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The subtlety of watchmaking

Piaget is a Swiss watch manufacturer (which designs, manufactures and assembles all components). Its jewelry expertise in watches allowed the brand to launch high jewelry collections.

A FAMILY HISTORY

Originally from the Swiss Jura, Georges Edouard Piaget created his watchmaking workshop in 1874. He produced his first movements in the family farm at La Côte aux Fées.
A few years later his son Timothée joined him and opened their first factory, in 1911. In the 1940s, the brand developed, the name was registered and another factory opened. In 1988, the brand was bought by the Swiss group Richemont.

PIAGET STYLE

The 50s and 60s were the golden age of the brand, thanks to the technical prowess of its manufacture, but also to the Piaget style. It was marked by discreet and fairly classic watches.

Piaget watches are also recognizable by their hard stone dial, which appeared in 1963.
A benchmark in watchmaking, Piaget watches, which have become cult, have inspired and been imitated by other brands (Dior for example).

THE EXTRA FLAT MOVEMENT

The end of the 1950s marked a turning point for Piaget. Indeed, it was in 1957 that the Extra Plat movement, the brand’s signature, was born. At the time, it was still a manual movement, only 2 mm thick.
This technological advance has built the reputation of Piaget and allowed the brand to open its first boutique in Geneva, two years later. In 1960, the Extra Flat movement became automatic and measured only 2.3 mm.

RANGE

ALTIPLANO – 1957

Born in 1957, the 3.8 mm thick Altiplano is an ultra-thin watch that takes its name from an eponymous plateau nestled in the heart of the Andes. The finesse of Altiplano watches is made possible thanks to the Extra Flat movements.

LIMELIGHT GALA – 1970s

These are women’s watches that combine watchmaking and jewelry. It's recognizable by its dial forming two commas and its bracelet, originally in Milanese mesh. Today there are leather bracelets.

POSSESSION WATCHES

These watches were intended for women. The rotating bezel is made of pink gold, the dial is silver and paved with diamonds. The bracelet is interchangeable. The fairly geometric shape and style is both elegant and casual.

PIAGET POLO – 1979

Created by Yves Piaget in 1979 in response to the American market's demand for a sporty watch, the Polo was an extraordinary success from the start, accounting for a third of the company's watch sales. Its name, Polo, was not chosen at random; Piaget wanted its model to represent its values of precision, athleticism and solidity right down to its name, hence the choice to associate the model with equestrian sport. Quite sober, these luxury watches want to reflect “the elegance and the demanding character of sport”. It is the “sporty line of the manufacture”.

In 2024, for the 150th anniversary of the house, Piaget will bring out a new Polo called "Polo 79" with a mechanical movement.

Piaget Polo Lady "Full Diamonds"

BLACK TIE: THE LUXURY WATCH FOR MEN

“Combines masculine elegance and performance”.
It's the brand’s watch in which we find the most horological complications: date, moon phase, second time zone, power reserve indicator, perpetual calendar, flying tourbillon and minute repeater. They are recognizable by their barrel-shaped dials.

Piaget also produces jewelry watches, such as the Diamond Paved LimeLight Tonneau .
These “jewelry watches” combine watchmaking work and jewelry mastery.
In 2005, Piaget exhibited the first skeleton watch (with visible movement) set with diamonds.

FAMOUS CUSTOMERS

Among their famous clients, we can mention Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor or Sophia Loren.

Andy Warhol collaborated with the brand and created a multicolored dial. In 1967 Piaget also collaborated with the artist Salvador Dali.

If you are interested in Piaget, don’t hesitate to discover what les Pierres de Julie have to offer in the store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your Piaget watches, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.