The Bvlgari Divas’ Dream Peacock Collection (Live Pics)

Three new models join the Divas’ Dream collection inspired by the rich plumage and iridescent colours of peacocks’ tails. Channelling the flamboyant spirit of Italian divas of the Dolce Vita, the proud and regal peacock is an apt choice. First and foremost a jeweller, Bvlgari translates its bold, colourful world of gemstones into the miniature realm of watchmaking. The new Divas’ Dream trilogy – Peacock Dischi, Peacock Diamonds and Peacock Tourbillon Lumière – celebrates Bvlgari’s hallmark palette of extravagant colours with exquisite gemstone settings, feather marquetry, champlevé enamelling and miniature painting. The Peacock watches also celebrate Bvlgari’s impressive horological credentials represented here with a skeletonised tourbillon movement and a model with hours and minutes indicated via discs.

Divas’ Dream Peacock Dischi

Peacock tail feathers, or the train of a male peacock, make up for more than half the bird’s total length and feature ‘eyes’ with their iridescent mix of blue, green, red and gold colours. The hypnotic ‘eye’ of the peacock’s train is recreated on the dial of this watch 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 colour and texture 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 striking absence of hands reveals an ingenious dual disc system to move the pear-cut diamond marking the hours and the large brilliant-cut diamond indicating the minutes. Powered by Bvlgari’s manufacture BVL 308 “dischi” automatic movement, two rotating discs animate the diamond hour and minute markers.

The 37mm rose gold case, and the hallmark fan-shaped lugs are set with brilliant-cut diamonds while the bezel alternates round brilliant-cut diamonds with blue sapphires that double up as hour markers. A second circular frame placed inside the dial, also set with diamonds and sapphires, marks the passing minutes.

Limited to 50 pieces, the Divas’ Dream Peacock Dischi comes on a blue alligator leather strap with a rose gold folding buckle set with brilliant-cut diamonds.

Quick facts: 37mm– 18k rose gold case – case and dial set with a total of 440 diamonds and 25 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 – blue alligator strap with rose gold folding buckle set with diamonds – limited to 50 pieces – reference 103473 – EUR 55,000 (excl. tax)

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 body of the peacock is created using champlevé enamel.  By carving cells into the underlying material, small compartments are formed and then filled with glossy enamel. One of the distinctive design features of the Divas’ Dream family is the use of fan-shaped decorative elements, usually found on the lugs. In this model, 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 a total of 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 – EUR 80,600 (excl. tax)

Divas’ Dream Peacock Tourbillon Lumière

The most sophisticated and demanding model mechanically and aesthetically, the Peacock Tourbillon Lumière features an impressive skeletonised tourbillon movement with decorative feather marquetry and snow-set diamonds. The dial’s underlying gold structure is laser cut and decorated with contrasting areas of hand-polished surfaces and sandblasted stripes before the fan-shaped cells are applied. Framed by snow-set diamonds, the interior area of the fans is decorated with peacock feather marquetry. Only the feather’s iridescent part is used, making the artisan’s work even more challenging. In the upper part of the dial, small gold diamond-studded stars seem to float in the empty spaces of the skeletonised dial. Each dial is made by a single artisan, often taking up to six weeks to complete.

The large aperture for the skeletonised tourbillon is visible on both sides of the watch and performs its rotations thanks to the manual-winding 21,00vph Bvlgari manufacture BVL208 calibre.

Presented on a blue alligator strap with a rose gold folding buckle set with brilliant-cut diamonds, the Peacock Tourbillon Lumière is limited to 10 pieces.

Quick facts: 37mm – 18k rose gold case, bezel and lugs set with a total of 165 diamonds – crown set with cabochon-cut blue sapphire – skeletonised dial decorated with feather marquetry and snow-set diamonds – manual-winding manufacture BVL 208 calibre – skeletonised tourbillon in rose gold – 21,00vph – 64h power reserve – blue alligator strap with rose gold folding buckle set with brilliant-cut diamonds – limited to 10 pieces – reference 103351 – EUR 157,000 (excl. tax)

More information at Bvlgari.