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“Piaget’s daring creations reflected the free spirit of the...
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“Piaget’s daring creations reflected the free spirit of the 1970s”

Tuesday, 15 January 2013
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Anaïs Georges du Clos
Freelance journalist

“Nothing great has been accomplished in this world without passion.”

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

“All thoughts are permitted; writing demands reflection.”

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4 min read

Yves Gérald Piaget, at the head of the company in the 1970s and now President of Piaget SA, looks back on this colourful era and what it meant for the brand.

Tell us about the company you took command of in the 1970s.

Yves Piaget : Piaget was a family firm with almost a hundred years to its name, and which had successfully anticipated change by vertically integrating its production early on. Movements were developed and manufactured in La Côte-aux-Fées. External parts were produced in Geneva, following the tradition of the eighteenth-century cabinotiers. We earned our credentials as watchmakers in 1958 when we presented the ultra-thin 9P mechanical calibre, and were already part of the cream of the watch industry alongside Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet. Most of the watches we made were for women, and only ever in gold or platinum on a gold bracelet. As for distribution, we took our first retail steps in 1959 with the opening of the boutique at 40 Rue du Rhône in Geneva.

In what way were the Seventies a turning-point for the firm?

The 1970s were defined by the cultural revolution that carried over from the late 60s. The Seventies were a time of freedom and extravagance, of daring to be different, and this showed in our creations. This whole exciting period began in 1967 when we started making watches with dials in coloured hard stones. We used only semi-precious stones such as lapis-lazuli, jade, rubellite, onyx, tiger’s eye and hawk’s eye. From a technical standpoint this was quite a feat, as we worked with 7/10th thickness and some stones, such as opal which is composed of crystals, are highly sensitive to variations in temperature. For someone such as myself who is fascinated by gemmology, this was an extraordinary time. It continued throughout the decade with the launch of the “21st Century Collection” of cuff watches and necklace watches, which I remember Petula Clark wearing as a belt. They revolutionised trends in watches and confirmed us as the leader in jewellery watches. We could be adventurous in the 70s, such as our collaboration with the man many now consider to have been the twentieth century’s greatest artist, Salvador Dalí.

The world's thinnest quartz movement which established us even more firmly at the forefront of the ultra-thin watch segment.
Yves Piaget
Meaning the limited edition Dalí d’Or?

Absolutely. In the late 1960s, Dalí came up with the idea of minting a coin with his portrait and that of Gala, his wife and muse. I had the honour of meeting Dalí and talking to him about our idea, which he loved. We acquired the exclusive right to mount the Dalí gold coins as watches and jewellery, a practice that dates from Antiquity.

Didn't the advent of quartz stop you in your tracks?

On the contrary. We’ve always made a point of listening to our customers, and we quickly understood that Asia and the United States, at that time the biggest export market, had been seduced by practical and precise quartz watches. With some other companies, we decided to rise to the challenge and set up a research and development centre, the Centre Électronique Horloger. This is where Piaget developed the 7P calibre in 1976, the world’s thinnest quartz movement which established us even more firmly at the forefront of the ultra-thin watch segment.

It's in the Seventies that our name became an international brand.
Yves Piaget
Which were Piaget's iconic watches in the 1970s?

The launch of the Polo was, without doubt, the high point of the decade for Piaget. The round case, smoothly integrated with the bracelet and bezel, combined with the alternating horizontal polished and brushed finish, were typical of the sport-chic style that was gaining in popularity. Water-resistant, shock-resistant and equipped with our extra-thin electronic movement, it was a phenomenal success in the United States right from its launch in 1979. We promoted it by sponsoring some of the major international polo tournaments where the world’s top players competed. This was also when the Piaget name began to be associated with the era’s iconic personalities, such as Ursula Andress, Andy Warhol, Sammy Davis Junior, Roger Moore and Björn Borg. It’s in the Seventies that our name became an international brand.

Yves Gérald Piaget

Born in 1942 in La Côte-aux-Fées, still home to the company’s main manufacturing site, Yves Gérald Piaget represents the fourth generation of the Piaget family. He holds a degree in watch engineering from Neuchâtel University and a diploma from the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. He is behind several innovations that put Piaget at the top of its game in the 1970s and 1980s.

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