Piaget’s 1960s-inspired pebble watches swing into Watches and Wonders 2026
The brand releases the Swinging Pebbles collection of pendant watches in three colourful stones
In 1969, Piaget rethought the parameters of watch-wearing, introducing the ‘21st Century Collection’, where watches swung gracefully from long gold chains. Worn looped around the neck, the watches, with their ornamental stone dials, were first and foremost vivid pieces of jewellery, encapsulating Yves Piaget’s philosophy that blended both disciplines.
Now, at Watches and Wonders 2026, these swinging sautoirs are making a comeback as the Swinging Pebbles collection, with three pieces crafted in three stones, tiger’s eye, verdite and pietersite.
For Piaget, now feels like the right time to revisit the bold and fluid spirit of the original. ‘At Piaget, ornamental stones are at the heart of what we do, sometimes literally, with creations such as the Swinging Pebble, made entirely from tiger’s eye, verdite or pietersite,’ says Piaget creative director Stéphanie Sivrière. ‘I actually found the inspiration while going through our archives; in the early 1970s, our artisans made a so-called kimono pocket watch, especially designed for the Japanese market. It was sculpted from malachite; it was bold, flamboyant and singular – very Piaget.’
Each of these new pendant watches is sculpted from a single stone, before being hollowed out for the insertion of the movement, and then smoothed over with the portion of stone that is left. ‘This year, it is all about the art of colour for us; this is why I chose three ornamental stones with distinct colour,’ Sivrière adds. ‘The main challenge was to find a way to make it look seamless.’
