The "House of Extraleganza" unveiled magnificent high jewelry watches during the Watches and Wonders 2023 event, alongside the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin models, including a special edition. These new models embody the balanced combination of extravagance and elegance.
True to its watchmaking roots and penchant for jewelry, Piaget unveiled its latest collections at Watches & Wonders. Paying homage to some of the Maison's most evocative and sumptuous creations, the new pieces showcase the brand's bold creativity and artistic mastery.
Obsidian Perpetual Calendar Polo
In total, three ultra-thin perpetual calendar watches were unveiled for Piaget's Polo series. Leading the way is the Obsidian, an intriguing and radiant timepiece that exudes unique emotion and intrigue. Semi-precious stones are a Piaget signature, and the brand has adorned this Polo piece with them in a limited edition of 18.
Obsidian is a gemstone that exhibits an inherent iridescence due to inclusions that formed when drops of mineral-rich liquid sulfide became trapped within the rock as it solidified. Left to Mother Nature's care, these inclusions are very rare, and no two stones are alike.
Piaget has combined this exceptional obsidian on a white gold case with a perpetual calendar, one of the most historic and iconic complications in watchmaking, which adds a bold and technical androgynous touch to the sensual design.
Piaget's love of colored stones is also reflected in the 56 brilliant-cut sapphires surrounding the bezel, set in dark prongs to enhance the dial's magic and individuality. The tone-on-tone straps are available in alligator or rubber, making this collectible timepiece, limited to 18 pieces, an extremely rare and luxurious piece.
Ultra-thin Perpetual Calendar Polo
Since 2016, the Piaget Polo line has been enriched with skeleton and chronograph versions. Over the past fifty years, Piaget has become known for its ultra-thin watch movements. Last February, the company presented for the first time a Polo model equipped with the new 1255 mm thick 4P movement. This movement is based on the ultra-thin 1200P movement to which an additional mechanism for a perpetual calendar with moon phase indication has been added.
At Watches and Wonders, Piaget also presented the two other Piaget Polo Perpetual Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin models, the first featuring a rose gold case and a green guilloché dial, while the latter is made of steel. Both feature the SingleTouch interchangeable strap system and are available with a comfortable rubber strap that echoes the gadroon pattern on the dial.
Both models feature a cushion-shaped case measuring 8,65 mm thick, a dark emerald green dial with a gadroon pattern (a decorative border made up of convex curves in series) and three subdials for the date, month (with leap year indication) and day of the week at 9, 12 and 3 o'clock, as well as a moon phase indication at 6 o'clock.
High Jewelry Sautoir Watch
In 2023, Piaget pays tribute to this pioneering collection and its goldsmithing expertise with two sautoirs handcrafted from twisted gold chains and three delicately hand-textured gold cuff watches. Twisted gold begins as a single wire that is wrapped around a mandrel to create a coil, then meticulously twisted by hand one by one and shaped into harmonious, seamless links, before final assembly.
The entire process takes no less than 130 hours, and each chain is completely unique. One of the tassel-style necklaces is set with a 25,38-carat oval Zambian emerald, matching an oval-shaped dial—a Piaget signature since the 1960s. The other necklace encircles the twisted gold dial, brought to life by Palace Decor, the embodiment of Piaget's goldsmithing expertise.
Limelight Haute Joaillerie wristwatch
Piaget also unveiled three contemporary reinterpretations of the Maison's popular cuff watches. These three strikingly contemporary watches reinterpret the cuff watches of the 1960s and 70s, which became the hallmark of Piaget's boldness and pioneering creativity in fashion. The organic, innovative, and unexpected design references the free forms and hyper-naturalism of jewelry from the 1960s and 1970s.
Each piece is centered around a semi-concealed oval dial, accompanied by hand-engraved cuffs in varying details and textures, highlighting Piaget's expertise in the art of engraving and its dedication to the Métiers d'Or. The different engraving styles demonstrate the combination of dexterity and artistic sensitivity mastered by each artisan.
The gold is incised by hand, one line at a time, using the sharp point of a burin, the lines varying in depth, width, and direction to achieve the desired effect. After each stroke, the goldsmith gently blows the gold shavings from the surface. No two engraved gold patterns are alike. The gold bracelet is studded with diamonds that emphasize the linear fluidity of the engraving, and it is set with a diamond-framed case and a white opal dial, whose shimmering rainbow colors seem to move with the ebb and flow of the goldwork.
The Limelight Haute Joaillerie rose gold bracelet watch with a turquoise dial features the "palace decor" bracelet and is set with brilliant-cut sapphires, matching the vibrant blue-green color. The second rose gold model combines the "palace decor" engraving with exceptional setting – the timepiece is adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds around the shimmering white opal dial and on the bracelet (approx. 4,96 ct).
The third is available in cooler tones: it features a white gold bracelet decorated with snow and 8 brilliant-cut emeralds (approximately 0,48 ct) framing a black opal dial. Black opals have a dark body and a vibrant play of color, making them highly valuable and prized in jewelry. The dial here features dark but vivid blue and green colors, contrasting beautifully with the white precious metal. All three timepieces are powered by the compact 356P quartz movement.
Limelight Aura High Jewelry Watch
In 1957, Piaget decided to work exclusively with precious materials, and since then the Maison has excelled in creating High Jewelry watches that are both elegant and spectacular. In 1989, Piaget launched the ultimate high jewelry watch, the Aura, a diamond bracelet that tells the time, with a case and bracelet entirely set with precious stones.
The diamonds were set almost invisibly, allowing light and luminosity to spread across the dial and around the wrist, hence the watch's name. A contemporary classic, today's Aura embodies Piaget's dual passion, driven by its ultra-thin, hand-wound mechanical movement while demonstrating the Maison's supremacy in jewelry and gem-setting.
The Aura 2023 watch is powered by an ultra-thin, hand-wound mechanical movement, while demonstrating over 260 hours of impeccable gem-setting expertise. Here, custom-cut baguette diamonds blend into a gradient composition of meticulously calibrated sapphires, ranging from icy light to midnight blue, surrounding a dial set with diamonds in a radiant sunburst pattern.
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