When Diva’s Dream hit the stage in 2018, the feminine and sparkling watch collection inspired by the fan-shaped mosaics of Rome’s ancient baths and the Dolce Vita of the 1950s and 1960s made a splash. But then it was somehow overrun by its more famous collections. But behind the Serpentis, the Octos, and the Bvlgari Bvlgari it marches on, embodying both beauty, precious stones, and watchmaking expertise. Take for instance the Diva’s Dream FINISSIMA: the world’s thinnest minute repeater ever created for women. Under the fan-shaped mosaic dial draped in diamonds ticks the record-breaking 3.12-millimetre-thick movement BVL 362 made by Bvlgari: The thinnest minute repeater on the market. The fan-shaped charm on the side also hides a secret: This is a whimsical detail as well as the activator of the two-hammer repeater.
Most Diva’s Dream models are, however, more focused on the jewellery expertise of the Roman house founded in 1884. A new rose gold model has its case set with round brilliant-cut diamonds, while amethysts and tourmalines circle a white mother-of-pearl dial. This quartz-powered watch has eight fans protruding from its round case, each of them clad with six brilliant-cut diamonds. The colour harmony with the amethysts and tourmalines is made total with a purple alligator bracelet, which at the same time screams “look at me!”
On a more subtle model with a rose gold case, another kind of colour harmony is achieved by combining a peacock feather dial with a green alligator bracelet verging towards turquoise. The peacock feather is a complex dial technique that came into vogue in the 1970s, when it was pioneered by brands like Corum. “Feather dials are notoriously fragile. To get them thin, flat, and stable enough for a watch face, artisans had to hand-select, treat, and inlay them with surgical precision. Any mistake, and the feather could curl, crack, or lose its vibrant sheen,” writes FHH, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, on its website.
Perhaps the most diva-like piece is the Divas’ Dream High Jewellery watch. Here, the bezel of the 18-karat rose gold case is set with brilliant-cut diamonds, while eight brilliant-cut rubies intersect its eight protruding fans, each adorned with 13 diamonds. And with those large rubies and red hands, a crimson alligator strap with a double clasp buckle – also draped in diamonds – becomes the perfect fit.
These flamboyant watches also reference the Dolce Vita era in Italy; the late 1950s and early 1960s. At this time, Rome was a place for economic prosperity and cultural thriving combined with a glamorous, care-free lifestyle and belief in a progressive future. It was also the time when celebrity culture took on huge importance. And what is your opinion? If we could travel back in time to Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita, made in 1960, wearing a feminine and sparkling Diva’s Dream watch could have elevated Anita Ekberg’s performance, don’t you think? And, above all, Diva’s Dream is a collection that deserves greater recognition in the glamorous corners of today’s existence.
