Cover Decor Palace is a hand‐engraving technique used to decorate gold that is unique to Piaget (Photo: Piaget)
Decor Palace is a hand‐engraving technique used to decorate gold that is unique to Piaget (Photo: Piaget)
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At the heart of Piaget is its long affinity with gold, the precious metal that transforms into treasures in the hands of the Maison’s skilled artisans
It was in 1874, in the quiet serenity of La Côte‐aux‐Fées in Switzerland, that one man’s humble dream began to take shape. Driven by his passion for watchmaking, Georges‐Édouard Piaget set up a workshop in his family farmhouse, embarking on a journey that would eventually shape the course of watchmaking history and see his name become synonymous with the glories and glamour of gold.
By the 1950s, the workshop had grown into a watch and jewellery house named Piaget, and had become recognised globally for its pursuit of excellence and innovation. It was during this era that the brand unveiled a groundbreaking creation: the ultra‐thin manual‐winding 9P movement. At just 2 mm thick, it opened up new design possibilities and sparked a wave of creativity, leading to some of Piaget’s identity‐defining creations.
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Above Piaget’s gold hand‐engraving technique, Decor Palace (Photo: Piaget)
Piaget’s gold hand‐engraving technique, Decor Palace (Photo: Piaget)
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Under the visionary leadership of the brand founder’s grandsons Gerald and Valentin Piaget, the decision was made in 1957 to work exclusively with precious metals, particularly gold and platinum. Thus began Piaget’s love affair with gold—a romance that would unfold in the most exquisite of timepieces. With each delicate stroke of the artisan’s hand, gold became more than a mere metal; it became a conduit for creativity and an embodiment of opulence.
At the height of the Swinging Sixties in 1969, Piaget came into its golden age of creativity with its 21st Century collection. Seamlessly melding watchmaking and the preciousness of high jewellery through graphic and textured gold work as well as vibrant coloured dials, the series of avant‐garde jewellery watches garnered acclaim as the epitome of luxury.
One of its most defining features was the Decor Palace technique used on the watch bracelets, resulting in organic, textured hand engravings on gold that were unlike the typical smooth and polished treatments expected of gold surfaces, giving the precious metal a whole new character.
Above Timothée Piaget (far right), son of Piaget founder Geoges Edouard, in Piaget’s quality control workshop in 1950 (Photo: Piaget)
Timothée Piaget (far right), son of Piaget founder Geoges Edouard, in Piaget’s quality control workshop in 1950 (Photo: Piaget)
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This technique, which the house has preserved and still uses today, requires a particular skill to achieve the curved grooves of different depths and thicknesses. Thanks to the unique human touch of each individual goldsmith, every Decor Palace ornamentation is one of a kind.
In 1979 came the emblematic Polo, a full‐gold number with a streamlined silhouette, courtesy of an integrated case and bracelet, that remains beloved some 30 years after its production ceased.
In celebration of the brand’s 150th anniversary, Piaget has released the Polo 79, a special edition of the original Polo that keeps largely to its aesthetics, but with tweaks to the case size (bulkier at 7.35 mm thick and 38 mm across) and an updated movement (the brand’s ultra‐thin self‐winding calibre 1200P1, with a micro rotor), in a limited production of 79.
Above Piaget Polo advertisement from 1983 (Photo: Piaget)
Piaget Polo advertisement from 1983 (Photo: Piaget)
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These are but a few examples of how gold has been the hero of Piaget’s creations. For Piaget, gold has always been more than just a material; it was and still remains central to the spirit and philosophy of the house—so much so that Piaget has its own foundry in Geneva, Switzerland, where it melts its gold before the metal is meticulously crafted into intricate forms by its artisan goldsmiths, who excel at bringing out its dynamic qualities to create timeless masterpieces.
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
