Piaget aims to astonish in ultra-thin

Following on from the Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Automatic, whose ultra-thin silhouette set a new record for the brand, Piaget now adds its first Minute Repeater to the collection. This new timepiece marks another step forward for the Maison in the field of major complications and, thanks to its 1290P calibre, 407 parts and a mere 4.8mm high, inside a water-resistant case just 9.4 mm thick, is slimmer than any other watch in its category.

So are ultra-thin watches the hallmark of Piaget? “We intend to make ultra-thin a constant source of amazement,” declared Chief Executive Philippe Léopold-Metzger at the 2013 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, “though this will never distract from the elegance that we impose on all our creations. Technique must benefit design. Yes we do have a number of records to our name but this isn’t an objective in itself. To take the example of our Minute Repeater, had we been forced to chose between thinness and the clarity of the chimes, we would not have hesitated a single second; the latter would have taken precedence over the former.”

Limelight Gala, so Piaget

The Emperador Coussin Minute Repeater is also proof of Piaget’s expertise in decorating and finishing movements. There is no dial, thereby revealing the “accomplished aesthetic”, in the words of Philippe Léopold-Metzger, of its mechanism. The same is true of the Altiplano Skeleton which Piaget unveiled last year. This year’s iteration in white gold with gem-setting on the plate and bezel shows in concert the brand’s savoir-faire in watchmaking and jewellery.

“Our objective is to balance these two centres of excellence,” commented Philippe Léopold-Metzger. “When I arrived at the head of the company thirteen years ago, most people thought of Piaget as a jeweller which also made watches. Today, it’s almost completely the reverse, as little by little we have earned our credentials in Fine Watchmaking. We now rank among the major Manufactures with the capacity to design, develop and produce in-house almost every single one of watchmaking’s grandes complications and, what’s more, within the context of our ultra-thin mechanisms. Not that jewellery is becoming any less important. Far from it, in fact. Our Couture Précieuse and Limelight Gala collections are there to prove our commitment to jewellery watches. The Limelight Gala in particular, with its elongated, asymmetric lugs, is very much a Piaget product, being at once classic, contemporary and creative, and will doubtless establish itself as one of our important jewellery watches, with that inimitable touch of elegance I already mentioned.”

"Always do better than necessary"

Piaget enjoyed yet another record year in 2012, despite a slight shrinkage in growth compared with previous years. By having “the right product in the right place at the right time,” the Maison has every intention of positioning itself in markets that are still expanding, even though competition is rife. “Piaget is moving upscale in both its areas of activity,” Philippe Léopold-Metzger concluded. “As the leading name in ultra-thin watches, and with an expertise in jewellery that stands out for its creativity, quality of execution and different applications in the measurement of time, we defend values which many luxury players have taken too lightly. 2013 will be a very worthwhile year for Piaget.” Which seems appropriate for a brand whose motto – “Always do better than necessary”- is duly engraved on the new Emperador Coussin Minute Repeater.