Visit in the heart of Piaget

At the heart of the gold

Right from the start, the experience begins with the raw material, as Piaget has its own foundry. Here I had the privilege of seeing the brand's only master metalworker of the brand.

He begins by melting the gold at a very high temperature of up to 1000°C, then casts it into an ingot weighing around 8 kg. This ingot is the starting point of the manufacturing process; the material comes to life in countless forms once it has been reworked according to the rules of the art, giving rise to cases, flexible links and components assembled with extreme precision.

Among them, one of the most emblematic of the House: the mesh, particularly Milanese, which is revealed in all its delicacy. Hand-crafted, it adorns both watch straps and sautoir necklaces, in an almost couture approach to the material.

" Décor Palace " - gold in motion

The tour continues with a focus on an exclusive and famous technique of the House, the ‘Décor Palace’. A true masterpiece of craftsmanship, the gold bracelet is first composed of hundreds of tiny links, patiently assembled and then precisely soldered to create a mesh of remarkable suppleness.

Reserved for a handful of expert craftsmen, the engraving is done with a chisel, creating a pattern that imitates a precious fabric, creating an incomparable play of light.

Stones of inspiration

After this goldsmith's work on the gold, the visit continues with the discovery of another pillar of Piaget expertise: the selection and showcasing of precious stones. Delicately arranged on trays, these precious stones and natural stones from the four corners of the world are a reminder of the extent to which research, exploration, colour and light are at the heart of the creative process.

What fascinates? The fact that anyone can make a request to Piaget to design a dial or a piece of jewellery based on a chosen stone. The rarer the stone, the longer the wait. Exceptional customisation, supported by attentive listening and masterful expertise.

The Piaget legacy

To complete this immersion, a stop to the Heritage archives gave me a full appreciation of the heritage and vision of the Piaget House.

From the first timepieces with the extra-thin 9P movement (2mm thick) or the Piaget Polo, through the models made famous by the icons of the 1960s (Andy Warhol, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, etc.) to emblematic creations such as the cuff or sautoir watch, the House of Piaget has stood out from the outset for its boldness and creative freedom.

When I left the Manufacture, I kept in my mind the emotion of having approached a world where craftsmanship becomes poetry, where watchmaking becomes a playground for jewellery, and where codes are mixed and reinvented.

Piaget dreams time differently, the dial becomes a painting, the watch becomes a jewel, and each creation a statement.