Piaget is taking part in the Biennale des Antiquaires for the first time this year.  Since 1962, when the first Biennale or Antiques Fair was held in Paris, the Grand Palais has regularly welcomed this fine international art event.  In its inaugural visit to the Biennale, Piaget is presenting 60 models showcasing the brand's creativity and artistry in both haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie.  The 60 Haute Joaillerie models are inspired by the world of haute couture. The fields of haute horlogerie, haute joaillerie and haute couture share a number of common denominators including the pursuit of aesthetic sophistication, craftsmanship, and creativity.

The watches Piaget has selected for the Biennale represent a skillful fusion of the manufacture's 135 years of watchmaking excellence with elegant, and often creatively playful jewelry design.  In my opinion, the secret watches in particular offer the wearer the best of both worlds; jewelry that is a watch, and a watch that is jewelry.  In the 1960s, Piaget acquired workshops specializing in precious stones and goldsmithing in order to achieve complete control over production.  Today, Piaget is a fully integrated watch manufacturer encompassing over 40 crafts and professions dedicated to the refined arts of watchmaking and jewelry making at the highest levels.

Extreme horological complications with finely crafted diamond-studded cases will be spotlighted at the Biennale by Piaget.  Models to be presented include: the Piaget Polo watch equipped with a Tourbillon Relatif, a model exclusive to Piaget due to its mobile carriage suspended from the minute hand, and the Tourbillon Relatif enamel, an exquisitely enameled model paying tribute to the city of Paris (a nod to the Biennale des Antiquaires, which has presented the finest works of art in the City of Lights for over four decades). 

AMAZING TIMEPIECES




Ref. G0A00685 -- Limelight watch, medium-sized model. Case, dial, bracelet and clasp in 18-carat white gold set with baguette-cut diamonds (49.7 ct.). Piaget Manufacture 40P mechanical movement.



Ref. G0A27044 -- 18-carat white gold diamond cuff-watch set with 74 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 1.9 carats and 233 square-cut diamonds totaling 35.1 carats.



Ref. G0A29065 -- 18-carat white gold gem-set Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon featuring as many as 446 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximately 7.6 carats and 151 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 16 carats. 




Ref. G0A30160 -- Miss Protocole watch, large model. Case and dial in 18-carat white gold paved with princess-cut diamonds (28.6 ct.).  Watch features an interchangeable strap and is delivered with a second strap. Piaget 56P quartz movement.



Ref. G0A32148 -- Gem-set Piaget Polo Tourbillon Relatif, large size.  18-carat white gold case set with brilliant-cut and baguette-cut diamonds, marquetry worked white mother of pearl dial, Manufacture Piaget 608P movement.




Ref. G0A32246 -- Piaget Emperador Flying Tourbillon, white mother-of-pearl marquetry dials are encased in 18-carat white gold encrusted with 599 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 3.0 carats, 206 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 29.5 carats, and an emerald-cut diamond atop the case totaling 3.4 carats.



Ref. G0A33044 -- Tourbillon Relatif, a mobile carriage suspended opposite the minute hand, turns above a dial featuring the 12 avenues radiating from the Place de l’Etoile in Paris. Viewed from the side, the watch reveals engravings of the most famous Parisian landmarks: the Louvre and its Pyramid, the Ferris Wheel on the Place de la Concorde, the Eiffel Tower and the banks of the Seine at 3 o’clock; the Tuileries gardens, the Assemblée Nationale, the Arc de Triomphe and the Grande Arche de la Défense at 9 o’clock. The 'grand feu' black enamel featured on the dial and case provides a stunning backdrop for these motifs.




Ref. G0A33170 -- Bow shaped “secret” cuff-watch, 18-carat white gold case paved with 45 baguette-cut diamonds (approx 6.1 cts), white mother-of-pearl dial, Piaget 56P quartz movement, bracelet and inside of the bow set with 770 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx 43.1 cts).



Ref. G0A33191 -- Limelight cuff watch, Paris inspiration, in white gold set with diamonds.



Ref. G0A33197 -- Limelight Paris-New York cuff-watch inspired by corsets. Case and dial in 18-carat white gold set with diamonds. Interchangeable lace and satin strap. Piaget 56P quartz movement.



Ref. G0A33413 -- Limelight secret watch with ribbon motif, large model. 18-carat white-gold case, dial and bracelet set with 115 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.2 carat) and 437 baguette-cut diamonds (approx. 57.8 carats). Piaget 56P quartz movement.



Ref. G0A34135 -- Limelight secret watch, leaf inspiration, large model. Case, dial and bracelet in 18-carat white gold set with 296 brilliant-cut diamonds (20.7 carats), 142 pear-cut diamonds (47.8 carats), 66 baguette-cut diamonds (4.2 carats) and 2 marquise-cut diamonds (3.5 carats). Two Piaget 56P quartz movements.




Ref. G0A34138 -- Limelight Twice, large model. 18-carat white gold reversible case and integrated clasp set with 380 diamonds (approx. 6.1 carats). A diamond-set bezel and silver-colored dial on one side, and a black diamond-paved dial on the other. Reversible 18-carat white-gold bracelet polished on one side and paved with 300 diamonds (approx. 12.9 carats) on the other. Two Piaget 56P quartz movements.



Ref. G0A35107 -- Limelight watch, haute couture inspiration. Cased in 18-carat white gold, set with 1,171 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 11.8 carats), 39 baguette-cut diamonds (approximately 8.3 carats) and 6 trapeze-cut black spinels (approximately 0.6 carats). Piaget 56P quartz movement.



Ref. G0A35108 -- Limelight secret watch, cascade inspiration. Case and bracelet in 18-carat white gold, set with 235 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 23.9 carats), 168 baguette-cut diamonds (approximately 16.2 carats) and 5 pear-cut diamonds (approximately 2.6 carats). Piaget 56P quartz movement.

EXQUISITE JEWELRY CREATIONS

In addition to the exceptional watches presented above, Piaget also showcased many spectacular, and whimsical haute joaillerie pieces.  I had featured the cocktail-inspired rings in a previous post (To read it click here .).  You'll also see a ring inspired by a cupcake, and a necklace that wraps its wearer in a beautiful jeweled bow.  Piaget's creativity in design, and skillful gem-setting are simply astounding.



Ref. G34LD354 and G34LB154.



Piña Colada Inspiration ring, Ref. G34LM400.



Assorted Limelight Cocktail Inspiration rings.



Sex on the Beach Inspiration, Ref. G34LM500.



Mojito Inspiration, Ref. G34LP200.



Whisky on the Rocks Inspiration, Ref. G34LP300.



Cosmopolitan Inspiration, Ref. G34LP800.



Cupcake Inspiration, Ref. G34LQ300.



Ref. G37L6438 and G38L7500.



Ref. G37L6638 and G34LH154.



Ref. G37L7300 and G38L7600.



Ref. G37L7438 and G34LG654.



Ref. G37L7790 and G34LF554.



Ref. G37L9170 and G38L9500.



Ref. G37L9170 and G38L9600.



Ref. G37LC240 and G38LD100.



Ref. G37LC400 and G38LD400.



Ref. G41L2300.

Photos below will give you a little taste of the detailed work that goes into creating a fabulous Piaget necklace.



The artisan adjusts the branches of a new necklace.



The work-in-progress compared to a model, which is crafted by the Piaget designers in order to visualize the volume of the piece as it moves from the designer's page to the real world.



Gem-setting on a spherical holder.


A Piaget artisan places a gem.

I hope you enjoyed the photos, and I look forward to seeing what Piaget presents at the next Biennale.

Cheers,

Daos