Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

B asel, Switzerland. during Baselworld 2018 among the international world renowned brands, one small Milanese brand stood out from the crowd. Its name is dreamboule and I meet Mr. Beniamino Crocco—its founder and creative director—to discover more. Please explain how this collectionwas created.What’s themeaning of the name Dreamboule? I’ve always been fascinated with the boule de neige or snow ball. The idea came to me four years ago during a winter holiday in the Swiss Alps with my wife Katerina and our three children. I recall a snowy evening while we were all near the fireplace when I observed one of my sons playing with the boule de neige—I was fascinated by the shining rays of light reflecting from the fireplace. It was at that moment I was inspired to create a world of light, small enough to be worn as a unique piece of jewellery; a precious container with various sceneries telling intimate stories or dreams. The name dreamboule is a play on both recognisable words in English and French. dream referring to the intimacy of the scenery and boule referring to the container encompassing the dream. Both names form a union which forms the ring. The birth of dreamboule brings with it the mechanical part of Swiss watchmaking art combined with Italian intuition and design. Why did youdecide to launch this brand?Did you think therewas a gap in themarket for your rings? After ten years of running my store in Milan, Nerone, and visiting global and local tradeshows from the perspective of a buyer, I was tired of not seeing any newness and innovation in the jewellery industry. I believe that the industry needed something unique, modern and special, hence why I worked passionately on the development of this project with no in-depth analysis or market research. My goal in this adventure was to successfully transmit an emotional element to my collection. Please tell memore about your past and how, fromwatchmaking, you entered the jewellery world. Born in Milan, I have breathed the dynamics of the universe of Haute Horlogerie since childhood. Graduating in Industrial design, I decided to remain in the university environment as a researcher in the communication sector. After this experience, I founded Circus design in Milan, a design studio mainly dedicated to furnishing accessories, furnishing and objects. My knowhow of the high Swiss watchmaking led me to work for famous watch brands as a watch designer in both Milan and La Chaux-de-Fonds. My mother, daniela, has worked in the jewellery industry for over 40 years where her love and passion for jewellery is in the family blood. My father, Carlo Crocco, had watchmaking in his blood with his creation of Hublot. In 2008, I returned to Milan with my wife Katerina and inaugurated Nerone, a boutique selling Hublot watches in addition to jewellery collections offering exclusive high-class, rare craftsmanship and unique pieces that are characterised by the meticulous research of precious materials and combinations of the Orient and contemporary West. Prior to Nerone, I worked at the Hublot headquarters in Geneva alongside Jean-Claude Biver and Ricardo Guadalupe where the team developed and launched the Big Bang collection. This is where I learned the importance and complexity of design, femininity and intimacy needed in creating such a collection from the savior faire of the fine watchmaker and creativity and design of the jeweller. Two complex worlds fused into one collection. Are there any similarities between those two worlds? The main similarities of both the jewellery and watch worlds are the details. details are fundamental. I am a lover of detail and precision in both jewellery and watches. These are fundamental elements in the creation of the dreamboule collection. How were you inspired for this first collection? And how did you approach this new world? I was inspired by turning a jewel into a dreamlike piece of magic. Playing on the theme of something special, intimate and cherished, I was also inspired by animals and Mother Nature. My first creation was the Whale and Boat ring. I emphasised the beauty and presence of such an enormous creature next to the small boat, representing man and nature. We are working on future collections where proceeds of sales go to charitable organisations with a primary focus on the environment and animals. What is themessage youwant to givewith your bold yetmodern rings? How do you want people to feel when they see your creations? I want people to think outside of the box. I want them to see my collection and not be afraid to dream and to be inspired by their dreams. In terms of craftsmanship, do you use any special techniques, especially to create the “bubble” that covers the inside of the ring? The boule or cabochon is really the heart of the ring as it serves to protect and preserve the internal scenery. The development was not an easy task; it took over three years of research and development. It started in Geneva with fine watchmakers to begin the task of building a rounded and resistant boule, joined to the base of the ring and which would resist thermal compensation from both internal and external factors. The savior faire of a fine watchmaker was needed to complete such task. The Swiss Made cabochon of dreamboule has a double function: it aesthetically highlights the dream that holds and protects it, thanks to the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Robustness, correct distortion index, anti-scratch and anti- reflective features are the essential qualities of the domed sapphire crystal which required numerous tests before reaching perfection, similar to fine Swiss made watchmaking. The development of the boule within the ring environment is a registered design. Where do you craft your pieces? How many artisans work on Dreamboule?How long in terms of handworkdoes it take tomake one of your rings? The creative part of the whole process resides in Milan, in Brera, cradle of emotion and art for centuries. Here the dreamboule was born, in the laboratory and showroom where the work of the collectors of the district of valenza finds fulfilment. Here, opposite Piazza del Carmine, the ring comes to life and becomes that magical example of complex aesthetic and mechanical perfection. At dreamboule, we have six jewellers working on our rings. In order to create one ring, there are 150 to 180 hours involved (four to six weeks). Regarding the craftsmanship you use in creating your rings, was it a challenge to make everything work? If so, how did you manage to achieve such amarvellous result? One particular component of dreamboule is the expression of the high craftsmanship in each of the key components of the ring. For example, we work with a French partner on our gold paillettes. This partner, located not too far from Geneva, uses ancient methods in producing these 24ct gold flakes. They were founded in 1680 and were instrumental in producing the gold on the current Statue of Liberty! The production process of paillettes is very complex, requiring special skills and goldsmith mastery. A unique mix is required to achieve the radiant and timeless light of these delicate gold leaves. The phase of cutting gold leaves in small and impalpable flakes is the true expression of high craftsmanship and an ancient métier d'art. dreamboule has created a "magic solution" formulated to give a "slow motion" fluid effect to the moving components inside the ring. In this way, the perfect density of the solution creates within 9 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I