Piaget Limelight Gala Collection for 2020

Piaget unveils new editions of its women’s Limelight Gala, a model with stylish curves, asymmetrical lugs and a gem-set bezel that hark back to Piaget’s heyday of jewellery watches in the 1960s and 1970s. Arranged around four themes – The Art of Movement, The Art of Gold, The Art of Colour and The Art of Light – the new Limelight Gala is the epitome of the ultra-thin jewellery watch with a delightful gemstone twist.

Background

Piaget made its first foray into jewellery watches in the 1960s. Leading ladies of the day, including Sophia Loren, Jackie Kennedy and Mireille Mathieu, were all fans of the brand that managed to capture the zeitgeist of the 1960s and 1970s with its sensual creations often embellished with stone dials in psychedelic colours. The Limelight Gala was inspired by an oval-shaped model of 1973 with the distinctive sweeping gem-set lugs that characterise the collection today.

As a master of ultra-thin movements, Piaget’s jewellery watches were not only dazzling but beautifully slim. Almost all the models – except the High Jewellery ones – feature a swathe of precious gemstones on the bezel set with the serti descendu technique. Known in English as a cut-down setting or openwork, the serti descendu technique involves carving gold away from the claws and grooves that grip the stone to allow light to enter the stone from the sides – not just from the top.

The Art of Gold

As well as ultra-slim movements, Piaget made a name for itself with its beautifully supple handmade gold bracelets. Decorated with designs inspired by nature, the bracelets ripple with hand-engraved motifs: from ocean waves to frost and from foliage to snake scales.  Even today, Piaget’s chainsmiths unite the miniature links and solder each one of them by hand.

The Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire Gradient model (Ref. G0A45163) features a hand-engraved white gold bracelet with Palace Décor style, an iconic motif at Piaget. The dial is also made of white gold and engraved with the same motif, decorated by the same engraver to ensure stylistic continuity. Translucent blue grand feu enamel placed on top of the white gold dial underscores the engraving.

Like all Limelight Gala models, the bezel extends well beyond the confines of the circle to swathe the sides of the case. This model features a gradient gemstone setting ranging from icy white diamonds to a subtle blue gradient recreated with sapphires. The stones also vary in size, larger around the dial and gradually decreasing as they drape the sides of the bracelet. A unique, numbered edition, there is also another 88-piece version with a mother-of-pearl dial.

Quick facts: Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire Gradient Ref. G0A45163 – 32mm diameter – 18k white gold – bezel set with 20 brilliant-cut diamonds and 22 blue sapphires – 18k white gold engraved dial with grand feu blue enamel – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (690P)  for hours and minutes – integrated 18k white gold bracelet – numbered edition

Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire Gradient Ref. G0A45363 – 32mm diameter – 18k white gold – bezel set with 20 brilliant-cut diamonds and 22 blue sapphires – white mother of pearl dial – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (690P) for hours and minutes – dark blue alligator strap with 18k white gold ardillon buckle set with 15 brilliant-cut diamonds – limited edition of 88 pieces

The Art of Light

Five new models are grouped in the Art of Light theme. The first is a rose gold model with a natural iridescent white mother-of-pearl dial and a setting of 42 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel using the serti descendu technique.

Four high jewellery Limelight Gala models with oval cases also form part of this thematic collection. Three of them feature stunning snow-set diamond dials and marquise-cut gemstones on the bezel, lugs and bracelet.

The most colourful and exotic model is the Black Opal with a fiery dial made from rare black Australian opal accompanied by a dynamic setting of yellow, orange, red and blue gemstones adorning the bezel, lugs and bracelet. A unique piece, Piaget kept the precious opal for five years before deciding how to celebrate its chameleonic beauty in a watch.

Quick facts: Limelight Gala Precious Rose Gold Ref. G0A45161– 18k rose gold – 32mm diameter – bezel set with 42 brilliant-cut diamonds – white mother-of-pearl dial – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (690P) for hours and minutes – burgundy alligator strap

Limelight Gala High Jewellery Ref. G0A45168 – 18k white gold – 23 x 28mm case – snow-set diamond dial (190 diamonds) and 32 marquise-cut diamonds on bezel and lugs – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (56P) – blue satin strap

Limelight Gala High Jewellery Ref. G0A45170 – 18k white gold – 23 x 28mm case – snow-set diamond dial – bezel, lugs and bracelet set with 83 marquise-cut diamonds and 91 brilliant-cut diamonds – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (56P)

Limelight Gala High Jewellery Ref. G0A45171 – 18k white gold – 23 x 28mm case – snow-set diamonds dial – bezel, lugs and bracelet set with 83 marquise-cut blue sapphires and 91 brilliant-cut diamonds – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (56P)

Limelight Gala High Jewellery Black Opal G0A45007 – 18k white gold – 23 x 28mm – black Australian opal dial – bezel, lugs and bracelet set with 58 yellow to orange marquise-cut sapphires, 14 marquise-cut pink rubies and a row of 86 brilliant-cut blue sapphires – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (56P) – unique piece

The Art of Colour

Perhaps the most suitable watches for everyday wear of this 2020 collection are the Aventurine Glass Limelight Gala models, which come in two case sizes of 32 or 26mm. Obtained by adding copper oxide to glass, aventurine glass is renowned for its magical sparkle that evokes a starry night sky. Used on all three dials of the latest models, the rich blue aventurine sets off the white diamonds framing the dial and the sweeping lugs.

Quick facts: Limelight Gala Aventurine Glass Ref. G0A45152 and Ref. G0A45162 – 26mm or 32mm – 18k white gold – blue aventurine glass dial – bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (59P or 690P) – blue alligator strap – limited to 300 pieces in each size

Limelight Gala Precious Aventurine Glass Ref. G0A45180 – 32mm – 18k white gold – blue aventurine glass dial – bezel and lugs set with 57 diamonds using the serti descendu technique – Piaget manufacture quartz movement (690P) – blue alligator strap – limited edition of 200 pieces

More information at piaget.com.