Piaget Watches

Piaget: The Masters of Ultra-Thin, High-Jewelry, and Haute Horology in Disguise

Piaget doesn’t get loud. It doesn’t need to. Because when your brand identity is built around record-setting thin movements, hand-finished gold cases, and in-house dial artistry, you don’t have to flex — you just refine.

Founded in 1874 and now part of Richemont, Piaget is one of the only brands in Swiss watchmaking that’s equally respected for its jewelry and its watchmaking — and it’s been proving that elegance doesn’t mean compromising mechanical excellence for decades.

If you think of Piaget as “just a jewelry brand,” you’re missing one of the most important chapters in high horology.

Brand History: From Ébauches to Icons of Thinness

Founded in La Côte-aux-Fées, Switzerland, Piaget started as a movement manufacturer, specializing in ultra-thin calibers that were supplied to other top maisons.

In the 1950s, Piaget shifted focus — launching its own line of watches that would blend in-house movements with precious metal cases, stone dials, and high-jewelry finishing. They became the brand for elegant, dress-first watches — worn by royals, celebrities, and style-conscious collectors long before “luxury” was just a buzzword.

Over the decades, Piaget has released some of the thinnest mechanical and automatic watches ever made, and continues to develop in-house calibers for both haute horlogerie and high jewelry pieces.

Collector Highlights: Ultra-Thin Icons and Dress Watch Royalty

  • Altiplano – The flagship. Clean dials, gold cases, and ultra-slim calibers — including the legendary 9P manual wind and 1200P microrotor auto. Some models measure under 4mm thick.

  • Polo / Polo S – Piaget’s sport-luxury integrated bracelet line. Originally launched in 1979, reimagined in the 2010s with a more modern silhouette. Steel, blue dials, everyday wear with a dressy edge.

  • Vintage Stone Dial Models – Piaget practically invented the onyx, lapis, malachite, and tiger-eye dial craze in the ‘60s–‘80s. These are pure glam-meets-craftsmanship and highly collectible today.

  • Limelight Collection – High-jewelry, diamond-set pieces with full in-house mechanics and handcrafted dials. Often overlooked in favor of flashier names, but incredibly well made.

  • Altiplano Ultimate Concept – Once the thinnest mechanical watch in the world, at just 2mm total thickness. Not just a gimmick — an engineering flex on a whole new level.

Movements? All in-house, all ultra-thin, and often designed specifically for the case to ensure perfect proportions and wearability.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • True in-house manufacturing — from movements to dials to gold bracelets

  • Leaders in ultra-thin watchmaking — beating out AP, VC, even Bulgari at times

  • One of the few brands to blend jewelry and horology with actual credibility

  • Stone dials, skeleton calibers, and enamel work — some of the best in the business

  • Vintage Piaget is still underpriced — especially solid gold models from the ‘70s and ‘80s

Piaget is a connoisseur’s brand, often overlooked by casual collectors — which makes it even more interesting to those who know better.

What They’re Making Now: Slim, Sleek, and Slowly Getting Rediscovered

Modern Piaget production focuses on:

  • Altiplano – Manual and automatic ultra-thins, with dials ranging from minimalist to métiers d’art showpieces

  • Polo / Polo S / Polo Chronograph – Stainless steel sport-luxury pieces with integrated design and in-house movements

  • High Complication Altiplano / Emperador – Tourbillons, minute repeaters, and skeleton calibers — all executed at haute horology levels

  • Limelight – Women’s high-jewelry watches that still feature proper mechanics

Across the board, finishing is impeccable, movement design is elite, and the brand’s aesthetic is cohesive and distinct.

Fed’s Take

Piaget is one of the most underrated high-horology brands in the market today.

I’ve handled Altiplanos that wear like silk and are finished like museum pieces. I’ve sold vintage hardstone dial Piagets that turned more heads than anything in stainless steel. And I’ve seen Ultimate Concepts that feel more like engineering sculpture than timepieces.

If you care about elegance, thinness, and mechanical mastery without showboating, Piaget is a sleeper grail.

Ultra-Thin. Understated. Undeniably Elite.

If you want a watch that says “I know what I’m doing” without raising its voice,
 Piaget delivers — and then disappears under a cuff like only a true dress watch should.

Delray Watch frequently sources Piaget watches — from vintage stone dial pieces and manual-wind Altiplanos to Polo models and high-jewelry rarities.

Be the first to know when new Pieget watches are available - subscribe for insider access here