Highlights from Piaget’s 2024 novelties

Piaget commemorates a significant new milestone as it continues to push the limits of creativity and refinement, where design and technology become one

This year at the Watches and Wonders Geneva fair, Piaget unveiled a range of new novelties that highlight the maison’s renowned craftsmanship and creative vision. Most notably, as 2024 marks Piaget’s 150th anniversary, the maison has pulled off an incredible accomplishment, to commemorate this important milestone: the unveiling of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon.

A masterstroke in design and engineering that marries elegance with technical prowess, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is a bona-fide first in watchmaking history. It now holds the record for the thinnest tourbillon watch, and follows in the footsteps of the world’s thinnest watch at the time, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, revealed six years ago. Essentially, through this model Piaget has once again pushed the boundaries of horological ingenuity.

Presented in a blue PVD-treated cobalt alloy case measuring 41.5mm in diameter, the timepiece showcases refined details that celebrate Piaget’s heritage of ultra-thin watchmaking. At just 2mm thick, this timepiece still manages to house a flying tourbillon. The complication is located at the 10 o’clock position with a seconds indicator engraved on the tourbillon ring. No less interesting is how the crown is integrated into the case band. It is pulled out and operated using a dedicated tool: a stylus that contains a gear reduction and torque control system.

The dial of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon shows remarkable depth and a play of contrasts that pairs gold and blue. The hours and minutes hands are still slightly off-centre, as they were on its predecessor. And powering this record-smashing timepiece is the Piaget caliber 970P-UC, a manual-winding caliber with a one-minute peripheral tourbillon and 40-hour power reserve.

Another standout from Piaget’s novelties for the year are the two Piaget Polo Date watches, each limited to 300 pieces. The first is a 42mm model with a brown strap, while the second is a 36mm version with a beige strap, set with 91 brilliant-cut diamonds. These two watches serve to bridge the gap between the very first model in the Piaget Polo collection and the recent success of the Piaget Polo Date with a rubber strap. In fact, this is the first time the 36mm version has appeared with a rubber strap, having previously only been available with a metal bracelet or a leather strap.

The 42mm Piaget Polo Date is driven by the manufacture self-winding mechanical movement 1110P, while the 36mm is powered by the 500P1 movement. Another notable element of these collector’s timepieces is that both have dials that pay homage to the iconic gadroons on the original Piaget Polo, and both dials exhibit an exquisite interplay of materials, just like their ancestors. On both models, rose gold-coloured hands brighten the steel case, with the seconds hand bearing the inscription “150” to mark this year’s anniversary.

All in all, Piaget’s offerings for 2024 stand as a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and its relentless pursuit of excellence. These new novelties not only push the boundaries of watchmaking but also capture the process that has driven Piaget since its beginnings: “Always do better than necessary.”

These outstanding creations further solidify Piaget’s reputation as a pioneer in the world of haute horlogerie by showcasing its capacity to break rules and do things that many consider impossible to achieve.