Piaget

SIHH 2014 Introducing PIAGET Limelight Blooming Rose

Before our SIHH reporting team bring us the detailed reports, this is the first look at the PIAGET Limelight Blooming Rose Collection.

In 1982, the winning rose at the Concours International de Roses Nouvelle de Genève (Geneva International Competition of New Roses) was christened the “Yves Piaget ” rose. Subsequently, the pale pink Neyron-hue peony-like rose, with more than 80 lace petals (corollae), won another three prestigious prizes - Diplôme de Médaille d’Or, Prix de la Ville de Genève, Coupe du Parfum-Rose d’Or.

Freshly blossomed in the wonderful Garden of Yves Piaget rose-bushes, Limelight Blooming Rose deploys its gossamer corrolae from a bud to full glory. These are elegant transforming watches and no description can do justice to what is captured by the eye. The animations below serve our visual cravings but I also pen some words for those who are captivated by the language side of their brains.

The barely open rose bud is represented by four crimped gem-set petals withdrawn with sleek curves sand shapely on the wrist for daytime. Then, to announce the onset of some enchanted evening, the flower blooms fully to exhibit four extra petals paved with diamonds.

The inscrutable ingenuity of Piaget artisans are showcased once more like 'ikebana' artists with gold. The upper watch case fans out by 45°, to taste, effected by an invisible mechanism of genius; this is another form of Mystery watch. The rich creativity of Piaget is promoted by the brand's most iconic ambassador: the pink Yves Piaget rose.

Like a fairyland of 269 crimped grain-set diamonds (2.5 carats), Limelight Blooming Rose evokes the sweet scent of dreamtime and refinement.

Driven by a quartz Piaget 56 P calibre, Limelight Blooming Rose reveals her magic transformation from a gold case highlighting a black lacquered dial and matching gem-set pin buckle satin strap.

Limelight Blooming Rose watch, 34mm.
Rotating case in 18k white gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Black dial.
Piaget 56P quartz movement.
G0A39180

Limelight Blooming Rose watch, 34mm.
Rotating case in 18k white gold paved with 256 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 2.4 ct). Black dial.
Buckle set with 13 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.1 ct).
Piaget 56P quartz movement.
G0A39182

Limelight Blooming Rose watch, 34mm.
Rotating case in 18k pink gold paved with 256 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 2.4 ct). White dial.
Buckle set with 13 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.1 ct).
Piaget 56P quartz movement.
G0A39183

Three positions superimposed in one image.

The Piaget Limelight Lineage

Piaget has offered stylish and innovative jewellery watches, building upon 140 years of horological engineering with jeweller's audacity since the late 1950s. Now, Piaget is known as the 'Master Watchmaker to watchmakers' as well as 'Master Jeweller of watchmakers'.

Piaget popularised secret watches, cuff watches and sautoir watches amongst the 'jet-set' with creative but practical timepieces. Examples of this rich creative lineage, the Limelight Magic Hour, Limelight Twice and Limelight Dancing Light watches launched in 2007, 2009 and 2010 respectively, have become Piaget's feminine icons.

Limelight Blooming Rose has just blossomed into this perennial garden.

I quote the House of Piaget about their Limelight icons:

LIMELIGHT MAGIC HOUR
At once sublimely elegant and mischievous, the Limelight Magic watch plays with time and makes light of conventions. Three options, three styles, three states of mind. For the very first time, thanks to an invisible mechanism developed in the secrecy of the Piaget workshops, a watch model is endowed with magic powers enabling its owner to chose between different ways of wearing it in tune with her wishes.

A first 45° twist takes the ellipse from its horizontal position to adopt a delightfully impish pose on the wrist. Another smooth move and the case pivots to sit upright, thereby revealing two large diamond-set gold numerals adorning the dial. The ingenious rotating device orchestrating this stunning display of successive transformations has also inspired another of its creations: Limelight Blooming Rose .

Limelight Magic Hour watch, 40 x 31 mm.

Rotating case in 18K white gold set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.1 ct).

Dial set with 20 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.03 ct) with hour-markers in 18K white gold.

Piaget 56P quartz movement.

G0A32099

LIMELIGHT TWICE
An original watch featuring an atypical design, Limelight Twice expresses its dual nature served through perfect reversibility. The case, dial, strap and buckle may indeed be worn either way around and display a demure or extrovert side of their nature depending on the mood of the moment. The offset hours and minutes appear in turn at 6 or 12 o’clock, while the two facets of the watch reveal different motifs, with or without gem-setting. Two Piaget 56P quartz movements, each enlivening one face of the Limelight Twice, serve to count off the time in two different time zones.

Limelight Twice watch, 35 mm.

Case in 18K white gold set with 278 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx.5.3 ct).

Reversible buckle set with 54 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.2 ct). Reversible strap.

Two Piaget 56P quartz movements.

G0A36237

LIMELIGHT DANCING LIGHT
In 2010, the Limelight Dancing Light watch set a new tempo for the collection. Piaget devised an authentic concept case framing a refined motif gliding endlessly around the dial, enhanced by a precious slender circle. This playful design offers an original interpretation of movement and rotation – two cherished themes recurrently explored by the Maison. Capturing the ephemeral beauty of a dance and recreating its fascination on the wrist, Limelight Dancing Light brings to the fore a quintessential factor in the history of Piaget: creative magic.