time

All That
Jazz…
and More
Piaget’s newest collection
offers an imaginative
twist on time.
By ralph digennaro

When it comes
to creativity and innovation, Piag-
et has always marched to its own
singular beat. This tradition is only
furthered with the introduction of its
remarkable, jazz-inspired Polo Tour-
billon Relatif chronograph from the
company’s new Limelight Jazz Party
collection of watches and fine jewelery.
Making its debut at the 2010 Salon
International de la Haute Horlogerie show
earlier this year, this masterful timepiece once
again underscores the unbridled inspiration and
technological advances that have come to define
Piaget watchmaking in the new millennium. Finely
crafted in 18-carat white gold, the watch features a
black champlevé grand feu enamel dial—a venerable
ornamenting technique seen only in the finest time-
pieces—fashioned to replicate the grooves on a vinyl
record.
Appropriately enough, the hours on the dial are
represented by musical notes, with the bass clef artfully
tilted to form the number nine. On the case-back, a jazz
musician is delicately traced in profile, while the sides
“the hours
feature a small orchestra of classic jazz instruments, with
engravings of a drum kit and a trumpet opposite the piano on the dial are
and double bass. represented by
musical notes,
with the bass clef
artfully tilted to
form the number nine...”
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 time

“...delights the eye

with the magic of
perfect balance.”

The manually wound

movement follows a rhythm set by the Piaget
Calibre 608P, with a flying 27 jewel
tourbillon that sets the pace not unlike that
of a musical metronome, which Piaget
observes “delights the eye with the magic
of perfect balance.” Indeed, the tourbil-
lon carriage spins on its own axis every
minute as it hangs from the minute hand,
seeming to be in free flight, “as if discon-
nected from the movement that drives
it,” according to Piaget.
Typical Piaget hand-craftsmanship and
jeweled quality is abundantly apparent
throughout the design of the Polo Tourbil-
lon Relatif, from the Côtes de Genève, main
plate and three titanium bridges, all circular-
grained by hand, to the beveled, hand-drawn car-
riage. Even the blue-toned screws and folding clasp
are made of 18 carat white gold. Other outstanding
features of this fusion between moments and music include
a 68-hour double barrel power reserve, a black alligator bracelet,
and a sapphire crystal.
Given the sheer artistry and painstaking hand-craftsmanship that
Piaget has dedicated to the creation of the jazz-inspired Polo Tourbil-
lon Relatif, is it any wonder that this groundbreaking timepiece is
only one-of-a-kind? While ownership may well cost a king’s ransom, for the
wealthy individual/watch enthusiast with the means, the fact that there is only
one like it in the world will probably be music to his ears.

Piaget’s Polo Tourbillon Relatif is priced at $515,000 USD.

Piaget, www.piaget.com, 877.874.2438

38 AFFLUENT PAGE LUXURY INDEX | AUGUST 2010