1970s Piaget Lapis 18 Karat Gold Mechanical Ref 9861 Leather Watch

In 1874, at age 19, Georges-Édouard Piaget (1855–1931) began manufacturing handmade timepiece components and movements in a workshop on his family farm in La Côte-aux-Fées, Switzerland. The company expanded into luxury wristwatches and pocket watches under the direction of Georges-Édouard’s son, Timothée Piaget. Later, Timothée’s sons, Gérald and Valentin Piaget, would lead a team of talented craftspeople into a new era of innovation for the brand in both watches and luxury jewelry.

The Piaget family name was trademarked in 1943 and a large manufacturing facility was established in La Côte-aux-Fées. There they would perfect one of their signatures: ultra-thin movements. Valentin urged his design team to “do what has never been done before.”

In 1959, the Salon Piaget was opened in Geneva, where Piaget also set up workshops for goldsmithing and gem setting, introducing the company’s inaugural jewelry creations and establishing a creative hub where artisans were encouraged to push the boundaries of their designs. In 1963, Piaget released its first collection of watches with ornamental stones set into their dials (the brand's stone-dial watches are undeniable classics of watchmaking).

These artful creations caught the eye of such storied tastemakers as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol and Sophia Loren. In 1967, Yves Piaget collaborated with Salvador Dalí on a collection with pieces featuring the Dalí d’Or gold medals of the artist and his wife, Gala. Gala would also inspire the 1973 Limelight Gala timepiece and the subsequent collection.

Luxury jewelry designed by the company’s artisans has often cleverly reflected Piaget’s watchmaking origins, like the Possession collection, whose swinging pendants and turning rings nod to the movement of its watches. The Rose and Sunlight collections of bracelets, earrings and necklaces, meanwhile, reflect natural themes with a bit of Art Deco style. Piaget’s watches, likewise, have embodied an inventive approach to design, such as the Piaget Polo watch, which was introduced in 1979, popular for its luxurious refinement and widely imitated in the 1980s.

In 2001, the Piaget Haute Horlogerie was opened outside of Geneva, a facility that advanced its work in watchmaking and jewelry. The Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweler now operates as part of the Richemont Group.

Find Piaget rings, necklaces, watches and other jewelry on 1stDibs.