A great classic of haute horlogerie returns, a small jewel that also marks the hours: Piaget Limelight Gala. Piaget also defines this model as more of a jewel than a watch. Launched in 1969, the 21st Century Collection is a historic collection. According to enthusiasts, it marked the convergence between watchmaking and jewelry, thanks to the development of the 9P in 1957, a hand-wound mechanical movement just 2 millimeters thick. The dials of wristwatches and Swinging Sautoirs were covered with brightly colored ornamental stones (malachite, opal, lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye) and paired with textured solid gold bracelets. In 1973, just four years after the iconic 21st Century Collection, Piaget gave shape to the collection that would later become the Limelight Gala.
The watch is recognizable by its generous curves and asymmetrical bezel lugs, set with precious stones, with one side extending upwards and the other downwards. The name Limelight Gala, however, dates back to its debut in 1973. The collection was given this name only retrospectively, given its extraordinary history. From the moment it was created, the watch has been seen worn at receptions, parties, balls, dinners and galas on the wrists of famous women and men, such as Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr., Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Ursula Andress and Andy Warhol.
Limelight Gala still retains its charm even in 2023. It is made with gold threads woven into a Milanese mesh, ensuring a smooth finish and second-skin feel. It is sculpted, sometimes like a chain, sometimes like the finest flowing fabric. There’s still an explosion of color on the dial, while the bezel is generously wrapped in perfectly matched stones. Malachite, lapis lazuli, or kaleidoscopic opal are finished with white diamonds. Enamel and sapphires shine in shades of blue and green. The fantasy of the design also emerges in the double rows of stones in a scale of rainbow shades or adorned with flamboyant marquise-cut diamonds.
