One-on-One With de Grisogono Founder and CEO Fawaz Gruosi

I had the opportunity to catch up with the Founder and CEO of de Grisogono, Mr. Fawaz Gruosi at the de Grisogono Boutique in New York City, while he was in town for literally 24 hours. Mr. Gruosi and I talked about some of the things that have inspired him to create so many incredible watches and jewelry pieces over the years.

It is very clear what ties the de Grisogono designs together. From the vibrant emerald greens to the azure hues of the ocean and the reflections of sunlight on the water, Fawaz Gruosi has been inspired to create so many breathtaking and original designs. Many of the ideas for his pieces have come to him while he is near the ocean or on a plane, enjoying nature’s beauty. In addition to vision, innovation is also very important to Mr. Gruosi.  Here are a few of the timepiece collections he shared with us.

The first collection we looked out was The Meccanico DG, a concept piece created by de Grisogono with a patented double time display with both analogue and digital time. A dual time, mechanical movement housed in a very substantial pink gold case, comes together to create a very unique and limited timepiece.

Gina Fusco: The Meccanico DG is such an innovative timepiece, can you tell me how it came to be such a special part of the de Grisogono family?

Fawaz Gruosi : This is an extremely heavy timepiece! Being in the Swiss watch industry, I created this piece which is digital as well as mechanical, the only one offered so far, something unthinkable! Not everyone was able to believe it was possible and we did it over a course of a few years, which was quite fast for something like this and the investment was also quite substantial, I must say, but we achieved something very special with the Meccanico.

It is Italian gold and limited to 177 pieces and comes in a few different variations. The movement is created in all black and we are the only one doing it in all black. We try to incorporate different materials in every timepiece, while not only focusing on creations but also on innovations.

The next collection Mr. Gruosi and I talked about was the Allegra.  A fun and colorful ladies line that began with jewelry and now offers a variety of beautiful timepieces, inspired by his daughter Allegra. The line is symbolic of the love and pride he feels as a father as well as his symbol of love and life, beautifully interpreted throughout the collection. A fantastic line with an array of beautiful stones and colors, The Allegra collection has a model to suit every style and taste. Gruosi played with a kaleidoscope of precious stones, metals and leather to accent the watch design and convey his feelings of emotion through each and every timepiece.

GF: Tell me about the Allegra Collection.

FG: I started The Allegra Collection about 7 or 8 years ago with the first collection which was a ring, then came the earrings, a pendant, and then a bracelet. I knew it was about time to complete the collection with a watch, and that’s how it came to be.  With so many different colors, it’s a very happy watch. My daughter is named Allegra, which means ‘happy’ in Italian and for me this represents something very dear to me.

Next, Mr. Gruosi shared The Tondo Tourbillon Gioiello.  de Grisogono’s first tourbillion complication – dedicated exclusively to women, the Tondo Tourbillon encapsulates de Grisogono’s amazing designs and strong architectural details along with colorful precious gems, metals and galuchat. The line also represents de Grisogono’s dedication to haute horlogerie.

GF: Tell me about the Tondo Tourbillon Gioiello.

FG: This is a tourbillon complication. We offer this model in many different colors as well, this model is with brown diamonds and we also have one with black diamonds, white diamonds as well as other different stones, dials and strap colors as well.

It started 13 years ago, when I came out with my first watch, which is the one I am wearing. A big difference back then between us and the other brands was the mix of colors, stones and straps we used to add more style to the complicated timepieces. de Grisogono only uses the best part of the skins for its strap which is the highest quality we can find, to go with the precious stones and metals we use for the each piece, and of course the movements as well.

GF: The Tondo Collection features such a variety of gemstones and colors, and of course an impressive tourbillon complication. What can we expect in the future for the Tondo Collection?

FG: I think this year for the Basel Fair, I will do the same watches but for men.

GF: Thank you so much Mr. Gruosi for taking some time to show us these wonderful pieces and for sharing your inspirations with Haute Time’s readers. It was a pleasure to see you and experience first-hand what has influenced your stunning designs, and also thank you for the teaser of what’s to come from the Basel Fair!

For more of the de Grisogono collections, please visit www.degrisogono.com

Photos by Haute Time