Dubai Watch Week 2023: Bulgari's Divas' Dream Peacock Collection Unfolds New Interpretations
5 min read
Bulgari's Divas' Dream Peacock legacy continues with new exquisite designs embracing the intricate art of marquetry at Dubai Watch Week 2023. Drawing from its rich expertise in jewelry, artisanal craftsmanship, and watch complications, Bulgari pays tribute to the innate splendor of the peacock, a mesmerizing creature within the brand's mythical bestiary. The peacock illustrates Bulgari's ongoing narrative of elegance and mastery.
First launched in 2017, the Divas' Dream Peacock collection has "transcended the Swiss concept of métiers d'art and taken it to a different level," notes Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. Inspired by Bulgari's heritage, creativity, and craft, the Divas' Dream Peacock unfurls a story as sublime as the peacock itself.
Divas' Dream Peacock has its own chapter in Bulgari's legendary "Animali fantastici" bestiary. While the hypnotic Serpenti embodies mysterious seduction, the majestic peacock, or "Pavone" in Italian, radiates beauty and confidence through its shimmering feathers. Serpenti coils around the wrist, while Peacock unfurls its arched feathers like a true diva. The multitude of curves are reminiscent of the mosaic designs in the Baths of Caracalla, dear to Bulgari's aesthetic lexicon.
The iconic Divas' Dream Peacock Dischi marries watch mechanics with a dial adorned with natural peacock feather marquetry, a technique perfected by Bulgari since the 1970s. The Divas' Dream Peacock Diamonds reveals a dial inspired by the ancient mosaics of Caracalla featuring fan-shaped motifs. Peacocks were powerful symbols in these vestiges of past grandeur.
Divas' Dream Peacock unveils new masterpieces showcasing Bulgari's marquetry artistry, evoking precious ancient mosaics. These include: Divas' Dream Peacock Feather Marquetry, Divas' Dream Peacock Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry, and the remarkable Divas' Dream Peacock Precious Marquetry with jumping hours and retrograde minutes, featuring a diamond-set rose gold dial with inlaid aventurine and malachite.
Divas' Dream Peacock Feather Marquetry
Divas' Dream Peacock Feather Marquetry pays homage to the peacock's naturally luxurious plumage. Twelve spectacularly colored feathers bloom on the dial, symbolizing wisdom. Meticulously selected, these shed feathers are assembled using a technique from antiquity. Each feather is steamed, cut, and composed into a shimmering mosaic.
The Divas' Dream Peacock Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry
The Divas' Dream Peacock Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry depicts the regal silhouette of a peacock in gold and mother-of-pearl. Fan-shaped feathers sweep across the lower dial, while a tuft adorns its head and beak in rose gold. This is set against a delicate white mother-of-pearl backdrop, engraved with rays that highlight the rich symbolism of this magnificent creature. The peacock is emblematic of wealth, protection, and wisdom, with its theatrical tail evoking a starry sky.
Creating this mother-of-pearl marquetry requires immense finesse due to the fragile material. The mother-of-pearl elements are painted on the reverse in shades of blue, then intricately cut and set into recesses directly carved into the dial. Flush inlays outlined in rose gold accentuate the organic iridescence of the mother-of-pearl, a precious gift from the sea.
The Divas’ Dream Peacock Precious Marquetry Jumping Hours and Retrograde Minutes
This brings the peacock to life in exceptional finery merging horology and jewelry craftsmanship. Inspired by Bulgari's signature cabochon cut, a sapphire dome floats above the majestic marquetry form. With three-dimensional detail, the bird spreads its tail wide in intricate plumage. Each curved component nestles within the layered structure.
Rose gold, snow-set diamonds, malachite, and aventurine further embellish this figure. Malachite’s regal green evokes the peacock and in ancient Rome provided protection from misfortune. Aventurine glass, created “per avventura” (by chance) in 14th century Murano, exemplifies Italian mastery of rare skills.
This complex Divas’ Dream Peacock demanded a year of development. The unique mechanism magnifies the craftsmanship, with “jumping” hours and a retrograde minutes hand on a transparent sapphire stem. Tsavorites adorn the cabochon crown and emerald eye, exquisite details on an extraordinary timepiece.
These new interpretations pay tribute to the peacock's majesty, sublimating Bulgari’s jewelry origins and mastery of craft.
