Watchmaking maison Piaget and The Andy Warhol Museum have unveiled the "Andy Warhol Watch 'Collage' Limited Edition," inspired by the works of the pop art master. Produced in a strictly limited run of just 50 pieces, this timepiece is truly a work of art.

Andy Warhol was a visual artist who spearheaded the pop art movement in the 1950s and 60s. He was also known as an avid collector, amassing a wide range of items from everyday objects to fine art.

Watches were also part of his collection, and he purchased seven Piaget timepieces throughout his life. Among them, the cushion-shaped Model 15102, acquired in 1973, is particularly famous.

Upon his death in 1987, his collection reportedly comprised over 300 watches.

At an auction held at Sotheby's in New York the following year, Piaget repurchased four watches, which were then housed in a private Swiss collection. Among these was the 45mm Model 15102, designed by Jean-Claude Gueit, Piaget's Creative Director at the time, and produced in a limited series from 1972 to 1977.

This model was later renamed "Black Tie" and reissued in 2014 to commemorate Piaget's 140th anniversary.

Then, in the autumn of 2024, Piaget established its first official partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum, formally naming this legendary watch the "Andy Warhol Watch." It was a moment that officially cemented the long-standing relationship between the two.

The "Collage" Limited Edition, unveiled today, draws its design inspiration from Warhol's iconic Polaroid self-portrait collages, taken in 1986. Piaget's current Creative Director, Stéphanie Sivrière, and her team dedicated six months to studying Warhol's work for this collaboration.

"Faced with such a vast body of work, I didn't know where to begin," Sivrière recalls. Among Warhol's diverse masterpieces – bananas, soup cans, Marilyn Monroe – the challenge was to select what to feature. The team traveled to New York, delved into the Foundation's archives, visited exhibitions, and consulted numerous books.

"We wanted to create something that felt like Warhol, but without being too literal. Our aim was to suggest, not to show," she explains. The Foundation encouraged Piaget to interpret Warhol's work through its own expressive and unconventional style.

For the first year of their partnership, both parties agreed to focus on "color," a distinctive element in Warhol's oeuvre. His work often incorporated vibrant, striking commercial art elements created for marketing and advertising, and his use of color became the key to expressing his essence.

The dial features the traditional Métiers d'Art marquetry technique, akin to parquetry. The base is black onyx, mirroring the watch Warhol himself owned in 1973, onto which thin slices of Namibian yellow serpentine, pink opal, and green chrysoprase are meticulously shaped, cut, and arranged.

The colors created by the four ornamental stones form a vibrant composition that evokes Warhol's Polaroid collages.

The case is crafted from 45mm stepped 18K yellow gold, a material chosen as a homage to the model Warhol owned. This is a unique specification for this particular creation and is not used in the standard Andy Warhol Watch collection.

The case back features a vertical satin finish and is engraved with Andy Warhol's self-portrait, which served as the basis for the dial design. The Piaget logo and Warhol's signature are also inscribed, emphasizing the fusion of Piaget's and Warhol's aesthetic sensibilities.

The movement is the in-house 501P1 automatic caliber. This slim movement boasts a 40-hour power reserve and is adorned with a circular Côtes de Genève decoration.

A deep, understated green leather strap complements the beauty of the pink gold case and the vibrant dial, completing a harmonious color palette.

For over 150 years, Piaget has presented numerous watch and jewelry collections inspired by the creative arts. Piaget's designs, which masterfully blend the delicate, elusive beauty of artistic craftsmanship with the brilliance of precise watchmaking, have consistently captivated discerning patrons in the art world.

In this collaboration, Piaget eschewed a simplistic approach in favor of meticulous research and a profound understanding of the artwork. This timepiece is a rare creation, born from the maison's respect and affection for art, combined with Warhol's free and bold spirit.