The Exotic Plumage of the Bulgari Divas’ Dream Peacock Marquetry Collection

For Dubai Watch Week, Bulgari presents five captivating models inspired by the rich plumage and iridescent colours of peacocks’ tails. While the hypnotic Serpenti is Bulgari’s most famous mascot, the proud, unabashedly beautiful peacock has been the mascot of choice for the Divas’ Dream collection since 2017. Using different materials – including feathers, mother-of-pearl and precious stones – the magnificent colours and textures of the peacock’s plumage are recreated on the dials of these watches with the delicate art of marquetry.

Capturing the voluptuous curves of Italian Dolce Vita screen divas, the Divas’ Dream collection stands out with its sensual, curvy silhouette and fan-shaped motifs referencing patterns found in the mosaics of Rome’s ancient Caracalla Baths. Divas’ Dream is a highly versatile canvas for high jewellery models dripping with precious gemstones or, conversely, a glamorous receptacle for the world’s thinnest minute repeater. It’s worth noting that not all five models are novelties in the line-up for Dubai Watch Week; two of these – the Peacock Dischi and the Peacock Diamonds – were launched two years ago.

Divas’ Dream Peacock Marquetry Jumping Hours and Retrograde Minutes

A fusion of refined jewellery craftsmanship and horology, this model recreates the figure of a peacock on the dial using marquetry and flaunts a jumping hours and retrograde minutes complication. Using a series of overlapping fan-shaped compartments filled with green malachite, snow-set diamonds and blue Murano aventurine, the peacock dominates most of the dial, his eye underscored with a bright green emerald. Given the layered, three-dimensional marquetry embellishing the dial, Bulgari’s designers have incorporated a pronounced sapphire dome to protect the peacock, all the while referencing the brand’s penchant for cabochon-cut stones, a detail you can appreciate on the tsavorite cabochon gracing the crown.

The aperture at noon is used to indicate the jumping hours, and a fan-shaped sapphire crystal indicator framed in gold emerges from the bejewelled plumage to indicate the retrograde minutes crafted in rose gold and aligned on a semi-circular track against a sparkling blue aventurine background.

The 37mm rose gold case and hallmark fan-shaped lugs are set with brilliant-cut diamonds. The caseback reveals the Bulgari manufacture movement using the BVL 262 automatic base. A complex development, the jumping hours and retrograde minutes took over a year to perfect.

Quick facts: 37mm diameter – 18k rose gold, polished – bezel and lugs set with brilliant-cut diamonds – crown with cabochon-cut tsavorite – 50m water-resistant – aventurine dial with 3D marquetry in malachite, aventurine, rose gold set with diamonds, emerald for peacock’s eye – manufacture BVL 262 automatic with jumping hours and retrograde minutes, 28,800vph, 42-hour power reserve – green alligator strap, folding buckle set with diamonds – ref. 103784 – price on request

Divas’ Dream Peacock Marquetry Dischi

The hypnotic ‘eye’ of the peacock’s train is recreated with natural peacock feathers using the elaborate inlay technique of feather marquetry. A decorative art technique that dates to antiquity, feather marquetry was popular in Renaissance Italy before being revived by Bvlgari in the 1970s. Once the feathers displaying the best colours and textures have been selected, their natural brilliance is coaxed out with an antique brass steam engine. The feathers are then trimmed, glued, cut and pieced together to create the intricate mosaic pattern.

The absence of hands reveals an ingenious dual disc system that moves the pear-cut diamond marking the hours and the large brilliant-cut diamond indicating the minutes. Powered by Bulgari’s manufacture BVL 308 “dischi” automatic movement, two rotating discs animate the diamond hour and minute markers.

The 37mm rose gold case and the fan-shaped lugs are set with diamonds, and the crown has a cabochon sapphire. The bezel alternates round brilliant-cut diamonds with blue sapphires that double up as hour markers. A second circular frame in the centre of the dial, also set with diamonds and sapphires, marks the passing minutes.

Quick facts: 37mm– 18k rose gold, polished – case set with diamonds and blue sapphires – crown set with cabochon-cut sapphire – natural peacock feather marquetry dial – hours indicated by a pear-shaped diamond, minutes by a brilliant-cut diamond – sapphire crystal caseback – automatic manufacture calibre BVL 308 ‘Dischi’ with 2 discs indicating hours and minutes, 28,800vph, 42h power reserve – blue alligator strap with rose gold folding buckle set with diamonds – ref. 103473 – price on request

Divas’ Dream Peacock diamonds

A magnificent peacock hand-painted in 14 different shades of blue and green enamel dominates the dial of this time-only model. Set against a white mother-of-pearl background with rose gold diamond-studded stars, the peacock’s body is created using champlevé enamel. By carving cells into the underlying material, small compartments are formed and then filled with glossy enamel.

Here, the champlevé has been used to create miniature gold fan-shaped compartments picked out with blue enamel or diamonds and flanked by other cells filled with green enamel. The stunning rose gold bracelet tapering off from the 37mm rose gold case is composed of articulated fan-shaped links set with diamonds.

Quick facts: 37mm – 18k rose gold case, bezel, bracelet and dial set with 1,452 diamonds – crown set with cabochon-cut tourmaline – handcrafted peacock on dial using champlevé enamel –sapphire crystal caseback – automatic manufacture BVL 191 calibre with hours and minutes – 42h power reserve – 18k rose gold bracelet and folding buckle set with brilliant-cut diamonds – reference 103348 – price on request

Divas’ Dream Peacock Feather & Divas’ dream Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry

The last two models of the Divas’ Dream are smaller 33mm diameter watches in rose gold cases set with 76 brilliant-cut diamonds and powered by quartz movements. The Feather Marquetry’s dial is made from twelve different coloured feathers. Known as ‘hairs’, these feathers are shed by the bird and collected. After selecting the best examples, each feather is passed through an antique brass steam machine to exalt its natural lustre before being cut, assembled and glued to create the shimmering mosaic on the dial. There are no hour markers on the dial, and time is indicated by the gilded hour and minute hands.

The Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry model portrays the peacock using delicate mother-of-pearl marquetry. A series of rose gold fan-shaped structures compose the outline of the peacock’s body, which is then filled with thin slivers of blue mother-of-pearl. Six brilliant-cut diamond hour markers and gilded hour and minute hands indicate the time.

Quick facts: 33mm rose gold, polished – bezel set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds, lugs with 28 brilliant-cut diamonds – Feather Marquetry dial with sapphire cabochon crown and gilded hour and minute hands/Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry dial with pink rubellite cabochon crown, 6 diamond hour markers and gilded hour and minute hands – quartz movement – green/blue alligator strap with diamond-set rose gold pin buckle – ref. 103767 feather marquetry – ref.103769 mother-of-pearl marquetry – price on request

For more details, please visit www.bulgari.com.