Piaget: All that Glitters…

… is the Piaget sunny side of life.

Piaget draws one and all into the light with a 2019 SIHH collection that combines organic textures and natural elements with the warm lustre of gold.

As one of the world’s most celebrated watchmaker-jewellers, Piaget has consistently dazzled everyone in attendance at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), and 2019’s edition was no different. Here are the highlights.

Gold rush

With more than 140 years of history and artisanal mastery in creating jewels in motion, Piaget is known for both its goldsmithing and design prowess. Perhaps not surprisingly, this year’s novelties were bathed in gold, one of the two noble metals (the other being platinum) that Piaget began working exclusively with in 1957. After all, gold is emblematic of Piaget’s in-house savoir-faire that marries tradition and innovation.

In our interview with Head of Watches Marketing, Quentin Hebert explained, “Our heritage is to be innovative. When we started to do jewellery watches in the 70s, it was kind of a shock [to the industry and customers] because the pieces were very daring, very distinctive, and very unique – in terms of design. People want to buy and wear Piaget because they want the watch that not everyone is wearing. That’s the promise we have for our customers.”

Indeed, 2019’s beauties bear the Maison’s distinctive creative signature, while also bringing something fresh to the table.

Vintage chic: Piaget Extremely Lady

In previous years, Piaget looked to its archival pieces of the 1960s and 1970s for inspiration, and revived various gold-working techniques from that period. The 2018 Extremely Lady collection, for instance, brought back historical decorative techniques, and boasted new finishes that bore the likeness of wood, fur and frost.

Piaget Extremely Lady (G0A44217) in 27×22 mm 18K pink gold case set with 24 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.46 cts), 18K engraved gold dial Piaget Manufacture 56P Quartz movement 18K pink gold bracelet, “scales” decoration engraving, scale clasp.

SIHH 2019 saw the unveiling of a new finish for the collection – another gold-worked texture inspired by nature. This time, the muse is an exotic creature, whose hide catches light and shimmers with every movement. Each pink gold scale on the dial and bracelet is meticulously hand-brushed with varying angles and pressure to create the natural variation one would find on the scales of an exotic hide. Complete with a diamond-studded bezel, the Extreme Lady 2019 is an eye-catching timepiece that is every bit as elegant as its predecessors.

Simple elegance: Piaget Limelight Gala

Few would argue that the Limelight Gala watch is one of Piaget’s most iconic designs. The 2019 Limelight Gala is a stunning hand-engraved pink gold bracelet with a “Décor Palace” finish, which has also featured in various Piaget designs since the 1960s. Here, the finish is set beautifully against the striped dial of deep green malachite and a dazzling 42-diamond bezel. The design also adopts a new openworked style of gem-setting, which not only allows for larger-sized stones to be used, but also makes the diamonds look like they are held together invisibly.

Bold glamour: Piaget Possession Cuff Watch

The piece that no one can resist staring at would have to be this year’s headline Possession model, which comes with a gorgeous Milanese gold mesh cuff. Meticulously worked by hand, the supple bracelet has a beautifully textured finish and a soft lustre. The statement piece also features an iridescent mother-of-pearl dial and two halos of brilliant-cut diamonds on a rotating bezel. See it unclose here.

The Piaget sunny side of life is something we really want our customers to experience. It is the world of being relaxed; being joyful. Having beautiful and exquisite products is also a way of being happy.

Quentin Hebert, Head of Watches Marketing