Shapes of Extraleganza, the new collection from the Swiss Maison of the Richemont group, returns to the theme of elegance, with a path undertaken in 2024 with the Essence of Extraleganza collection and of which a third chapter is already planned for next year.
Elegance aside, another thread that unites and will unite the collections is the inspiration from the Sixties and Seventies. It is not a question of re-proposing the same jewels, but of preserving that spirit between the audacity and design of the two decades marked by the rapid change of customs. In this case, moreover, Shapes of Extraleganza bears witness to Piaget’s bond with art and artists, paying homage to the Maison’s famous collaborations with Salvador DalТ, Arman or famous collectors such as Andy Warhol. Bonds that arose in their time from Yves Piaget’s personal friendships with the protagonists of the artistic and intellectual world of the time and which gave birth to the Piaget Society. A cultural climate translated into practice by the inventiveness of watch designer Jean-Claude Gueit, with the 21st Century collection that was a staple when it was launched in Basel in 1969. All aspects that are the basis of Shapes of Extraleganza.
The collection of that innovative spirit resumes the study of shapes, colors, textures, lights and volumes, an extremely sophisticated evolution of Piaget’s play on geometry. The jewels and jewel-timepieces use square volumes, triangles, zigzags, waves and circles in highly stylized sculptural and conceptual compositions. In all there are 51 creations, in which Piaget plays with graphic lines, geometric angles, sharp triangles, but also with organic, free forms and sensual curves, recalling Pop Art, Op Art, the swirling psychedelic patterns typical of 1970s fashion or the generously rounded and full silhouettes of 1960s design icons.
At the same time, the Maison mixes and matches Piaget’s signature techniques and materials. The ornamental stones first seen on the dials of watches in the 1960s return in the linear mosaics of the Kaleidoscope Lights series, with the bright colors of Op Art: in addition to a spectacular banded necklace, this line includes earrings with a long inlaid pendant, a ring and a watch with a sunburst dial. Stone cutting is a sculptural art that in this case uses lesser-known gems such as rhodochrosite, sugilite and verdite, carved into curved segments of different thicknesses, and then positioned in a precise banded alignment.
The return to nature is a characteristic of the 1970s. In the collection, it is re-proposed through the organic and free design of the Flowing Curves set, a spectacular collection of rare black opals set in white gold, which is hammered by hand, giving rise to a texture. This is a new goldsmith technique created by the Maison dell’Oro, which joins the famous Decor Palace workmanship.
Different, equally fascinating gems for Rari and enchanting for the Wave Illusion set, which uses red and pink-orange spinels inspired by the colors of art and pop music, the geometric lines of the Memphis Group founded by Ettore Sotsass, born in Milan in the early 1980s.
Sun-yellow sapphires are at the center of the Curved Artistry series, which recalls the colors of sweets. There is also a secret watch set in a ring, a Piaget signature since the 1940s. The diamond-studded dial is hidden under a translucent cabochon aquamarine. Colombian emeralds from the Gleaming Shapes and Arty Pop series exude charm and seduction. The swirls that run through the supple bracelets and dials of the two Joyful Twirls timepieces are animated by the color and light of ingeniously set gems: sapphires in two shades of blue on one piece, spessartite garnets and pink sapphires on the other. The bracelets reproduce the fineness of silk, not only thanks to the superlative gem-setting but also, for the first time in Haute Joaillerie, by virtue of the ultra-thin self-winding movement made by the Maison.
The masterpiece of the collection is Endless Motion: a table clock designed and crafted as a mobile sculpture. An expression of Piaget’s relationship with art and artists, this dynamic marvel is the ultimate celebration of Piaget’s eternal play of forms, the bold gaiety that the Maison takes very seriously. For such an innovative and disruptive project, Piaget chose to collaborate with Alex Palenski, a French artist, friend of the Maison and creator of mobile sculptures. The branches of the sculpture are embellished with an organically shaped ornamental stone in shades of blue and green, which recall the sparkling reflections of black opal.
