Monsieur Piaget's "Lesson"
Fatemeh Laleh, International Director of Communication and Image, retraces the history of Maison Piaget, a precious entrepreneurial model since 1874
What are the advantage points that have enabled the brand to span decades, fashions, crises and trends? A strong heritage and a sense of distinction: these are the two cornerstones that have enabled the Maison to span over 150 years of history. Georges Piaget and the Piaget family were literally and profoundly without equal, true pioneers of their time. They shaped the world of watchmaking through their mastery of the ultra-thin and the unique creativity that followed these innovations: ornamental stone dials, jeweled watches, the art of gold or chains... This savoir faire of theirs still fascinates the world today and the perceived value of these watches has remained intact through crises and trends.
The brand’s pieces that have contributed to making high jewelry history? In an evolutionary journey spanning 150 years, it is not easy to single out only a few representative pieces, but there are certainly several pieces of jewelry that marked a certain moment in history. The brand had always been seen as innovative and unique in its offer, but the real turning point came in the 1960s, when Piaget launched the 21st Century Collection. Inspired by the revolution taking place at that time, the company’s designers started drawing inspiration directly from the pages of Vogue to imagine a new way of wearing timepieces. Hence the creation of unique pieces in terms of design and wearability for a look that transcended fashion. During that same period, a customer happened to ask for earrings and a necklace to match the Piaget watch he already owned. That was how the Maison's watchmakers began to imagine complete collections of matching jewelry and watches. The real intuition here was to unite master watchmakers and goldsmiths under the same roof for the first time. The result was secret watches, manchettes and daring satoirs that became emblematic of an era. Piaget was also the first company to speak of "Salon" in Geneva: the concept of a boutique for sales became a lounge for conversation between artists and personalities from all over the world. The third cult piece is the diamond “scarf”, which perfectly embodies the Maison's concept of wearability and is part of the Essence of Extraleganza haute joaillerie collection that celebrates its 150th anniversary.
What will enable the brand to continue through further seasons and challenges? Staying consistent and true to your heritage helps to overcome any obstacle. The more you try to focus on a specific generation, genre or market, the more you fail. It is only by celebrating what sets us apart from everyone else that we can continue through seasons, crises, centuries. For at least another 150 years.
What characteristics must a new company have in order to look to the future with confidence? The above applies all the more to companies that are now entering the market. Who do you want to be, what do you want to represent, what do you want to convey? These are the fundamental questions to ask yourself every day whenever you set out to design another piece or a collection with which you aspire to make your mark. Once you have laid the foundations for doing so and built your identity, it will "only" be a matter of extending it and being permanently consistent.
The brand’s pieces that have contributed to making high jewelry history? In an evolutionary journey spanning 150 years, it is not easy to single out only a few representative pieces, but there are certainly several pieces of jewelry that marked a certain moment in history. The brand had always been seen as innovative and unique in its offer, but the real turning point came in the 1960s, when Piaget launched the 21st Century Collection. Inspired by the revolution taking place at that time, the company’s designers started drawing inspiration directly from the pages of Vogue to imagine a new way of wearing timepieces. Hence the creation of unique pieces in terms of design and wearability for a look that transcended fashion. During that same period, a customer happened to ask for earrings and a necklace to match the Piaget watch he already owned. That was how the Maison's watchmakers began to imagine complete collections of matching jewelry and watches. The real intuition here was to unite master watchmakers and goldsmiths under the same roof for the first time. The result was secret watches, manchettes and daring satoirs that became emblematic of an era. Piaget was also the first company to speak of "Salon" in Geneva: the concept of a boutique for sales became a lounge for conversation between artists and personalities from all over the world. The third cult piece is the diamond “scarf”, which perfectly embodies the Maison's concept of wearability and is part of the Essence of Extraleganza haute joaillerie collection that celebrates its 150th anniversary.
What will enable the brand to continue through further seasons and challenges? Staying consistent and true to your heritage helps to overcome any obstacle. The more you try to focus on a specific generation, genre or market, the more you fail. It is only by celebrating what sets us apart from everyone else that we can continue through seasons, crises, centuries. For at least another 150 years.
What characteristics must a new company have in order to look to the future with confidence? The above applies all the more to companies that are now entering the market. Who do you want to be, what do you want to represent, what do you want to convey? These are the fundamental questions to ask yourself every day whenever you set out to design another piece or a collection with which you aspire to make your mark. Once you have laid the foundations for doing so and built your identity, it will "only" be a matter of extending it and being permanently consistent.
