Piaget Limelight Gala Tsavorite
The Piaget Limelight Gala Tsavorite upholds the Manufacture’s reputation for masterfully uniting precious stones and beautifully executed movements. Meehna Goldsmith provides an interesting glimpse into the über-luxurious world of Piaget.
Although not common, today it’s not so rare to see a watch dial featuring ornamental stones, such as carnelian or onyx. Interestingly, it was Piaget who was the first to employ them.
Committing itself to jewellery watches in the 1960s, Piaget had already established a reputation as an expert in gem-setting with fully diamond-paved watches. The brand expanded its repertoire in 1964 when it introduced its first watch featuring a stone dial. Stone dials became a recurring theme and Piaget offered a whole catalogue of over 30 to choose from, including jade, tiger’s eye, opal and lapis lazuli.
Launched in 2013, the Limelight Gala collection of watches is instantly recognisable with its sensuous curves that wrap around and hug the case. The design is already an iconic one for the brand. It’s also the perfect venue to showcase the beauty of stone: enter the Limelight Gala Tsavorite, featuring a malachite dial in an ode to the subtle yet compelling power of the colour green. Notice the rich, layered intensity of the stone and its regular grain with contrasts. That gorgeous specimen is not easy to come by.
Nestled within the malachite, baton hands float over a concentric circle aflame with paved diamonds in a snow setting to indicate the time. What brings the whole show together is the string of tsavorites flirtatiously shimmering up and down the case. Like the diamonds on the bezel, all of the tsavorites are round, brilliant-cut and have the same number of facets to enhance their sparkle.
Tsavorite formed over 2 billion years ago in Africa. To put that in perspective, dinosaurs weren’t even an inkling in the primordial soup, arriving 1.75 billion years later. Although an ancient stone, tsavorite wasn’t discovered until 1967 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges. Interestingly, it was named tsavorite by Harry Platt of Tiffany & Company (New York) after the Tsavo Game Reserve in Kenya where it was first dug up.
As if the countenance of the Piaget Limelight Gala Tsavorite isn’t enough to keep you mesmerised for countless hours, Piaget has added to the delights with the Palace Décor bracelet. Truly a work of art, the treatment on the links resembles fabric from an haute couture gown. Starting with miniature gold links, an artisan solders them together. After this process, the bracelet is engraved in the Palace Décor style, which takes eight hours to complete.
Piaget started out as a movement manufacturer back in 1874, so you can be assured that the Limelight Gala Tsavorite contains a top-notch movement. In this instance, it’s the self-winding Manufacture movement, the 501P1, visible through the sapphire case back.
A stunner on the outside as well as the inside, the Piaget Limelight Gala Tsavorite, true to its colours, is making me feel very envious.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Piaget Limelight Gala Tsavorite
- Reference: GOA47188
- Case: 18-ct white gold; diameter 32 mm; water resistance 3ATM (30m); sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours; minutes
- Movement: Manurfacture movement 501P1; self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 23 jewels; power reserve approx. 40 hours.
- Strap: 18K white gold bracelet engraved with Palace Décor and with an integrated scale clasp
- Price: available on request