Piaget

Who are Piaget?

Piaget is a Swiss watchmaker and jeweller founded in 1874 by Georges Édouard Piaget in La Côte-aux-Fées, a village in the Jura mountains, and owned today by the Swiss luxury group Richemont. It makes high jewellery and jewellery as well as watches (Richemont). This page is about the watches: their history, the collections, who owns the company, and what to check when buying a pre-owned Piaget in the UK.

In watches, Piaget is known for ultra-thin movements, starting with the 2 mm calibre 9P of 1957, and for gold and jewellery watches (Worn & Wound; Richemont). It still makes movements in La Côte-aux-Fées and does its goldsmithing and jewellery work at Plan-les-Ouates, on the edge of Geneva (Richemont). Richemont reports it as one of its Specialist Watchmakers, alongside Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

The history of Piaget

Piaget’s history runs from a family movement workshop in the Jura to a Geneva watch and jewellery house inside Richemont. The key dates are the founding (1874), the Piaget trademark (1943), the 9P and 12P ultra-thin movements (1957 and 1960), the Polo (1979), Richemont ownership from 1988 and the Altiplano thinness records from 2014.

A Jura workshop. Georges Édouard Piaget founded the business in La Côte-aux-Fées in 1874. His son Timothée took over in 1911, and the Piaget name was registered as a trademark in 1943 (Wikipedia). Richemont’s annual report quotes Georges-Édouard Piaget’s motto, “Always do better than necessary” (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

Ultra-thin movements. In 1957 Piaget launched the calibre 9P, a hand-wound movement 2 mm thick (Worn & Wound). Three years later came the 12P, an automatic movement 2.3 mm thick, which WorldTempus describes as the slimmest automatic movement in the world at the time. These movements are the starting point of the Altiplano collection, which Piaget marked with a 60th anniversary in 2017 (WorldTempus).

Gold and the Polo. The Polo was launched in 1979 in yellow gold (Worn & Wound). Piaget’s later collections include the Dancer (1986), and the Possession and Limelight lines of the 1990s (Wikipedia).

Richemont. Wikipedia says the Vendôme group, now Richemont, bought Piaget in 1988. Richemont’s own history dates the creation of Vendôme Luxury Group to 1993, so the 1988 buyer was a predecessor company. In 1991 Piaget was one of the founders of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the Geneva watch fair (Richemont). Yves Piaget, of the founding family, has been president since 1980 (Wikipedia).

Recent decades. A manufacture opened at Plan-les-Ouates, near Geneva, in 2001 (Wikipedia). The Altiplano 900P of 2014 was 3.65 mm thick and presented as a record (WorldTempus), and in 2018 the Altiplano Ultimate Concept reduced the whole watch to 2 mm (Gear Patrol). The Polo gained a stainless steel version, the Polo S, in 2016 (Worn & Wound). Piaget celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2024 (Wikipedia) and launched the Sixtie jewellery watch in 2025 (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

What is Piaget known for?

Piaget is known for ultra-thin mechanical movements, from the 2 mm 9P of 1957 to the 2 mm Altiplano Ultimate Concept of 2018, and for watches in gold and set with stones. Richemont describes it as both a watchmaker and a jeweller. The details below are each sourced.

Thinness. The 9P (1957) and 12P (1960) were among the thinnest movements of their kind (WorldTempus). Wikipedia describes the calibre 600P of 2002, at 3.5 mm, as the thinnest tourbillon movement of its time, and the Altiplano 900P of 2014 as the thinnest hand-wound mechanical watch, at 3.65 mm. Gear Patrol reports that the 2018 Ultimate Concept is 2 mm thick with the case included, beating the previous record holder, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Squelette, by 1.6 mm; at the time Piaget showed it as a concept. Records in this field change hands; Bulgari has since presented thinner watches (Dezeen). See Bulgari.

Gold and jewellery. Richemont quotes Piaget as saying “a watch is first and foremost a piece of jewellery” (Richemont Annual Report 2026). Its Plan-les-Ouates workshops specialise in goldsmithing and jewellery, and Richemont lists Piaget’s skills as ultra-thin craftsmanship, gold work and gem setting (Richemont).

Movements made by Piaget. Piaget’s La Côte-aux-Fées manufacture makes its movements, including its ultra-thin calibres (Richemont). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers ask about this.

Which Piaget collections are there?

Piaget’s current watch range includes the Piaget Polo and Polo 79, the ultra-thin Altiplano, the Limelight Gala and Possession jewellery lines, the Sixtie, and watches linked to Andy Warhol. The collections table gives a one-line description of each.

A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Polo, Polo S and Polo 79. The 1979 Polo was a gold watch; the Polo S of 2016 is a steel sports watch; the 2024 Polo 79 is a gold reissue of the original design (Worn & Wound). They are different watches under one name.
• Quartz and mechanical. The original 1970s Polo used a quartz movement, while the Polo 79 uses the self-winding 1200P1 (Worn & Wound). Check the movement in any listing. Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.
• Retired names. Wikipedia lists the Dancer (1986), Emperador, Tanagra, Miss Protocole and Black Tie among Piaget’s lines, so older pieces with these names turn up second-hand.

Who owns Piaget?

Piaget is owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, the Swiss luxury group listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Richemont reports Piaget within its Specialist Watchmakers business area. Piaget’s chief executive is Benjamin Comar, and its headquarters are in Geneva.

Richemont’s Specialist Watchmakers are A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin (Richemont Annual Report 2026). Cartier is in the same group, reported with the jewellery houses. Richemont was founded by Johann Rupert in 1988 through a spin-off from the Rembrandt Group (Richemont).

Wikipedia lists Chabi Nouri as Piaget’s chief executive, but Richemont’s 2026 annual report and its Piaget page both name Benjamin Comar, so the Wikipedia entry appears out of date. Philippe Léopold-Metzger was chief executive from 1981 to 2017 (Wikipedia). Richemont says Piaget has 127 boutiques (Richemont).

Buying a pre-owned Piaget in the UK: what to check

Check that the serial number on the watch matches its warranty card, which Polo or Altiplano you are looking at and what movement it has, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. Then decide what guarantee you need: Piaget’s warranty can run to eight years through Piaget Care, and a dealer’s warranty is the dealer’s own.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which papers come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Model and movement. Polo, Polo S and Polo 79 are different watches, and the original Polo was quartz (Worn & Wound). Ask for the reference number and the movement, and check that they match the papers.

3. Authenticity. Fakes can come with forged papers. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

4. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

5. Servicing and care. Ask who last serviced the watch, whether it was Piaget or an independent watchmaker, which calibre it has, and for the paperwork. Our guide on caring for a mechanical watch covers the basics.

6. Warranty and Piaget Care. Piaget says that joining the Piaget Care programme gives up to eight years of warranty (Piaget). Whether a second owner can enrol a watch, and how long the standard warranty is without Piaget Care, are not stated in the sources we could reach. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes:

Sources: Piaget, piaget.com; Richemont, Annual Report and Accounts 2026 (checked 29 October 2026). The report names Watchfinder's manufacturer-certified pre-owned partnerships only for Cartier and Vacheron Constantin, not Piaget.

For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Piaget founded?

In La Côte-aux-Fées, a village in the Swiss Jura, in 1874 (Wikipedia). Its headquarters are now in Geneva (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

Who owns Piaget?

Richemont, the Swiss luxury group listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Piaget is one of its Specialist Watchmakers (Richemont Annual Report 2026).

Is Piaget a watchmaker or a jeweller?

Both. Richemont lists its product lines as high jewellery, jewellery and watches, and it runs separate manufactures for movements and for gold and jewellery work (Richemont).

What is the Piaget 9P?

A hand-wound movement 2 mm thick, launched in 1957, which started Piaget’s ultra-thin watchmaking (Worn & Wound).

What is the Altiplano Ultimate Concept?

A hand-wound watch shown at SIHH in 2018, 2 mm thick with the case included (Gear Patrol).

When was the Piaget Polo launched?

In 1979, in yellow gold. A steel Polo S followed in 2016 and the Polo 79 reissue in 2024 (Worn & Wound).

Does Piaget make its own movements?

Yes. Its movements are made at its manufacture in La Côte-aux-Fées (Richemont).

How long is the Piaget warranty?

Piaget says enrolling in Piaget Care gives up to eight years of warranty (Piaget).

Are vintage Piaget watches quartz or mechanical?

Both exist. The original 1979 Polo used a quartz movement (Worn & Wound), while Piaget’s ultra-thin calibres such as the 9P and 12P are mechanical (WorldTempus).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Piaget or Richemont.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.