Piaget’s Limelight Gala collection, a icon, draws a wealth of inspiration by a model created in 1973, from that same fascinating period when the brand’s famous Piaget Society was in full swing.
Almost 50 years on and the Piaget Limelight Gala is a feminine icon that has become a symbol of elegance and harmony. Its sensual curves, cambered case and asymmetrical lugs that extend from each side of the case onto the bracelet. The modern interpretation of the Limelight Gala reproduces the same design with a perfectly integrated case and lugs that are combined with a swirl of exquisite gemstones, ornate dials, and sumptuous gold bracelets.
Dazzling new editions for 2020
This year, Piaget is presenting a host of new Limelight Gala timepieces in celebration of this iconic collection with heritage that is almost half a century old. Each piece follows Piaget’s four pillars of excellence: The Art of Gold, The Art of Light, The Art of Colour and The Art of Movement.
Shimmering in the light, this new Piaget Limelight Gala timepiece celebrates the signature design of the Limelight Gala collection with a hand-engraved bracelet and dial that are highlighted by large diamonds and sapphires set in a subtle gradient of different shades of blue.
Piaget is one of the few remaining Maisons that has the savoir-faire to make hand-made gold bracelets. 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 patterns to craft its hand-made gold bracelets, such as leather design, waves, frost, fur, prairies, foliage, bark, snake scales and many more.
The white gold bracelet featured on this new timepiece has been created in this fashion, then hand-engraved in the Palace Décor style, one of Piaget’s most iconic motifs, which requires many hours of work. Only a few artisans, who work in Piaget’s “Workshop of Extraordinary Creations”, have the expertise to hand-engrave this highly regarded pattern.
The dial is also made of white gold and is engraved using the same Palace Décor technique. It takes due time to complete the engraving on the dial and it is always carried out by the same engraver who decorates the bracelet to ensure a uniform design. To let the Décor shine through, the dial is covered in translucent blue enamel. It is oven-fired multiple times at a temperature over 800°C, giving this technique the name of “Grand Feu” Enamel.
Finding the perfect colour gemstones for this timepiece was also one of the most challenging tasks. Sampling large quantities of gemstones was required to ensure the perfect colour match, a task made even more complex given the large progressive size of the stones and the high gem quality standards of the Maison. To magnify the brilliance of the stones, Piaget’s gem-setters expertly set the gemstones by hand using the Serti Descendu technique – a new openworked style of gem-setting to feature larger stones, allow maximum light through and finally to appear like they are invisibly held together rather than set in gold. This timepiece is a numbered edition.
Read also: #PamperMyHoliday2019: Celebrate a Golden Moment with Piaget this Holiday Season
