The Golden Globes kicked off the 2020 awards season on Sunday night, and all the stars came out to show off fabulous fashion, and the expensive jewelry and accessories lent to them by the biggest names in the industry.
Women got the most attention on the red carpet, for the obvious reasons. But that’s not to say that the gents didn’t bring their fair share of razzle-dazzle, with exquisitely-cut designer suits, elegant timepieces and accessories like cufflinks and tie pins. Singer and actor Nick Jonas wore perhaps the most eye-catching wristwatch of the lot, bringing the proverbial gun to the knife fight: the Bulgari Octo L’Originale Full Blue Baguette Diamonds.
As the name clearly suggests, this is no typical Bulgari watch, but it’s entirely set in diamonds. Every inch of it is covered in them, to such an extent that the white gold on which they’re set is not even visible. Hodinkee says this is on purpose: when you look at it, you’re not supposed to see anything but the diamonds.
Well, that and the time on the dial.
Launched in late 2019, this Bulgari watch was a challenge to make. Head of design Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani tells the publication that they wanted to put only baguette diamonds on an already existing case, and not modify a case to suit the diamonds. That meant that they had to find the perfect, flawless stones that would fit the case.
Seeing how the watch totals 1,172 stones worth over 50 carats, this was no small feat. The Full Blue Baguette watch features only one round stone and it’s set on the crown, weighing a whopping 7.74 carats; every other diamond on it is baguette-cut and set according to its size, with the smallest towards the center of the dial.
The “dial” is a misnomer in this case, as the watch doesn’t actually feature one. The numbers for the hours and the minute markers are set among the diamonds, and the Bulgari logo is printed on the underside of the sapphire crystal glass. Literally, the first thing you see when you look at this watch is the diamonds, and the effect is dazzling.
The bracelet is also completely iced-out – though, for some reason, a less flashy leather strap is also available, and it considerably drives down the price of the piece. The almost excruciating degree of attention to detail is evident when you look at the bracelet from the side and you notice that small diamonds are placed right above sizing pins, to obscure the view of the gold they’re set in.
In its review of the timepiece, Hodinkee describes the experience of wearing the watch as overwhelming: the piece hangs heavy on the wrist and sends “an explosion of fireworks” at the slightest movement. Imagine how Nick Jonas must have sparkled in the glare of so many photographers’ cameras on the red carpet.
Clearly, this isn’t a watch that goes to just any fancy occasion. It does just fine on the red carpet at a major movie / TV awards show like the Golden Globes, but would feel out of place at a birthday party at the local restaurant. This is a piece that aims to prove that horology and the art of gem-setting can co-exist without compromise on either. So, yes, it’s a “there’s a watch on my diamonds”-type of piece.
It costs nearly $1 million and it’s meant to attract attention, but it also impresses upon closer inspection, through excellent craftsmanship.
With so much attention focused on the setting of the stones, it’s no wonder that this particular Bulgari timepiece doesn’t include a more exciting mechanism. Based on the basic Octo model, it features the BVL 191 movement, the base in-house time-and-date caliber with a 42-hour power reserve.
Keeping the piece basic on the horology side is Bulgari’s way of ensuring all eyes are on the diamonds. It also keeps the watch legible – assuming whoever is wearing it actually uses it for time-telling.
As the name clearly suggests, this is no typical Bulgari watch, but it’s entirely set in diamonds. Every inch of it is covered in them, to such an extent that the white gold on which they’re set is not even visible. Hodinkee says this is on purpose: when you look at it, you’re not supposed to see anything but the diamonds.
Launched in late 2019, this Bulgari watch was a challenge to make. Head of design Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani tells the publication that they wanted to put only baguette diamonds on an already existing case, and not modify a case to suit the diamonds. That meant that they had to find the perfect, flawless stones that would fit the case.
Seeing how the watch totals 1,172 stones worth over 50 carats, this was no small feat. The Full Blue Baguette watch features only one round stone and it’s set on the crown, weighing a whopping 7.74 carats; every other diamond on it is baguette-cut and set according to its size, with the smallest towards the center of the dial.
The “dial” is a misnomer in this case, as the watch doesn’t actually feature one. The numbers for the hours and the minute markers are set among the diamonds, and the Bulgari logo is printed on the underside of the sapphire crystal glass. Literally, the first thing you see when you look at this watch is the diamonds, and the effect is dazzling.
In its review of the timepiece, Hodinkee describes the experience of wearing the watch as overwhelming: the piece hangs heavy on the wrist and sends “an explosion of fireworks” at the slightest movement. Imagine how Nick Jonas must have sparkled in the glare of so many photographers’ cameras on the red carpet.
Clearly, this isn’t a watch that goes to just any fancy occasion. It does just fine on the red carpet at a major movie / TV awards show like the Golden Globes, but would feel out of place at a birthday party at the local restaurant. This is a piece that aims to prove that horology and the art of gem-setting can co-exist without compromise on either. So, yes, it’s a “there’s a watch on my diamonds”-type of piece.
It costs nearly $1 million and it’s meant to attract attention, but it also impresses upon closer inspection, through excellent craftsmanship.
Keeping the piece basic on the horology side is Bulgari’s way of ensuring all eyes are on the diamonds. It also keeps the watch legible – assuming whoever is wearing it actually uses it for time-telling.