Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton
Matthieu Hegi joined La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in 2023 as artistic director. In his role, Hegi leads the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton studio and directs the creative integration of the three maisons: Louis Vuitton, Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth. Hegi conceived and crafted the new iconic Louis Vuitton Tambour and Escale collections, infusing them with modernity and elegance. In reviving the latter two maisons, Hegi delivered a fresh vision to these legacy names, reinforcing their prestige and credibility in modern watchmaking.
Hegi began his journey in horology in 1994 after graduating from the Geneva School of Applied Arts (Haute École d’art et de Design Genève, HEAD), specialising in watch design. He completed his gemology diploma with the Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain the following year. In 1996, he started his professional career as Piaget’s watch stylist and advanced to become head of watch design by 2000. Driven by creativity, talent, and a passion for independent creation, Hegi launched his consultancy in 2008, where he continued to push the boundaries of horological design while respecting craftsmanship in collaborations with prestigious maisons of Place Vendôme. In 2013, he began partnering with Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, which ultimately led, a decade later, to his appointment as artistic director at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
A QUOTE ABOUT DESIGN OR WATCH DESIGN YOU LIVE BY
Design is ultimately in service of beauty, as its true purpose is to create emotion.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE WITHIN THE MAISON
I develop Métiers d’art pieces using gouache by hand because where the hand goes, it returns. When a design is created by hand in gouache, artisans who bring it to life continue a deep sense of transmission and continuity.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS DURING YOUR TENURE
In 2023, following two decades of independent consultancy, I joined La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, taking the helm of the studio and overseeing the creative integration of the three Maisons: Louis Vuitton, Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth
YOUR HOBBIES
Deeply connected to nature, I spend my free time rowing on the lake — nurturing a strong bond with the water element — and gardening, which allows me to reconnect with the earth.
Christian Knoop, Chief Design Officer at IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen was founded by American engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones along the banks of the River Rhine in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The manufacture was built on a pioneering vision to unite American industrial efficiency with Swiss craftsmanship. This engineering-led philosophy continues to define the brand 158 years on, evident in its engineering excellence, material innovation and precision watchmaking. Across its hallmark collections, including the Portugieser, Pilot’s Watches, and Ingenieur, IWC balances technical prowess with clear, purposeful aesthetics. Part of the responsibility in delivering on these objectives lies with the IWC chief design officer, Christian Knoop.
The German’s interest in watches kindled at the tender age of eight, when he received his first wristwatch. That early spark would later ignite a career that intersects technical curiosity and creative discipline. After his education in industrial design at the University of Essen and garnering two decades of experience across product design and brand consultancy under his belt, Knoop brings a rare tactility to his approach. His appointment at IWC has since stretched into its 18th year. He leads the in-house creative team in shaping not just individual timepieces but also the brand’s broader visual footprint, and strikes a considered balance between heritage and forward-looking innovation.
A QUOTE ABOUT DESIGN OR WATCH DESIGN YOU LIVE BY
You can’t clock out of design. Design is an attitude, a way of experiencing the world around you: noticing what others overlook, asking why things are the way they are, and believing that the future could always be more purposeful, more beautiful, more precise. You don’t become a designer at your desk.
You already are one – every moment.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE WITHIN THE MAISON
360-degree artistic direction, watch design, corporate design, visual brand footprint
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS DURING YOUR TENURE
-2010: Launch of the Portugieser Yacht Club.
-2011: Re-introduction of the Portofino as key brand collection.
-2018: 150 Years jubilée collection with the return of the
Pallweber digital minutes and hours displays.
-2024: Launch of the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, IWC’s first
secular perpetual calendar. It was the winner of the Aiguille d’Or
at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2024.
YOUR HOBBIES
-My passion for design defines me beyond watches. I move through
the world as a designer — drawn to beauty, to quality, and to the
detail that makes the difference.
-I look for fresh ideas in history, art, architecture and nature;
constantly observing, questioning and imagining.
-For me, inspiration lives in everything I encounter, in everything I
see and do.
Fabrizo Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation and Executive Director at Bvlgari Horlogerie
Fabrizo Buonamassa Stigliani is no stranger in the watchmaking universe with his larger-than-life charisma and warmth. Bvlgari’s current product creation executive director has spent 25 years at the maison after being hired by then-Bvlgari CEO Paolo Bvlgari. The move, sparked by Buonamassa Stigliani passion and fascination for watches, materialised in 2001 after spending three years at the Fiat Style Centre upon graduating from ISIA Roma Design (Higher Institute for Artistic Industries).
Buonamassa Stigliani was promoted to product creation executive director of the Bvlgari Watches Design Center in 2007 to reinterpret Bvlgari’s rich stylistic and cultural heritage in a contemporary language in tune with the maison’s DNA. Under the blessings of Bvlgari, Buonamassa Stigliani relocated to Neuchâtel to be on the pulse of the maison’s watchmaking efforts.
A QUOTE ABOUT DESIGN OR WATCH DESIGN YOU LIVE BY
The design should be simple yet rich in detail. It should be innovative while maintaining a strong connection to the brand’s DNA.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE WITHIN THE MAISON
-Watch design
-Sketching
-Communication with the press
-Having a vision for the future of watches
-Participation in projects in other business units
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS DURING YOUR TENURE:
-My first meeting with Paolo and Nicola Bvlgari
-Moving to Neuchâtel to be closer to the world of watchmaking
-My meeting with Jean-Christophe Babin, which transformed the approach to designing and developing watches at Bvlgari
-Imagining and creating the Serpenti Tubogas
-Created the Octo Finissimo and Octo Finissimo Saga that followed
-Winning the Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de
Genève (GPHG) for the Octo Finissimo Automatic in 2017
-Winning the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève
(GPHG) for the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in 2021
HOBBIES
-Automobiles
-Travelling
-Photography
-Objects
Sébastien Gobert, Creative Director at ZENITH
Sébastien Gobert currently serves as creative director at ZENITH, overseeing watch design and product creation, as well as the maison’s global creative direction across product, brand image, and visual storytelling. Since joining ZENITH in 2019, Gobert has played an instrumental role, including leading the redesign of the Chronomaster collection and contributing to Chronomaster Sport’s recognition (Chronograph Prize) at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2021. He also played a key role in the revival of the famed Calibre 135, from the collaboration with Kari Voutilainen to its reinterpretation in the 2025 G.F.J. project. Gobert’s career in luxury watches began in 2013, after graduating with a Master’s in Industrial and Product Design from Strate Collège Designers. Upon graduation, he joined a Franco-Swiss watch brand as a watch designer before making the leap to ZENITH.
A QUOTE ABOUT DESIGN OR WATCH DESIGN YOU LIVE BY
We changed almost everything without changing anything. That’s the essence of our approach at ZENITH, respecting the codes while redefining how they are expressed today, as part of a continuous effort to carry forward Georges Favre-Jacot’s original vision.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE WITHIN THE MAISON
-Watch design and product creation
-Global creative direction (product, brand image and visual storytelling)
-Product vision and collection roadmap, developed in close collaboration with ZENITH chief product officer Romain Marietta
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS DURING YOUR TENURE
-Appointed creative director of ZENITH, overseeing both product
and brand image
-Led the redesign of the Chronomaster collection, which remains a
key pillar and best-seller five to six years after its introduction
-Contributed to the Chronomaster Sport’s recognition at the Grand
Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), reinforcing ZENITH’s position
in contemporary chronograph design
-Initiated a collaboration with USM, expanding ZENITH’s creative
dialogue into architecture and industrial design
-Played a key role in the revival of the Calibre 135, from the
collaboration with Kari Voutilainen to its reinterpretation in the
2025 G.F.J. project
YOUR HOBBIES
-Sourcing and collecting antique objects from flea markets, ranging
from watches to clothing and furniture
-Automotive culture, from classic to contemporary
-Interest in workwear fashion culture, with a focus on US and
Japanese influences
-Time in nature, cycling and hiking in the mountains, and staying in
alpine huts
-Furniture design, particularly reconfiguring USM pieces to suit
evolving needs
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