emperador

Piaget Emperador Full-Set Coussin Perpetual Calendar Is Brand's One Millionth Watch

After 136 years Piaget has finally reached the point where it will have made 1,000,000 watches. That is really a lot of watches, which averages to about 7,353 watches per year. Though clearly they haven't been consistently making that many from the beginning. Piaget is on a modern mission to reassert itself as fine watch maker as opposed to just a luxury jewelry and timepiece maker. When people think of Patek Philippe for example, they think of "in-house made movements." This association is not always made with Piaget and in-house made movements, though the brand is of the several highly prestigious brands that do make their own movements.

The one millionth watch produced by Piaget is this special Emperador Full-Set Coussin Perpetual Calendar watch. The timepiece will represent watch number 1,000,000 for the brand, as well as 19 other pieces for a total of 20 pieces in this limited edition. The watch case is Piaget's standard Emperador Coussin (cushion) - which is probably the most interesting cushion case out there - probably because it is not a true cushion case. The dial is cushion shaped, but the case itself is actually round. That combined with the design of the lugs make for an interesting optical illusion. This version of the Emperador Coussin is "Full-Set" with diamonds. The case is in 18k gold with 374 diamonds on it (7.5 carats), 12 more diamonds are on the crown, 25 diamonds are placed on the oscillating automatic rotor, and another 263 diamonds (1.2 carats) are placed on the watch dial - while the hands and hour markers are in 18k white gold. Total of 9.9 carats of diamonds on the watch.

Tags: 000 alelas, 000Alelas, 1, coussin, Emperador, full-set, G0A35020, perpetual calendar, watches

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Piaget Emperador Temple Diamonds Watch - $3.5 Million

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

What happens when you have a ziggurat of diamonds on a watch? Well this... For 2010 Piaget has successfully crammed in more diamonds into an Emperador style watch. It is like the difference between Wheaties and Total breakfast cereal. Total has twice (or whatever) the fiber, in the same size bowl! How does Piaget fit that much fiber, err, I mean diamonds into a watch?! Looks like it has over 1200 diamonds all over the watch. Wowy! The secret is the pyramid style "temple" design of the watch case. It actually opens up, twice. First is a little hatch over a smaller mother-of-pearl and diamond watch face. Then the watch opens up again to reveal a large face with an exposed one minute tourbillon and power reserve indicator. With this much surface space, Piaget is able to fits the hundreds of diamonds into the design of the Emperador Temple Diamonds watch.

So much jewelery, so much.. watchery. The timepiece contains a variety of stone cuts. The watch has baguette cut stones, brilliant cut stones, and one emerald cut stone that tops off the stack o' precious gems. The watch case fits the Emperador style mold, and inside the watch is two movements. The grander of the two being the tourbillon. Not too sure whether the top movement is mechanical or quartz. The purpose of a watch like this? To show off. It brings new meaning to the concept of "pyramid power." At the very least, the heap of diamonds on your wrist will get you nice tables at restaurants and extra expensive drinks at the bar. Piaget made this watch as one-off piece that went for a price that was somewhere in the rage of $3.5 million. Though their doors and arms are wide open to you should you decide to fund a second model for your personal wearing pleasure.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: diamonds, Emperador, Piaget, temple, watch

Piaget Emperador Coussin Regulator Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This is probably the first regulator watch from Piaget that I have seen, and it is the Emperador Coussin Regulator. For those who don't know, a "regulator" is a watch that uses the main dial for the minutes, and a smaller dial for the hours. Piaget even took the traditional regulator watch theme a step further and added a 30 second retrograde seconds counter. The counter located at the top of the face will count 30 seconds and then the indicator hand will snap back to zero position and start over. The retrograde seconds counter isn't about functionality, but is merely a fun complication to observe. To do this, Piaget uses its in-house made Calibre 835P hand-wound mechanical movement that is just 3.92mm thick (very thin). Power reserve is 65 hours.

The Emperador Coussin Regulator features the Emperador Coussin's 42.5mm wide 18k rose or white gold case with a midnight blue or charcoal gray dial. Hands and indexes on the face are gold as well. Although this is not a limited edition watch, each piece will have its individual serial number and year of manufacture engraved on the back of the case. Piaget did a nice job of taking the concept of a regulator watch and "making it their own." I don't know if this cushion shaped Emperador case is what I would have personally chose to house the complication ( I would have likely opted for their rectangular Emperador, or a Polo case), but the overall effect is nice. The watch should be available now.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: coussin, emperador, piaget, regulator, timepiece, watch