A visit to Bulgari’s newly renovated manufacture in Saignelégier reveals a brand-new workshop dedicated to the watchmaking arts. In a haven of peace and calm, the Maison’s artisans present some of the incredible dials that they make here.
Over the past four decades, Bulgari has been strategically and silently increasing its watchmaking power in Switzerland. The brand's three key manufacturing sites in Neuchâtel, Le Sentier, and Saignelégier form a vertically integrated production network, providing the expertise and flexibility to make the Maison’s creative dreams come true.
Savoir-faire Saignelégier
The Saignelégier site is dedicated to case and dial production and recently had a complete make-over to increase its capabilities even further. It is extremely rare to have case and dials made in the same place, but Bulgari realized that there were many advantages and synergies to having its talented artisans and micro-mechanics work on both components.
This integration happened organically thanks to the increased desire for métiers d’art timepieces. The fragile nature of these artistic dials meant that it made the most sense to create them in-house. Many of these timepieces also have gem settings on both the dial and case, creating another reason to have them co-exist in the same place.
To maximize the efficiency of this joint production, Bulgari decided to install a dedicated métiers d’art workshop inside its Saignelégier Manufacture. Designed by a local architect, the space has been imagined in a way to provide the artisans with a calm and inspiring place to work. There are currently a handful of artisans who work here on hardstone marquetry, peacock feather marquetry, micro painting, and setting.
Bulgari's métiers d'art
One of Bulgari’s favourite materials is malachite, a hard stone with intense shades of green that create patterns resembling the Earth’s surface. It is a difficult material to work with, especially when making wafer-thin dials. The artisan specialized in this operation had many left-over stones that pained him, so he had the brilliant idea of using them to make a mosaic dial. He presented his idea to the Maison’s designers who immediately saw the artistic potential of playing with the stone’s natural lines in a myriad of directions and the malachite marquetry technique was born.
Another technique that has been created and perfected by Bulgari is peacock feather marquetry. Using feathers that have been naturally discarded by this majestic animal, the artisan chooses the most vibrant feathers with their scintillating hues of green and blue. The natural material is then cut and glued to silk paper to fix the feathers, before being cut and positioned on the dial with mesmerizing results.
Many of Bulgari’s métiers d’art timepieces also feature micro painting that enhances the designs even further. Photographed here is a peacock dial design that has been painted with numerous shades of paint that are meticulously applied and fired in the kiln to fix them. Each shade is unique to Bulgari as the Maison orders bespoke colours to make its timepieces even more special.
Last, but not least, the gem setter will further embellish many of the dials with diamonds and/or coloured gemstones. Techniques such as snow, claw, prong and channel settings bring an additional layer of light and sparkle to the existing work.
Visiting this workshop gives just a glimpse into the myriad of talents that Bulgari has amassed over the years and shows just how quickly it has grown to become a force in the watchmaking world.
