High in the tranquil Swiss mountains of La Côte-aux-Fées, where summer’s green fields turn to winter’s white blanket, the founding Piaget family took charge of their solitary setting and began flourishing a legacy of watchmaking and jewellery. By the mid-20th century, the trademarked brand took its inventive spirit across the world and expanded the business to the Mediterranean coast of the French Riviera. While competitors focused on practical sports watches, Piaget differentiated itself by solely using precious metals, notably platinum and gold. Fully self-sufficient, the house established its own gold foundry in Geneva, and assembled a team of adept watchmakers, goldsmiths, stonecutters and engravers.
Capitalising on this visionary groundwork, Piaget introduced their first High Jewellery creations in 1959. They took on a fanciful interplay of asymmetry and mixed stone cuts, manipulating gold into fluid, ribbon-like pieces that neatly draped around the wearer’s neck and wrist. In hindsight, all of this was merely a prelude to the seminal Piaget 21st Century Collection that was launched at the Basel Watch Fair in 1969. This flamboyant collection marked the zenith of jewellery and horological craftsmanship, featuring experimental pieces, finely sculpted gold cases, elaborate chainwork, and embellished cuffs. The resounding success took Piaget to a new level of prestige.
This year, Piaget is reflecting 150 years of distinction with Essence of Extraleganza, a beauteous High Jewellery collection that revisits the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s through three emblematic Piaget themes: Extraleganza, Piaget Society, and When Mastery Ignites Artistry. “When we began our 150th anniversary collection in 2022, it wasn’t about replicating heritage pieces but, rather, drawing inspiration from them,” Stéphanie Sivrière, Piaget’s artistic director of jewellery and watches, said in a statement. “We wanted to reappraise those authentic attributes that made up the brand as we enter a new era.”
Extraleganza
Aptly named for its blend of ‘extravagance’ and ‘elegance’, the first chapter expresses the imaginative pith and avant-garde touch of the jeweller with stunning stones set in luminous gold. The crown jewel of this chapter is the Swinging Sautoir, a Piaget signature introduced in 1969. Mounted on a gem-set, diamond-encrusted gold chain, this long necklace is characterised by its blue and green beads, a 6.11-carat aquamarine, and a 29.24-carat Sri Lankan yellow sapphire. The ornamental stones are bordered by a pendant watch with a turquoise and diamond trapezoid dial, which can be easily detached and worn on the wrist using a clip-on feature.
Piaget Society
The second chapter is a symbolic nod to Piaget’s heritage, adopting a neo-Seventies theme, spotlighting undulating contours, large opal plaques, snow-set diamonds, double-tiered rings, earrings, and a timepiece. The centrepiece of this is a rose gold lasso necklace trimmed with more than 1,300 turquoise cabochons. It mimics a rope of blue gems and is accentuated by two gold chain pompoms, each finished with turquoise tips. Complementing this piece is a transformable cuff bracelet with gold and diamond fringes, concealing a turquoise watch dial.
When Mastery Ignites Artistry
An affinity for couture design, this final chapter reveals a new level of movement and tactile depth to gold. Leading this realm is a well-crafted timepiece featuring a mosaic of approximately 40 Colombian baguette-cut emeralds cascading along the sides, a green enamel dial, and coiled yellow gold accents. The watch is accompanied by a 2.53-carat emerald ring, a 4.15-carat pear-cut D diamond solitaire, and a pair of baguette-cut diamond earrings.
