At the annual watches and miracles in Geneva this week, few brands are expected to introduce new designs. Luxury watchmakers recently consolidated collections around classics, reduced the number of models and focused on best selling. Some analysts have called it a “flight to quality” as the Industrial battles falling turnover.
However, one brand intends to take that trend. At the fair, Piaget is to introduce Sixie, a small trapezoid bracelet watch inspired by one of his designs from the late sixties.
Piaget’s Chief Executive, Benjamin Comar, said he believed that the unconventional form would attract new buyers. “Some customers will discover Piaget and how distinctive we are in this market,” he said.
Stéphanie Sivrière, artistic director of Piaget, described the 29-Millimeter Sixtie as ‘The Little Sister of the Andy Warhol Watch’, referring to the larger Piaget of cushion shape that the pop artist wore in the 1970s and who re-introduced Piaget, with the Warhol name, with the Warhol name. She added that the two can be considered as “a few offer of vintage piaget watches: his and hers.”
Sixtie, hopes the brand, will keep the momentum that Piaget generated during the 150th anniversary last year. (Richemont, the owner of Piaget, does not reveal the income of individual brands.)
“It was a very good year for us to make contact with the customer about the identity, culture and history of Piaget, which was a bit forgotten,” said Mr. Comar. “With products such as the Polo 79, the High Jewelry Collection and the Andy Warhol Collection, we showed what Piaget is about. That was what we wanted to do.”
Mr. Comar said the battery-driven quartz Sixtie had a specific role to play. “There is room in our reach for a more daily watch,” he said. “Sixie is still very refined, but it is a daily watch in the Jewelry Watch section.” The entry -level model, at $ 11,500, has a stainless steel cupboard and bracelet and a bezel set with 51 brilliant cut diamonds.
Although the name can be new, the Sixie Design is derived from a made by Jean-Claude Gueit, the celebrated designer who has taken over control over the design department of Piaget after his employer, the Goldsmith Ponti, Gennari & Co., the brand took over in 1967. He revitalized with Asmymmmet, playing the piaget, playing the piaget, playing the piaget, playing the piaget, playing the piaget, playing the piaget, Create.
At Piaget, the trapezoidal shape of Sixtie was first seen in 1969 in both wrist watches and sautoirs, the long, decorative chains that sometimes contain several watchdants. The new Sixtie collection is to record a Golden Sautoir set with a single watch hanger set with diamonds (it is expected to be around $ 300,000).
Sixtie said Sixtie was not explicitly focused on women. “We think it will mainly be women who buy this watch,” he said. “But our customers are free to wear what they want, so I am not saying it is a ladies watch: it is a small model watch.”
Mr. Comar said he had faith in the success of the model, even while the watch market was Prediction to contract again this year. “It’s not a gamble,” he said. “If you launch a line, it’s not for a year, it’s long.”
