The Altiplano Haute Joaillerie timepiece is an extremely rare creation, whose emblematic skeleton movement set with diamonds and sapphires is also adorned with Grand Feu cloisonné enamel. This model, limited to eight pieces, bears the dual signature of the Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire de Piaget and the enamel artist Anita Porchet.
“A watch is above all a jewel.” Yves G. Piaget summed up in a few words the history and paradox of the Maison Piaget, founded in 1874 in the Swiss village of La Côte-aux-Fées. In the early 1960s, the Maison’s artisans, who initially specialized in ultra-thin watches, revolutionized the aesthetic by decorating these refined timepieces – beating to the rhythm of the iconic 9P movement – with dials made of brightly colored ornamental stones. This opened up new possibilities that led the talented artisans to translate the allure of couture into jewelry. Today, different worlds influence each other, and the architectural lines of the Maison’s skeleton models are adorned with a shower of enchanting precious stones.
As Piaget’s Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire have continued to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of diamond-set skeleton models and in terms of Métiers d’Art, there was one last step to take: to merge these two skills into one.
In keeping with Georges-Edouard Piaget’s motto “Faire toujours mieux que nécessaire”, which has inspired Piaget artisans for over 150 years, the Maison has entrusted the precious skeletonization with diamonds and blue sapphires to the famous enameler Anita Porchet, a loyal collaborator since 2006. The artist has used her expertise to design a cameo in shades of blue, green and purple in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel that enhances the dial – on the front and for the first time on the back – and extends to the edges of the bezel.
A visual and technical masterpiece crafted with extreme meticulousness, which heightens the illusion and fusion between the dégradé of the baguette-cut stones and the cloisonné enamel. Thus chiseled, the dial of the Altiplano Skeleton Métiers d’Art timepiece, with a diameter of 40 mm, is displayed in its entirety and radiates light from all its surfaces.
The latest marvel is the new thickness of the case: at 7 mm, it is even thinner than the traditional skeleton version, and continues to testify to the extraordinary savoir-faire of a Maison that has been perfecting the art of ultra-thin calibers since 1874. The result is a timepiece that embodies three highly sophisticated skills – skeletonizing, gem-setting and cloisonné enamel – in a bold and ingenious line that redefines standards.
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