Abu Dhabi in November omits a golden haze; its sea, a stunning stretch of turquoise. In this vibrant setting, Piaget celebrated its 150th anniversary by unveiling a new high jewelry collection: Essence of Extravaganza.
The celebration took place at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental and spanned an entire weekend. From the first glimpse of the collection in the palace’s grand exhibition space, it was evident that this was not a simple retrospective but a bold reimagining. Piaget’s philosophy, ‘always do better than necessary,’ resonated in every detail.
At the center of the celebration was the 96-piece collection by jewelry and watch artistic director, Stéphanie Sivrière. Essence of Extravaganza distills Piaget’s creative essence into three distinct chapters, each paying tribute to a different facet of the house’s DNA. The result is a vibrant dialogue between past and present – a collection rich with movement and color.
Piaget’s legacy began in 1874 in La Côte-aux-Fées, a small Swiss village where Georges-Edouard Piaget crafted precision movements that became the foundation of the maison’s technical reputation. By the 1950s, Piaget had pioneered ultra-thin calibers that revolutionized watchmaking. However, it was the free-spirited glamour of the 1960s and 1970s that truly defined the maison’s aesthetic legacy and serves as the emotional core of this new collection.
During this golden era, Piaget embraced color, texture and experimentation, becoming synonymous with bold jewelry watches and ornamental stone dials. The maison transformed gold into silky, fabric-like finishes and blended it with stones like turquoise, malachite and lapis lazuli – a design rebellion celebrated by the Piaget Society, an international circle of artists, tastemakers and jetsetters.
This rejection of formality has been reborn in Essence of Extravaganza. The collection was first presented in an intimate, private viewing – a moment to study each piece up close. Later, it came alive in motion, showcased al fresco under the domes of the Emirates Palace, with models moving gracefully through the gardens like living sculptures. Here, Piaget’s mastery of gold and gemstones gained a new fluidity, with gold chains shimmering in the breeze and lighting bouncing off marquise-cut stones.
Among the collection’s standout creations is the Swinging Sautoir Watch, a masterwork that pays homage to a 1969 archival design. It features a hand-crafted gold chain that has been meticulously recreated using techniques reverse-engineered from the original. Interspersed with turquoise and malachite beads, the necklace flows into a hidden pendant watch, topped with a 29.24-carat Sri Lankan yellow sapphire and a 6.11-carat aquamarine. In a triumph of form and function, the timepiece can detach and transform into a bracelet – a playful secret worn close to the skin.
Another highlight is the Shimmering Chains necklace, which was worn by model and entrepreneur Gabrielle Caunesil Pozzoli. This piece features a cascade of four distinct gold chains, adorned with Piaget’s signature marquise-cut Colombian emeralds. The lower portion of the necklace can be removed and reconfigured, allowing for three different silhouettes.
Throughout the evening, the collection revealed itself not just through its materials – white and rose gold, emeralds, sapphires, and tourmalines – but also through its gestures. The pieces were not mere objects of admiration; they were designed to move, shift and evolve with the wearer. This dynamism and ability to surprise makes the collection feel contemporary, despite its historical references.
Notable attendees included Thai actor and Piaget global ambassador Apo Nattawin, who wore the Limelight Sunny Side of Life brooch– an abstract sunburst made of diamonds and garnets – and Padmanabh Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur, who sported the solid gold Piaget Polo 79. Actresses Aditi Rao Hydari and Ayça Ayşin Turan dazzled in exceptional high jewelry sets, including a sapphire-encrusted titanium necklace and transformable emerald suites.
Related Story
A performance by Kool & the Gang brought the exuberant evening to a close. Their iconic funk anthems transformed the gardens into a dance floor, underscoring the joyful spirit that defines Piaget.
Piaget.com