Piaget’s new “Infinitely Personal” concept makes it possible to design your very own dreamwatch ...
The luxury of choice is something that Piaget first brought to the world of watches more than 60 years ago when it launched the innovative “Style Selector” at its New York boutique. Customers could browse a range of look books containing images illustrating a myriad of case shapes, dial materials, gem-setting options and bracelet and strap types.
Once the Style Selector had been used to choose the exact elements desired, the specifications were sent back to the Piaget manufacture in Switzerland and soon the client would be able to return to the boutique to collect the watch of their dreams. Seldom were two designs the same, and the luxury of choice that the Style Selector offered only helped to increase the appreciation of Piaget watches among the era's Piaget Society, with Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and Salvador Dali all being known for wearing their own special versions of the Maison's creations.
Such one-off pieces are now highly sought after by collectors and vintage watch enthusiasts, and as a result they have increased dramatically in value and have become far more difficult to find.
The success of the initial service formed the foundations for a history of personalised Piaget products, more recent examples of which have included the Altiplano Fingerprint in 2005 that can be ordered with a diamond paved dial carrying the exact pattern of the client’s fingerprint.
Then in 2008, the Piaget Polo Tourbillon Relatif was launched - the first watch to be offered with personalised enameling and hand engraving on the dial, bezel, case and case back - while, earlier this year, Piaget introduced an engraving option for the vice-versa necklace from the Possession collection.
And now the creative thinking that led to the “Style Selector”, the Altiplano Fingerprint and the Piaget Polo Tourbillon Relatif has evolved into a state-of-the-art customisation service.
Called “Infinitely Personal”, the new concept offers the chance to create bespoke versions of two of Piaget’s exceptional watches - the record-breaking Altiplano Ultimate Concept - the world's thinnest mechanical watch - and the Altiplano Tourbillon.
In each case, the level of choice is so extensive that over 195,000 permutations of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept are available - and an even more remarkable 4,000,000 different versions of the Altiplano Tourbillon.
And to be sure every client can co-create a watch that exactly meets their desires, Piaget has developed two online configurators that use highly accurate, crystal clear imagery to design as many versions of each model as necessary in order to find the ideal combination of elements.
In the case of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, that means multiple options for the colour of the bridge, screws dial, hands and the main plate. You can choose the tone and material of the strap, depending on whether you prefer a matching or contrasting look. It is also possible to engrave up to three initials or numbers on the right side of the dial.
The configurator for the Altiplano Tourbillon, meanwhile, makes it possible to experiment with 38mm and 41mm case sizes, different types of gold and gem settings. You can choose amongst a rainbow spectrum of dials, including four hand-engraved guilloché enamel grand feu decorations and a mother-of-pearl version in four different hues. Piaget even proposes to match the dial’s shade with a specific pantone from a personal photograph.
Even the ring around the tourbillon cage can be customised, with a gem set or plain finish and with or without an engraved “secret message”. Personal engravings may also be specified for the case back. And, as with the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, a large range of strap colours, materials and sizes are offered. In the words of Piaget's CEO, Chabi Nouri, “today's clients of the Maison are co-creators” - and with the new configurators now live, the opportunity to let those creative juices flow has never been better.
A word of warning, however: designing your very own Piaget piece online is an addictive process - and you may decide you really do need more than one...
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