Piaget - Enamel Blooms at Piaget
In 1982, at the Concours International de Roses Nouvelle de Geneve (Geneva International New Rose Competition), the winning specimen was named the Yves Piaget Rose after the founder of the company Piaget. And since that time, the rose has become a symbol of passion and a source of inspiration, appearing in various forms throughout the years.
The Miniature Enamel Dial Altiplano and the Piaget Altiplano Champleve Enamel are recent testaments to Piaget's continuing devotion to the lovely rose, as well as its commitment to preserving and developing various fine watchmaking skills such as enameling. Anita Porchet, who began her informal training in enameling as a child of twelve, worked closely with the company to develop the designs for these watches.
"I love the miniature enamel that represents the Yves Piaget Rose," she says of the Altiplano—one of her favorites. "It is a very harmonious flower that takes the entire dial." She adds that the beauty of the enamel is enhanced by the refined, pure and very elegant design of the watch.
Ancient Art
Enamel is a versatile art form that traces its roots to the shores of the Mediterranean, 5th century B.C And though it may look like a high-gloss paint, it is actually a thin coat of glass applied to metal. The raw material comes as a coarse powder, and it is ground in a mortar to obtain a fine powder that is stored in distilled water until ready to be applied. Enameling was first used in watchmaking in the fifteenth century, and since then, such techniques as champleve, cloisonne, flinque and miniature enameling have all come to the fore.
Among the tools required, the "oven" is one of the most important, explains Porchet. "That's where the enamel is heated, where it will reveal its color and its brightness," she says. "I also use paintbrushes to put the enamel on the dial or the case and stones to do the 'pierrage' (polishing)." Of course some sort of magnification is also required, particularly in the case of miniature painting. But Porchet emphasizes, "Enameling is an artisan work mostly done by hand without any engine. It requires a great dexterity and an excellent visual acuity."
Enamel is typically applied to copper, silver or gold—the materials that can support the high-temperature firings required. Piaget uses gold dials exclusively for all its enameled creations in keeping with its motto of, "Always do better than necessary."
It Takes Time
Ms. Porchet, an independent artisan, has been working with Piaget since 2004.
"It is a real collaboration and a real human adventure," she says of the association. She adds that each undertaking is examined collectively, and new ideas are welcome and indeed fostered in such an environment. "We study the projects together. We discuss every detail together and everyone can bring his own idea. This can lead to new ideas."
Porchet shares, "Enamel requires a lot of experience and a great artistic sensibility to literally bring life into an object. This requires time, attention to details and a peaceful environment."
Her peaceful environment is in the middle of the Swiss countryside in the Canton de Vaud, where she works at her studio with others. There, she devotes whatever time it takes to produce the effect she seeks, whether that means several days to produce one dial or several months.
"The art of enamel is also the school of humility," Porchet philosophizes. "The beauty of the enamel is revealed through the fire. This is a sensitive, delicate and difficult stage, as everything you worked on can be destroyed within a couple of seconds. If that happens, you just have to start again."
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