– women who are creative, inspiring, empowering, and independent. It was first unveiled in the seventies with a now-iconic design incorporating sensual lines, a cambered case, and asymmetrical lugs. Almost half a century later and the Piaget Limelight Gala Precious continues to turn heads with its perfectly integrated gold case and bracelet, and lugs adorned with exquisite gemstones.
The name of the collection was inspired by the Piaget Society and its fabulous parties with film stars, artists, clients, and friends of the Maison who shared a certain art de vivre. Celebrities such as Salvador Dali, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Cary Grant, and Sami Davis Jr., would join Piaget for these unforgettable moments together. In a tribute to the Limelight Gala and its illustrious history, Piaget is presenting six new limited editions for Watches & Wonders 2021.
Three delightful new coloured Piaget Limelight Gala Precious timepieces are being presented in blue, yellow, and pink. The three colours follow the course of the sun throughout the day, with blue for the morning sky, yellow representing the sun at its zenith, and pink depicting the glow of the setting sun.
Each model is adorned with a flowing gradient of coloured sapphires and diamonds that start in intense hues around the bezel and gently lighten as they reach the tips of the lugs.
Finding the exact shade and size of sapphire is an art in itself as Piaget’s gemmologists sift through countless stones to be able to create a seamless swirl of colour with the perfect transition from gemstone to gemstone.
Each model is powered by the automatic movement, Piaget’s Calibre 501P1
The Limelight Gala Precious Sunrise comes in a 32mm 18K white gold case and bezel set with 32 brilliant-cut blue sapphires (approx. 4.70 cts.) and 10 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.90 ct.) that evoke the bright blue colour of a sunny morning sky. The dial is created with a snow setting of diamonds (289 in total, with approx. 1.76 cts.) that magnifies the reflections and refractions of light thanks to a glorious mix of different-sized gemstones.
Housed in a 32mm 18K white gold case, a gradient of sunny yellow gemstones circles the bezel with 32 brilliant-cut yellow sapphires (approx. 4.70 cts.) transitioning to 10 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.90 ct.), starting with the deepest yellow in the centre and radiating out along the lugs.
The dial features a snow setting of diamonds for maximum sparkle (289 in total, with approx. 1.76 cts.) and a high jewellery bracelet continues the colour scheme in a river of diamonds and yellow sapphires that are set in such a way that the bracelet feels like a second skin on the wrist. The bracelet includes 124 brilliant-cut yellow sapphires (approx. 4.58 cts.) and 276 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 9.95 cts.).
The sensual curves of the Piaget Limelight Gala Precious are accentuated by a row of 91 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 5.28 cts.) that circle the bezel, lugs, and bracelet. Piaget has added a spectacular row of 83 marquise-cut emeralds (approx. TBC) to this line of sparkling diamonds, creating a sense of movement across the timepiece, and bringing out the deep green hues of the opal dial.
The marquise cut was named after the French Marquise de Pompadour for whom Louis XV had created a specific gem-cut in the shape of her lips. Since the 1960s, Piaget has often worked with this feminine and sensual cut to accentuate the femininity of its creations. Each marquise-cut gemstone is held in place by a delicate claw-setting that testifies to Piaget’s extraordinary high-jewellery expertise. The timepiece is powered by the Maison’s 56P quartz movement.
Sourcing progressively-sized, coloured gemstones of this calibre is extremely challenging. Piaget’s gemmologists searched long and hard for the exact colours, carat, cut, and clarity, explaining why the series is numbered and limited.
The automatic Limelight Gala 18K rose gold comes in a 32mm case, with a matching dial and the bracelet that have both been decorated with Piaget’s signature Palace decoration. This timepiece is the perfect fusion of the Maison’s expertise in watchmaking, goldsmithing and gem-setting.
Piaget is one of the few remaining Maisons that has the savoir-faire to craft hand-made gold bracelets. The work of a chainsmith is similar to that of a Haute-Couture dressmaker. The artisan will start with hundreds of gold links, which will be tightly assembled. The next step is the soldering of the countless miniature links that will result in a bracelet of remarkable suppleness. Only a few artisans, who work in Piaget’s “Atelier de l’Extraordinaire”, have the expertise to hand-engrave this pattern. The decoration alone took two hours to complete on the dial and eight hours to finish across the bracelet.
This rare traditional craft started in the 1960s and became hugely popular thanks to Piaget’s bold creations. Mainly inspired by nature, Piaget has used over one hundred different life-like motifs to adorn its hand-made gold bracelets, such as leather design, ocean waves, frost, flowers, foliage, bark, snake scales and many more.
The Limelight Gala Mother-of-Pearl Palace timepiece is housed in a 26 mm 18K rose gold case adorned with the finest quality diamonds and features a mother-of-pearl dial that has been delicately engraved with the same Palace Decor motifs. As the engraving is done by hand, each dial is unique. This Limelight Gala model is limited to 300 pieces and comes on a white alligator strap.