Darren Ho 21 December 2022

This marks the last zodiac sign in Piaget’s annual series, which started in 2012. 

The Lunar New Year is rapidly approaching, and to celebrate this occasion, Piaget is presenting its annual Zodiac Animal limited edition. This started in 2012 with the Year of the Dragon, and it has become a yearly tradition.

The Altiplano Zodiac series features an enamel dial produced by Anita Porchet, using grand feu and cloisonné techniques to depict the zodiac animal of each year. The dial is usually white with a hint of texture, reflecting the wintry landscape during this time of the year. The zodiac animal is first outlined using gold wire, then the partitions (or cloisons) are painted with enamel pigments, and the dial is then fired in the kiln multiple times to melt the substrate and harden it.

The painting technique executed by Porchet is what is most intriguing about the series. It alludes to the chiaroscuro style of artistic painting, using shadowing to add depth to the drawing. On an enamel dial, this is achieved by using an incredibly fine brush to blend the enamel colours together.

The coming Zodiac sign is that of the Rabbit, and Porchet has painted a pair of Vienna rabbits on a snowy background. The dial is housed in a 38mm 18K white gold case set with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds. The watch is powered by the ultra-thin, manually wound 430P movement, measuring just 2.1mm thick with a power reserve of 36 hours.

The watch is limited to just 38 pieces, like its past Zodiac series models, and priced at S$103,000 each. It will be available at Piaget boutiques.   
 

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Darren Ho

Editor

Darren has been writing about, and admiring the craft of watchmaking for over a dozen years. He considers himself lucky to live in a golden age of horology, and firmly believes that the most difficult watches to design are the simplest and the most intriguing to discover.