In parallel with the Baselworld festivities, Piaget was taking us to Dubai with a retrospective organised in partnership with the Art Dubai salon, one of the biggest art fairs for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia regions. From 16 to 19 March, through a collection of extraordinary pieces, some from heritage collections and others newly created, the company transported us to the heart of its craftsmanship and creativity.
Sumptuous works from the 1960s and 1970s demonstrate the birth of a distinctive style and highlight the major themes of Piaget’s history. Asymmetry and the combination of precious stones with unconventional materials and textures are the hallmarks of a self-assured style. Thanks to its mastery of ultra-thin movements, Piaget has been a pioneer of combining watchmaking with jewellery. Master watchmakers and jewellers have worked in concert to create highly original pieces, fusing jewellery and timepiece together with drifts of coloured gems and painstaking gold work. Lapis lazuli, turquoise, hammered gold, secret watches paved with gemstones, geometrical forms – the carefree spirit and glamour of the times are captured in an explosion of bold colours and unconventional shapes.
Venturing further into the hushed halls of the exhibition, marvels of gem-setting and goldsmithing from the new Extremely Piaget collection drew the eye and took the breath away. Gold lacy creations threaded with diamonds highlight Piaget’s competence in rare métiers d’art, and the evolution of its style.
And then we went back in time again, to take a playful and touching look at the watches worn by icons of popular culture such as Alain Delon, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Andy Warhol. They bear witness to Piaget’s cultural and aesthetic influence on the international stage. Other remarkable pieces on loan from local collectors reflect the Arab world’s affinity for the company’s distinctive aesthetic.
This collection of watches specially selected for the occasion embodies the savoir-faire and vision that have propelled Piaget from its humble beginnings in the Swiss Jura to its current status of watchmaker-jeweller whose creations are appreciated all over the world, including in the Middle East.
