Watch out for Bulgari timepieces at IFC exhibition

Bulgari began life as a jeweller, but the Italian company has also excelled as a watchmaker. Now the luxury brand has turned the spotlight on its timepieces with a showcase of wristwatches in the atrium of Central's IFC Mall.

Master watchmaker Pascal Legendre and the managing director of Bulgari's timepiece division, Guido Terreni, flew in from Italy for Thursday's opening ceremony.

"Our roots are in jewellery," Terreni said. "But we have a lot of women coming to our shops, accompanied by men, and the only thing the men have to do is pay. So we wanted to do something for the kind gentlemen."

Bulgari started to produce watches almost 40 years ago.

But as its clientele grew more sophisticated, they were no longer satisfied with just classic designs, but also wanted top-notch quality causing the brand's range to evolve, Terreni said.

"In the Bulgari household, the word 'tradition' is not the same [as others may interpret it].

"When you talk about the Italian taste for beauty, it always [refers to an idea that] things we make today are going to be relevant in the future," he said.

A string of socialites and celebrities attended the opening of the exhibition, which ends tomorrow, including Canto-pop singer Andy Hui Chi-on and models Marcela Brazao and Rosemary Vandenbroucke.