Known as the watchmaker that made the world’s thinnest mechanical watch (Piaget Altiplano 900p), Piaget would surprise you with the heritage it has. So here is a Quick History Lesson about Piaget.
Founded by Georges-Édouard Piaget, Piaget started their first workshop dedicated to building watch escapements in 1874 in La Côte-aux-Fées, which is a small village in the Swiss Jura mountains. Georges started when he was nineteen with the vision to create high-quality movements from scratch. His motto was “Always do better than necessary” and soon after Piaget was supplying movements to the most luxurious Swiss watch brands known at that time.
In the 1920s, the leadership of the brand went from Georges-Édouard to his son, Timothée Piaget. Due to that transmission, Piaget went from building movements to creating high-end prestigious pocket watches and wrist watches. Piaget’s development improved under its new guiders, Gérald and Valentin Piaget. The company registered as a trademark officially in 1943. Two years later, a large new manufacturing facility was introduced in La Côte-aux-Fées to guarantee the continuous growth of the establishment.
Around 1960s, Piaget’s interest in making ultra-thin watches began, which led them to creating what is known as the world’s thinnest automatic watch at that time, the 12p. In 1957, Piaget began its dedication to making high jewellery, which made their first appearance in the Salon Piaget that was launched in 1959 in Geneva alongside its timepieces. In 1967, Piaget caught the eyes of many stylish celebrities like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren just to name a few.
Over the years, Piaget became a symbol of relaxed elegance and they expressed that in pure gold, literally. Just so, Piaget became associated with sports played by royals. The brand was represented by Yves G. Piaget by that time. As time went, Piaget became popular for its playful yet elegant jewellary. In the late 1990s, Piaget’s ultra-thin watch fell under the name of Altiplano, which is a name of a mountain in South America.
Have you ever known of Piaget’s heritage? what do you think was the most impacting event that led Piaget to its status today? Let us know what you think of Piaget in the comments below!
Referances:
- https://int.piaget.com/history
