this is increasingly important to address. “A lot of lady clients are more and more interested in watches, both in unique design and in movements,” he observes. “In our DNA, Bvlgari is a ladies’ brand. We are a jeweller. A large majority of our sales today are to ladies. So that, for me, is also the next chapter I want to open.”

“They want their own designs,” Brinbaum adds of his female clientele, noting that they are looking for something more than a smaller version of a men’s watch. “That’s one of the key reasons for the success of the Serpenti, because women see it as a design made for them.” At the same time, an increasing number are also attracted to the mechanics. “It’s creating traction, curiosity, and interest,” he says of Bvlgari’s recent emphasis on mechanical watchmaking in women’s watches. “We have clients who are more and more interested in that. So, for me, it’s a big area of development for the future.”