PIAGET: SET IN STONE

In his 1992 book Piaget, Watches and Wonders, industry stalwart and founder of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie Franco Cologni described how, during the 1960s, the brand – previously known for its watch movements – took the industry by storm. “It was the wildest, most creative, most original and most non-conformist decade of the 20th century,” he writes, “and Piaget was brilliantly able to interpret the whimsical rebellious spirit of the times.”

Known today for its record-breaking, ultra-thin Altiplano watches, such as 2018’s Ultimate Concept Watch – the thinnest hand-wound watch in the world, at only 2mm thick overall – the brand started life in 1874 as a producer of high-precision watch components. But, after the founder’s grandsons, Gérald and Valentin Piaget, registered the brand in 1943, the production of Piaget wristwatches really began.

With an emphasis on elegance and an established record in movement