Piaget: The Art Of Colour

It was in 1963 that Piaget, the Swiss watchmaker founded in 1874, ventured bravely into the wayward world of fashion-fuelled colour, dressing its watch dials in vibrant coloured stones or minerals: turquoise, tiger’s eye, hawk’s eye, coral, lapis lazuli, jade and more.

The stone dials were just the beginning: under the creative direction of Valentin Piaget and the commercial stewardship of Gérald and Valentin, the two grandsons of the founder Georges, joined later by Gérald’s son, the visionary Yves Piaget, the watchmaker was transformed into an international luxury brand. Its creations were balanced equally between jewellery and timepieces, both infused with a daring, dynamic, fashion-forward aesthetic. Part of the plan was a commitment to work only in precious materials, bucking the prevailing trend for Swiss manufacturers to work with steel instead of gold. Another part of Valentin’s design-driven strategy was to send his designers to Paris to see the catwalk shows, absorb the pulsating creative energy and then dream up watches and jewellery that would chime with the spirit of avant-garde design, art and music.

Colour, along with connections to fashion, design and the vibrant art scene, was a vital ingredient of the radical new creations of Piaget’s epoch-defining 21st Century collection. It was launched by Valentin’s nephew, the free-thinking Yves, and unveiled at the Basel jewellery show in 1969. It showcased deep openwork cuffs, long sautoirs, hand-textured bracelets, rings and brooches, all alive with the richness of gold and the vibrancy of ornamental stone dials. More than a structural support, goldwork was transformed into a main event to complement the stones. Bracelets and chains were intricately hand-worked into supple silky sensuality, or textured with the rugged, organic hand-engraving known as palace décor that became a defining Piaget signature. Colours vibrated with the influence of pop art, many in strong colours, like lapis lazuli with jade, turquoise or coral. Graphic linear patterns referenced op art, while unconventional shapes, particularly the trapezoid, exuded dynamism, freedom of expression and a fresh, playful sophistication. The aptly named 21st Century collection presented jewels that happened to tell the time, transforming the functional timepiece into a daring statement and object of desire, elevating the jewellery watch to new status.

This year, Piaget celebrates its heritage through The Art of Colour, the theme connecting watches, fine jewellery and the Colours of Extraleganza high jewellery collection. It is the third chapter of Extraleganza, the name invented to define the spirit of Piaget, a blend of elegance, extravagance and exuberance through which colour runs like the lifeblood of the maison. Last year, the focus was on the Play of Shapes design philosophy, with the first chapter delving deep into the essence of Extraleganza. Stéphanie Sivrière, director of the Piaget design studio for jewellery, high jewellery and watchmaking, explains this year’s exploration of colour: “For Piaget, The Art of Colour is far more than a mere stylistic choice; it’s a foundational expression of our identity and this is why, to me, it is all about the chromatic harmony in our creations. I associate colours and fine gemstones with ornamental stones to give life to our designs. Jewellery means emotion.”

The new stones explored in the collections, including the blue and violet dumortierite, point to Piaget’s evolution of The Art of Colour. Forot says, “Colour was about joy, optimism and boldness, now it’s an artistic narrative. Colour is used to create chromatic power, as well as kinetic and architectural effects, especially in mosaics and marquetry.” He adds, “People are looking for more individuality, and with the unexpected stones they can express themselves with more conviction.”

The opal, however, especially the black opal, with its dramatic shifting colours and light, has long been a Piaget signature. Now it’s found on the dial embedded in the amorphous, organic goldwork of the Essential watch, a reinvigoration of ’70s freeform style and a reminder of the enduring inspiration of Piaget’s alpine environment. The opal is particularly loved by Yves Piaget, who says he believes the gemstone illustrates the richness of the earth and encapsulates the whole world of the maison.

The Sixtie watch, launched in 2025 and Piaget’s first entirely new model since the 1990s, was named for 60 seconds that turn into a minute, 60 minutes that turn into an hour and for Piaget’s ingenuity in the 1960s. The soft but strong trapeze-shaped case, framed in a silky gadrooned bezel, references the sautoirs of 1969’s 21st Century collection. It shape-shifts between square, round and cushion, free from constraints of convention, and toys with traditions. Now, in The Art of Colour, the Sixtie comes with a dial of Brazilian blue quartz, creating Sivrière’s “chromatic harmony”.