iaget’s Play of Shapes theme is set this time in motion, unveiling a High Jewellery table clock which transcends the traditional boundaries between horology and sculpture, transforming precious materials into kinetic art, driven by the Maison’s characteristic audacity and devotion to craftsmanship.
“Piaget’s designers and craftspeople are genuine artists, and their creations are not mere objects of desire, but true works of art.” –Yves Piaget
The most captivating creations awaken joy through nostalgia, transporting us to simpler times. This is the profound, enduring magic, which is conveyed by the Piaget Mobile. Playfulness often leads to surprises, and since the 1960s, Piaget’s Play of Shapes has resulted in the unexpected. Now, the Maison defines a new chapter in its legacy where the precision of watchmaking and the poetry of jewellery converge in a breathtaking Mobile sculpture crafted in partnership with French sculptor Alex Palenski.
Piaget began to sculpt shape-shifting watches and jewellery amid the Sixties, inspired by the era’s upending of cultural norms. Even then, the Maison’s playfulness could not be contained to just watches and jewellery.
From belts and cuff links to cigar cutters and secret watches ingots, Piaget demonstrated that its creations need not be confined to traditional forms.
This creativity has now been set in endless motion with Piaget’s latest creation: a High Jewellery Mobile with kinetic forms. In 2024, Piaget celebrated its 150th anniversary with the “Essence of Extraleganza” High Jewellery collection, delving into its historical exploration of shape, craft, color, and ornamental stones.
The Mobile sets this very spirit in motion for this year’s High Jewellery theme “Shapes of Extraleganza” with a sculpture that strikes a delicate balance of playfulness, craft, and innovation.
The Mobile displays every element of the Maison’s craft and creativity. At the heart of the sculpture sits an exceptional black opal dial echoing Yves Piaget’s philosophy that “The world according to Piaget is like an opal made of different tastes and sensibilities.” Below the golden hands driven by a quartz movement, each opal is singular in its play of color and translucence, ensuring that every creation is unique. Just as no two wearers of Piaget are alike, no two opal dials are alike. This very dial sits inside a large gold case featuring Piaget’s signature Decor Palace engraving, which brings a captivating effect made even more dazzling by the motion of the Mobile. The gold clock is balanced in perfect harmony with ornamental stones crafted in organic shapes, emphasizing their dynamic and harmonious interaction with nature. Even the pedestal is made of free-form slices of pietersite, verdite, and sodalite, reinforcing the Mobile’s grounding in nature.
Achieving the Mobile’s balance proved most challenging, as even the slightest adjustment can alter the Mobile’s movement. This requires meticulous attention to detail, as even the texture of each component impacts weight distribution. It’s a balance between technique and emotion, a harmony Piaget has long managed with its mastery of watchmaking and artistic expression.
For 150 years, Piaget has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to transform the language of time for much more than the wrist. After the Maison’s designers attended the Paris fashion shows in the 1960s and became immersed in the world of Haute Couture, they returned to Switzerland inspired. These designers would sketch timepieces directly onto models portrayed in glossy magazine pages. Their vision transcended the traditional constraints of wrist-worn watches, reimagining time as an element of style that could be worn as necklaces, rings, pendants, alongside desk and table clocks.
From the geometric precision of its watches to the fluid poetry of its jewellery, from its bold sculptural pieces to its radiant gem-set creations, the Maison has mastered the art of shape and form. This High Jewelry Mobile represents more than just a creation—it embodies Piaget’s unique ability to meld watchmaking, jewellery, and now sculpture, where mechanical mastery ignites artistry, presenting an opportunity for kinetic beauty. As Piaget continues to push boundaries, it carries forward Georges-Édouard Piaget’s founding principle of doing “better than necessary,” not simply in technical achievement but in the continuous pursuit of creating objects that transcend function.
In transforming horology into kinetic art, Piaget doesn’t merely create objects — it shapes moments of enduring beauty, where heritage inspires innovation and the unexpected is set into motion.
