ABOUT US
The team met eight years ago. Etienne & Marie are working in symbiosis to give
life to very creative timepieces. The meeting of product design and
styling couture makes this duo a perfect synergy.
MARIE BOUTTECON
Design should strike your emotions, and tell a story that makes you feel alive.’
Marie is certain that creation is a state of mind and each art object creates history and tells a story. That starts with finding poetry in the little things, then translating it to masterful works of art.
Her inspiration is nature, as nature is the greatest charmer of humanity. She is also inspired by the design of the 1970s. Her fascination for the movement, the rhythm in art, the modern approach to free bodies, and the pure lines of fashion of this decade. It’s a delicate balance of movement, organic shapes, intricate details, and fine craftsmanship. Her watches translate this era.
She was born in France and today she splits her time between France & Switzerland. She was early immersed in the world of art.
Family plays a big part in her life and work. Her father is a master of wood marquetry and is recognized globally for his precision and unique craftsmanship. Through observing her dad, watchmaking became a natural interest early in her childhood, as she discovered the refined creations of the luxury brands and the infinite possibilities of design.
She obtained a Master’s degree in Fashion, Accessories, and Luxury Goods. After her studies, she had experience with Hermès at 24 Faubourg St Honoré, Paris Carré d’Hermès, and then with Parisian fashion designer Barbara Bui in the Marais as a stylist.
She began her career in the watch industry designing for Parmigiani Fleurier where she created very unique haute horlogerie timepieces. She continued her career working for luxury watch brands before decided to create Bug Me design agency with Etienne Ruffieux, where they designed for watch manufacturers, independent brands, and private clients worldwide.
ETIENNE RUFFIEUX
‘My ultimate goal is to create emotional artifacts that have sensitivity and spirit.’
Etienne shows how innovative design could embrace new technologies and materials to rethink traditional structures in watchmaking. His design, full of sensitivity, is all about modern proportions, pure construction, and new shapes. It is often characterized as minimalist and elegant. Etienne is focused on 3D and exploring new shapes, mastering the production process to give life to the piece of art. In his universe, which is not limited to watches or men, design is defined as a state of mind: objects must tell stories and vibrate the heart of the person wearing the object, whether its jewelry, watch, or accessories.
Etienne has been working in the Swiss watchmaker industry for several luxury brands as Designer and Product Director. He has previously designed for Swiss manufacturers in luxury fields and created for Ebel, Zenith, Gucci Group, Parmigiani Fleurier, Reuge, Les Frères Rochat, and as a free-lancer. Etienne was born in Switzerland–studying architecture in Switzerland and then Product Design at the Art Center College of Design Europe and Pasadena USA.
