Bvlgari Inaugurates Redesigned Manufacture in Saignelégier, Fusing Art and Industry
Bvlgari is significantly strengthening its integrated manufacturing strategy. The Saignelégier Manufacture, an essential pillar of Bvlgari’s watchmaking division, has undergone a significant renovation and expansion. Nestled in the Jura Mountains, it is home to the production of dials and cases.
On November 14, 2024, Bvlgari will inaugurate the redesigned and enlarged Saignelégier facility, which now brings watch case and dial production together under one roof – a unique setup in the industry.
With the addition of a new floor, the site has grown from 3,400 to 4,400 square meters. Its scale, along with the diversity of crafts it accommodates, enables Bvlgari to fully leverage the synergies offered by vertical integration.
Driven by global enthusiasm for the brand, Bvlgari is expanding its capacity for high-end case manufacturing by investing in cutting-edge industrial equipment, thus keeping pace with evolving market requirements. The upgrades focus on modernizing production methods, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhancing versatility and multi-skilled training. They also include optimised safety measures, improved work well-being for employees, and targeted measures to reduce the environmental impact of production. Notably, a new space dedicated to “Artmanship” – the fusion of Art and Craftsmanship – has been established at the heart of the manufacture.
The success of Bvlgari’s iconic collections – Serpenti, Octo Finissimo, Bvlgari Bvlgari, and its high jewellery watches – is driving a marked increase in demand for its dials crafted with traditional metiers d’art (artistic crafts and techniques). These dials, born from a convergence of rare expertise and artistic techniques, will now be crafted in a dedicated workshop for hardstone marquetry, peacock feather marquetry, gem-setting, and micro-painting. This new space is characterised by its dynamic rhythm, responsiveness, and creativity. Even more so than in the rest of the building, where significant efforts have been made to improve the work environment, the new Métiers d’Art workshop ensures an atmosphere of silence and calm, required for artisanal crafts.
The Saignelégier Manufacture is equipped with a range of large-scale production machines, organized into workshops capable that can handle both small and medium production runs, coupled with high-end artisanal applications. This setup necessitated a redesign of the existing spaces to improve the flow of people and processes, the exchange of ideas, and ultimately, the level of production excellence. This combination of industrial and artisanal processes is being taken to the next level in Saignelégier, where, for example, lacquered dials that won’t tolerate the slightest presence of dust coexist with intricate hardstone mosaics.
Furthermore, the Manufacture now also features an additional floor with a staff restaurant and an outdoor terrace, along with a new wellness and recreation area. Indeed, the redesigned Saignelégier facility places the well-being of its 130 employees at the heart of its design.
The roof, façade, and parking areas have been redesigned to accommodate solar power generation. These solar panels supply 25% of the building’s energy needs. Coupled with redesigned workflows that reduce electricity consumption, this underscores the commitment to sustainability at Bvlgari sites in alignment with requirements throughout the LVMH group.
The comprehensive renovation and expansion project at Saignelégier is part of LVMH’s ongoing investments in its watchmaking brands, naturally in Switzerland. As the world’s leading luxury group, LVMH has maintained a strong manufacturing presence in the Swiss Confederation for over 25 years, with no fewer than 16 sites dedicated to ten brands. Helmed by Frédéric Arnault, the LVMH Watches division relies on these sites of excellence with a long-term vision, emphasizing skilled craftsmanship, artisanal expertise, and especially Métiers d’Art (artistic crafts). This strategy of continuous investment secures a greater manufacturing independence for both LVMH and Bvlgari through the integration of increasingly comprehensive expertise.
TECHNICAL DATA
BVLGARI MANUFACTURE D’HABILLAGE
SAIGNELEGIER, JURA
(Case & Dial Manufacturing)
• Employees: 130
• Surface Area:
4,400 sqm (after renovation)
3,400 sqm (before renovation)
Solar array: 816 panels, with an aggregate capacity of 360 kWp
• Milestones:
2009: Site acquired by BVLGARI
2019: Establishment of the “Habillage” (watch exterior components) hub with the merging of case and dial production
2024: Establishment of “Métiers d’Art” workshop, small series unit, and staff areas)
Expertise:
Manufacturing Workshop:
– Programming,
– 5-axis combined milling
– 3-axis milling
– Applique production
– Diamond polishing
– Turning
– Soldering
– Cutting
– Deburring
– Washing
Finishing Workshop:
– Manual polishing
– Automated polishing
– Satin finishing
– Buffing
– Grinding
– Sandblasting
– Laser engraving
– Laser decoration
Surface Treatment Workshop:
– Electroplating (silver plating, gold plating, nickel plating, etc.)
– Varnishing
– Lacquering
Assembly Workshop:
– Assembly (bonding, screwing, pressing)
– Water resistance testing
– Pad printing (decal application)
– Applique fitting
Mechanical Workshop:
– CNC milling
– 3D printing
“Métiers d’Art” (Artistic Crafts), organized by:
– Gem-setting
– Jewellery making
– Micro-painting
– Marquetry (hard stone, feather, etc.)
Materials used for component production:
– Steel, Aluminium, Titanium, Gold, Platinum, Bronze, Ceramic, Carbon, Hardstone(s)
BVLGARI MANUFACTURE DE HAUTE HORLOGERIE
LE SENTIER, VALLEE DE JOUX
(Watch Movement Development & Manufacturing)
• Employees: 95
• Surface Area:
2,300 sqm
• Opening year:
1890 (historic building)
2007 (new building)
• 6 main calibre families:
– BVL 191 base movement
– Finissimo
– Piccolissimo
– Tourbillon
– Minute Repeaters
– Grand Sonneries
BVLGARI HORLOGERIE
NEUCHATEL
Bvlgari Horlogerie headquarters (WBU) in Neuchatel is the heart of all watchmaking activities, where everything starts and ends.
• Employees (WBU): 160
• Functions: WBU HQ, including Design, Technical Department, Assembly Workshop, and After-Sales Services
• Established: 1991
BVLGARI MANUFACTURE DE HAUTE HORLOGERIE
On the far frontiers of expertise
Bvlgari has been crafting Haute Joaillerie watches since 1918, including one-of-a-kind timepieces that have stood the test of time and still contribute to its worldwide reputation. In the 1970s, its mastery of the art of watchmaking accelerated, giving rise to the Bvlgari Bvlgari collection (1975) and later to the Bvlgari Aluminium collection (1998) – of which the recent re-edition proved a huge success! Inspired by Rome’s artistic and architectural heritage, Bvlgari quickly distinguished itself with the unique Italian design of its watches.
Since 2012 and the launch of the Octo collection, what has now become Bvlgari Horlogerie (Bvlgari Watch Division) has introduced a string of accomplishments to the field of Haute Horlogerie: the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch; the thinnest minute repeater; the thinnest automatic GMT chronograph on the market; the thinnest perpetual calendar ever made; as well as the recent Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc at just 1.7 mm thick. In all, Bvlgari has already set nine world records for thinness with its Octo Finissimo collection.
Such a feat is only possible if all the horological skills are perfectly mastered. To achieve this, Bvlgari Horlogerie began a long and ambitious process of vertical integration 25 years ago, which now enables it to lay claim to excellence. In addition to its headquarters in Neuchâtel, the Maison has a watchmaking Manufacture in Saignelégier and an Haute Horlogerie movement Manufacture in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux. Some 500 people work for the watchmaking division in Switzerland.
The Vallée de Joux is one of the most important places in the Swiss watch industry. Nestling in this sheltered Jura region for more than two centuries has shaped history and given birth to some of the greatest legends in the discipline; watchmakers who have earned global renown for their Grand Complication watches. Today, the most prestigious watch brands are still based on this high plateau.
It was here, in the village of Le Sentier (1,900 inhabitants), that Bvlgari Watches acquired the Genta-Roth workshops in 2000 – a logical extension of the collaboration undertaken years earlier thanks to the vision of the Bvlgari brothers. Founded by two brilliant watchmakers, this movement manufacture perpetuates and develops unique and precious expertise. It is one of the very few to master the art of extreme miniaturisation, as well as striking mechanisms, making Bvlgari one of the greatest players in the realm of Swiss Haute Horlogerie.
The site, which became Bvlgari Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie in 2000, employs around 100 people. From research and development to final assembly, all components are designed and produced in-house: bar turning machines, computer numerically controlled machines (CNC) and electro-erosion machining are used to produce plates and bridges, gears and pinions, cams and flat springs – all with micrometre-level (0.001 mm) accuracy. The components are then carefully bevelled and decorated by hand, before being delivered to the various assembly workshops.
One of these is entirely devoted to striking watches, a rare phenomenon within the watch industry. Five master-watchmakers are dedicated exclusively to the assembly of exceptional timepieces such as the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater (two hammers), the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon (three hammers) and the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar (four hammers). Bvlgari has mastered the entire range of this family of Grand Complications featuring movements housing up to 1,200 components. Among them, the steel gongs are meticulously crafted by hand to obtain the purest and deepest sounds. At this degree of excellence, each watchmaker is responsible for a given watch right the way through to the final casing-up, in a process that can take nearly six months.
The second workshop is devoted to Haute Horlogerie movements. This is where the Grand Complications are created, including the perpetual calendar and the tourbillon. These naturally include the Octo models as well as the Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon ladies’ watch, whose BVL Caliber 150 is the smallest of its kind at just 22 x 18 mm. BVL Caliber 100, named Piccolissimo, represents the ultimate in miniaturisation with its 12.30 mm diameter and 1.3 gr weight. It is used in the secret watches of the Serpenti Haute Joaillerie collection.
The third workshop is dedicated to the so-called “classic” movements (outside the scope of Grand Complications). This is where the ultra-thin calibers come to life, such as the BVL 138 and the BVL 318: the first, a micro-rotor automatic movement measuring just 2.23 mm thick, powers the Octo Finissimo Automatic – the third world record in the collection; while the second, at just 3.3 mm thick, drives the likewise self-winding Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT– the fifth world record in its category. This workshop also produces some movements for the Octo Roma family, such as the BVL 257 Worldtimer caliber and the self-winding in-house BVL 399 chronograph caliber.
Jewellery is also a passion of the Bvlgari family as well as the foundation and the very essence of the House. Bvlgari Horlogerie can therefore count on the immense expertise of the workshops in Rome and Valenza for its gemset models. This close collaboration makes it possible to combine Haute Joaillerie and Haute Horlogerie in a manner unrivalled by any other brand.
Octo Roma Striking Tourbillon Sapphire BVL 206
The BVL 206 hand-wound movement of this new Octo Roma Striking Tourbillon Sapphire features an extremely graphic design. Finely skeletonised to form a star shape, the baseplate seems to virtually vanish so as to conceal nothing of the extraordinary watchmaking mechanism. This metal lacework is thus entirely exposed to the spectator’s fascinated gaze.
The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock operates at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), carrying with it all the regulating and distribution organs in its fascinating rotation. The architecture of the movement, the openworked baseplate and the flying tourbillon ensure a 360-degree view of the heart of the watch.
While the 64-hour power-reserve indicator at 9 o’clock is visible through the back, the crown also features a rare and refined mechanism in the shape of a function selector. An integrated pusher enables the wearer to choose between winding the mainspring or setting the time. The latter choice involves a single press on the pusher, making a red dot appear on a bridge level with the crown. Once the adjustment is made, a second press serves to return to the first function and to secure the time-setting.
Octo Roma Precious Tourbillon Lumière BVL 208 SK
This Octo Roma Precious Tourbillon Lumière lives up to its name, as its movement is made of solid gold – an extremely rare occurrence. Adding to the difficulty of its crafting, the bridges and baseplate are finely skeletonised and decorated by hand. The model is further lit up by a chapter ring set with precious stones.
This BVL 208 SK caliber is a concentrated blend of Bvlgari Watches’ expertise in terms of artistic craftsmanship and decoration. Derived from the art of engraving, hand-skeletonisation consists in openworking the baseplate and bridges as much as possible, while ensuring they remain sufficiently sturdy to enable the movement to operate properly. The perfect balance between artistic expression and technical constraints requires real expertise.
The components are then bevelled, polished and satin-brushed by hand to create a glowing finish. The tourbillon bridge receives a special mirror-polished treatment. As its name implies, this complex technique consists in making the metal mirror-smooth, free of even the tiniest scratch and magnificently highlighting the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, the beating heart of the watch.
Finally, this hand-wound movement is endowed with a 64-hour power reserve displayed by an indicator visible on the back of the watch.
Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery Secret Watches BVL 100
A new mechanical caliber, an absolute icon: the new Serpenti Misteriosi masterpieces by Bvlgari embody new feats of miniaturisation associated with the jewellery and decorative excellence of the Rome-based Maison.
The new creations are all equipped with the new Piccolissimo mechanical movement, one of the smallest in the world, entirely conceived and produced within the Bvlgari Manufacture in Le Sentier. The BVL100 caliber revives the very small mechanical ‘motors’ that equipped all women’s watches until the
early 1970s.
Measuring 12.30 mm in diameter and 2.50 mm thick, the BVL100 caliber indicating the hours and minutes is housed in the head of the reptile within a dedicated container. The Manufacture leveraged its rich experience in the domain of Finissimo watches to create a very compact movement weighing only 1.30 grams. The extreme miniaturisation of its 102 components is vividly illustrated in the barrel featuring a total diameter of just 5.00 mm for a thickness of 1.47 mm and a spring that is 170 mm long before being wound. Moreover, to ensure the greatest inertia according to the very small size of the movement, the Manufacture opted for a white gold balance wheel. Pressing the snake’s tongue on the Serpenti Misteriosi opens the head to reveal the watch. A bidirectional crown located on the caseback enables manual winding and time-setting. This dual function operates by means of a system of reversers.
Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar
Bvlgari, again, revisits the rulebook with the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar. This watch is reborn in high-tech anthracite carbon, offset by luxurious touches of gold. Bvlgari first presented this norm-defying blend of materials and textures in 1993 – an innovation made possible by the brand’s unique ability to envision materials from a “watchmaking jeweller’s” perspective. Objects of rarity, the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar redefine the rules of modern horology – a stroke of style and innovation, a daring statement on the timeline of watchmaking.
The case, strap and dial are made of extremely lightweight, anthracite-colored carbon with a matte finish, while the display elements and the crown, crafted in luminous rose gold, offer a luxurious contrast against this high-tech backdrop. Requiring no adjustment before 2100, in this version the classic perpetual calendar complication takes on a resolutely contemporary look.
Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar watch with mechanical manufacture ultra-thin movement, automatic winding, perpetual calendar, day, month, retrograde date and retrograde leap year, BVL 305 caliber (2.75 mm thick), 21’600 Vph (3 Hz) frequency, 60-hour power reserve. 40 mm ultra-thin carbon case (7.60 mm thick), transparent case back, polished 18 kt rose gold crown with black ceramic insert, carbon dial, with gold-colored hands and indexes, carbon bracelet with integrated folding buckle. Water-resistant up to 100 meters.
BVLGARI HORLOGERIE, NEUCHÂTEL
Established in 1991, Bvlgari Horlogerie in Neuchâtel serves as the headquarters for the Maison’s Swiss watchmaking division. Home to 160 specialised employees, the site brings together the entire creative and technical journey of Bvlgari timepieces — from initial design and gemmology to final assembly and after-sales service. As the heart of the brand’s horological excellence, this integrated manufacture embodies Bvlgari’s uncompromising commitment to innovation, craftsmanship, and precision.
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