Welcoming the Chinese New Year beginning on January 28, 2017 in which Rooster takes over from Monkey as the Chinese zodiac sign representing the year, the house of Piaget has created a special edition timepiece. This year’s rendition features a zodiac sign set on the dial of its ultra-thin Altiplano model.
Piaget Altiplano Year of the Rooster Watch has been created in collaboration with one of the world’s few master enamellers, Anita Porchet, who unleashed her imagination to bring to life the Rooster of the Chinese zodiac by using the great Grand Feu cloisonné enameling tradition. The rooster is set on a white mother-of-pearl background dial. It has been painted in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel with feathers in shades of gray, white and black.
Contrasting these tones with the bright red comb on its head and the wattle beneath its chin evokes the way in which the rooster shows the shimmering aspects of its personality. The outline of the image was created on the dial by using the fine golden treads which help in isolation of the gray tones from the lightest to more intense, in order to perfectly express the subtlest details.
The new Altiplano Year of the Rooster (ref. G0A41540) is housed in the 18-karat white gold case measuring 38mm in diameter. The elegant case is encrusted with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds (weighing 0.7 carat). The beating heart of this exceptional Altiplano timepiece is the ultra-thin Manufacture Piaget 430P mechanical manual-winding movement which is capable to store enough energy to keep the watch working for no less than 43 hours.
The limited edition watch will be issued in the strictly limited series of only 38 specimens. The master of this art of perfection, Anita Porchet, has painted the dial of the first Piaget Altiplano Year of the Rooster Watch and she will paint each of 38 pieces that will be made. Each timepiece comes with an elegant, black alligator leather strap, fitted with a white gold ardillon buckle. The new Altiplano that welcomes the Chinese Year of the Rooster will be available exclusively at the Piaget Boutique.
Since 2012, Piaget has celebrated the Chinese New Year with Chinese zodiac watches. So far, the Swiss manufacturer has released special edition timepieces dedicated to the year of the dragon, snake, horse, goat, and monkey.