While at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, Azyaamode had the opportunity to discover more about Piaget’s novelties for 2017. Franck Touzeau, International Director of Marketing and Creation of watches for Piaget International, introduces our readers to the house’s new creations and the inspiration behind them.
As the Head of Watches at Piaget, how can you stay faithful to the values of the house while offering such contemporary timepieces?
Every time we want to develop something new with a very innovative and creative spirit, we go one step further, because when we use ultra-thin calibers we can do whatever we want for the development of the case and the timepiece. The brand’s legitimacy is based on the ultra-thin DNA – which started at the end of the fifties and the beginning of the sixties – and this year, we are celebrating a great anniversary for the brand, as Altiplano turns 60.
Can you tell us a little bit about Piaget’s novelties being launched this year?
We are presenting seven limited editions and for this celebration we didn’t only want to introduce vivid colors in order to give the collection a dynamic spirit, but also to enhance the timeless style of this model, which is at the end of the day totally true. In fact, it’s the first time that we reveal beautiful colors in three different editions. Three limited editions feature a 40mm case that comes in pink, yellow or white gold and perfectly matches the beautiful colors of the strap. The white-gold case comes with a brown strap and makes for a really elegant watch, the pink-gold case comes with a blue strap and the yellow-gold case comes with a green strap. Two other Altiplano limited editions feature a 43mm case with the thinnest automatic movement on the market today. The last two limited editions for this year are dedicated for ladies and feature a vivid pink case and dial. All these models come with gold appliqués and a beautiful sunray effect coming from the center.
What is the vision that lies behind these new releases?
Most of the Altiplano watches are unisex even the one with the 43mm case. However, the latter, for me, is a classic dedicated for men. Through this collection, we want to iconize the Altiplano model because if 60 seconds make one minute and 60 minutes make one hour, we can say that 60 years make an icon. Today, we want to celebrate an iconic model by using fresh colors in order to prove that we still continue to capitalize on it.
Which timepiece would you recommend for a modern working woman?
For ladies, I prefer the 40mm green Altiplano, as if you put it on your wrist you will see how nice it looks – especially if you like yellow gold. The next one would probably be the navy because it perfectly matches everything.
As a man who works in the watch industry, which timepiece would you choose to invest in?
I would also choose the 40mm green Altiplano because even for me, when I wear a pair of jeans with a beautiful shirt, I can wear that one easily. I like the combination between green and yellow.
Mirella Haddad
