Piaget’s Emerald Star: The Altiplano’s 60th Anniversary

The 60th anniversary of the Altiplano is a huge occasion for Piaget. When asked why, Piaget’s International Watch Marketing and Creative Director, Franck Touzeau explains, “The Altiplano clearly bears our brand’s DNA in its every nook and cranny. We’ve never stopped developing and elevating elegant timepieces. This is no less true, where the Altiplano is concerned.

But think about this: If 60 seconds make a minute, and 60 minutes make an hour, then perhaps here on the 60th anniversary of the Altiplano — 60 years on — we can say that it has come full circle and become a true icon of the maison.”

True enough, the recognizability of the Altiplano, alongside its — very few other — peers in the industry, has earned it its icon status. But as Franck explained, in the 60 years that has been, Piaget had never stopped developing the watch with a pursuit in mind that has become synonymous with the brand’s name, which is the creation of ever more fine and elegant ultra-thin watches.

Says Franck, “In the last 15 years, we developed a lot of record breaking movements. Which has imbued this expertise into the identity of our brand. This year, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary, however, we wanted to start the celebrations off first with a set of watches that harken back to the original Altiplano of 1957. Realized in vivid color, these are sure to set the imagination ablaze. I promise you, though, that this is just the start of our year long celebrations.”

So, on that note, and for a start, Piaget  presented five limited editions of the Altiplano at SIHH 2017, all of which develop on the story from the initial pair of watches in the 60th Anniversary Collection, announced in the closing months of 2016.

The five new watches come in two distinct variations, all of which will be produced in a limited run of 260 pieces. The first is a 34mm piece with a pink dial; with and without diamonds. The second is a 40mm execution in pink gold, white gold and yellow gold with intelligently colored dials that each seem to provoke a different emotion and character.

Taking the 40mm pieces into consideration, it’s just very curious that when the entire set is placed before you, it isn’t the subtle blue on the pink gold watch nor the quiet confidence of the grey on the white gold watch that seems to captivate your attention.

The one that is absolutely difficult to tear your eyes away from is the yellow gold version with its regal emerald dial. Franck points out, “Look at the green and the yellow gold on this watch, these colors match perfectly to almost a fault. Of course, the strap adds to the totality of its allure, because it too is exquisitely matched to the dial’s glowing green. It’s these little things that must all come together to create this character that we become so riveted to. And mind you it’s these same little things that always require the most thought and attention.”

While the color combinations in each case does evoke different emotions when you have them in front of you, it does go to show that at times when balanced just right, even the most exuberant of colors (as in the instance of the emerald, yellow gold piece) can convey a notion of supreme, inexplicable elegance.

Piaget
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