Piaget Malachite Sautoir 18k Gold 1960s

It may be one of its kind, a jeweled lavish Piaget introduced during the 1960s, a time Piaget became more daring in releasing avant-garde designs giving way to incorporating new forms of wearing time such as this “sautoir” - the French word for a long necklace - featuring a pendant or tassel. The one we have happens to feature both a watch pendant and arrow tassels that sway playfully.

Where to begin with such a versatile piece? Composed of two separate pieces - when worn as a watch on the wrist, the rolled circular chains surrounding the watch allow a lovely drape. The malachite dial contains off-centered concentric veining and is simply adorned with gold dauphine hands and gold Piaget signature. Malachite was favored in the 1960s and 70s for its bold colour and pattern.

The second part of this piece is the long chain with the same rolled circles tapering into a malachite cabochon of which can be applied over the head with ease, or can be doubled-up for a modern choker style. The perk of this chain is its finish, serving as a standalone piece of jewelry when the mood calls for a more casual vibe, stacking with other jewellery or pairing it with another watch.

The clasp mechanism to attach both pieces is curious - cleverly disguised as malachite cabochons yet both have different applications (watch our video showing how each one differs). The tassels nearly reach the waist when worn as a single piece. The chains and tassels give a lovely swing adding visual play and movement, its weight signaling you’re wearing a considerable piece

Several of these sautoir pieces from the Piaget private collection  were showcased at their Beverly Hills boutique for a time in 2018, and a feature of this exhibition was published at Town & Country presenting various gemmed versions and motifs of Tiger’s-Eye, Opal, Coral, Turquoise, and Lapis Lazuli, each unique in design. The exhibition celebrated Piaget's gem-set watches as objets d’art, each one carrying its own narrative through stone, shape, and silhouette.

What makes this Piaget sautoir so special, outside of being one-of-a-kind and rare to find?  “A Piaget watch is first and foremost a piece of jewelry” as succinctly described by Yves Piaget. Few pieces from Piaget’s 1960s sautoir collections were produced, and even fewer are available as complete multi-part sets. Its one-of-a-kind showstopper makes it immensely collectible, offering versatility and exquisite style. Two complete jewelry expressions in one.

More details to come.