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Piaget Develops Movement Fusing Mechanical and Quartz Technology

While widely known as a jeweler, Piaget is also a manufacture capable of producing its own timepieces. With the new "Piaget Emperador Coussin" 700P, the brand has achieved a new feat by combining traditional Swiss mechanical watchmaking expertise with cutting-edge technology. It has developed a mechanism that fuses the advantages of both mechanical and quartz watches, storing power for the timepiece through its wear on the wrist.

By Akinori Kawata

An Homage to Piaget's Quartz Watch History

Among Piaget's new releases at SIHH 2016, the "Piaget Emperador Coussin" 700P immediately captured our editorial team's attention. This model serves as a testament to Piaget's excellence as a manufacture and its prowess in development.

In 1976, Piaget developed its own quartz movement. At a mere 3.1mm thick, it was the thinnest quartz movement of its time. Since then, Piaget has maintained its own production line for quartz movements, incorporating them not only into men's models but also into ladies' and jewelry watches.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its first quartz movement, the "7P," Piaget has introduced a concept model equipped with the groundbreaking new "700P" movement.

Self-Generating Power Controls Quartz Regulating Mechanism

The fundamental principle behind the new "Piaget Emperador Coussin" 700P is inspired by a concept patented in Switzerland in 1972. First, a mainspring drives the gear train of a mechanical watch.

The electricity generated by a rotor at the end of the gear train activates an integrated circuit, which in turn controls the rotor's movement. The rotor oscillates at 5.33 revolutions per second. This regulating action affects the gear train, causing the minute wheel to complete one rotation per hour.

The realization of this mechanism required two years of research and resulted in approximately ten patentable technologies, underscoring its exceptional originality. We eagerly anticipate further developments in this Swiss-born hybrid mechanism, merging mechanical and quartz principles, beyond this limited edition of 118 pieces.