Piaget Emperador Cushion watch

The latest incarnation of Piaget’s virtuosity in the art of the ultra-thin since 1957, the Piaget Emperador cushion-shaped self-winding minute repeater attains a double record for thinness in its category: 4.8 mm for the movement and 9.4 mm for the case. Its extraordinarily pure and intense gong, embracing three virtually-harmonic partials, brilliantly heralds Piaget’s arrival in the world of minute repeaters. This timepiece meets a threefold objective: uncompromising technical mastery, the finest acoustics, and aesthetics focused on exceptional finishes. The case, which is in perfect harmony with the complication, features wisely-orchestrated architecture that highlights the structure of the cushion and rounded shapes – the genuine hallmark of Black Tie luxury watches. This ever-so-refined masterpiece, which epitomizes the pure harmony of watchmaking art, incomparable thinness and exceptional design, perpetuates Piaget’s unwritten rule of excellence.

Expressing Piaget’s insatiable quest to be the finest watchmaker, the 1290P movement is adorned with an unprecedented level of hand-crafted finishes. Designed around the 1200P movement – the thinnest self-winding movement in the world – it reveals an incredible 4.8 mm depth, and, thus, beats the world record for thinness in its category. Benefiting from 407 components, it centre stages extraordinary miniaturization and makes no concession whatsoever on acoustics or technical reliability. An exercise of extreme prowess, some of its wheels are only 0.12 mm thick, barely more than a hair (0.08 mm). Its micro-rotor was crafted in platinum to provide optimal winding power in the minimum thickness possible. The desire to go even further beyond the boundaries of the extra-thin also led to specific design choices, like showcasing the hammers on the bridge-side and reversing the bolting system, which buckles downwards instead of upwards. Precision has not been forgotten either, as the 1290P movement integrates a surprise-piece device. This ensures an optimal hour jump at the end of the 59th minute, so that the striking mechanism can indicate the exact time to the nearest second.

Stemming from a subtle blend of tradition and innovation, the aesthetic design of the 1290P movement offers unprecedented balance. The movement boasts a wealth of decoration that requires the highest level of expertise from Piaget’s best craftsmen: finely hand-drawn, hand-filed, bevelled bridges, sunburst or circular satin-brushed wheels, rose-gold toned oscillating weight and screws, mirror-polished finishes. The overall effect is enhanced by a sapphire crystal dial, engraved with Piaget’s motto “Always do better than necessary”, and through which the remarkable quality of execution of this exceptional movement can be admired.

*Piaget luxury watches and jewellery are individually produced and thus the weight and carats of each product can vary from the displayed data.

1290P Movement