Piaget Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition Features Explained

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The Year of the Horse has long been associated in Chinese astrology with energy, movement and an independent spirit. It is a sign that does not sit still, that values freedom and a certain lightness of being. Piaget has been exploring this astral bestiary since 2012, translating each zodiac sign into a chapter of its Métiers d’art story. In the Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition, the Maison returns to this theme with an ultra limited series of eighteen watches, each combining its historic strength in ultra thin watchmaking with high jewellery and one of the most respected enamellers in contemporary horology, Anita Porchet.

Rather than treating the Horse as a simple motif, Piaget pushes the Altiplano platform into sculptural territory. The result is a watch that remains recognisably Altiplano in proportion and purity, yet carries a dial that feels alive with motion and layered craftsmanship.

The dial: sculpted gold, grand feu and cloisonné in relief

The centre of this piece is the dial, and Piaget approaches it as a micro sculpture in white gold. The base plate is first hand engraved in house. Under the engraver’s burin, a flowing drape appears in relief, creating a topography that will later hold the enamel and define the stage on which the horse is set. This engraved relief already gives depth before any colour is applied.

The surface is then partitioned for cloisonné enamelling. Fine gold wires are used to outline the different zones, their height and layout following the draped structure. Within these cells, grand feu enamel is laid in successive layers in shades of blue, grey and white, each firing fixing the vitreous mass at high temperature and developing the final tone. The recesses between the higher elements are filled this way, so colour sits in the hollows while the engraved ridges remain in precious metal.

On the upper planes, Piaget revives its Palace decor, a signature engraving style that has been part of the Maison’s vocabulary since the 1960s. Here, parallel strokes of the tool create a shimmering moiré effect in the gold, catching light differently as the watch moves. These areas are further emphasised by undulating lines of brilliant cut diamonds that follow the engraved pattern and contribute to the jewellery character of the watch.

The dial is also described as using paillon work. Tiny fragments of gold foil are incorporated beneath the enamel and locked under the translucent layers, giving subtle metallic flashes that appear and disappear depending on the angle. It is a detail often lost in photography yet quite striking in person.

Above this architectural and chromatic base rises the horse itself. Executed in cloisonné enamel and treated as a distinct, higher plane, the animal is captured mid leap. The tonal gradient, from deep midnight blues through cooler steel shades to bright whites on the highlights, models the musculature and neck line with surprising precision and gives the figure a strong presence without resorting to brutish contrast.

Each of the eighteen dials is produced by Anita Porchet, who has collaborated with Piaget on several of its most ambitious enamel projects. Her control of cloisonné allows very fine partitions and clean transitions between colours, which is essential when working at this scale and on a relief surface. The result is a dial that is technically complex, visually coherent and entirely in line with Piaget’s positioning at the junction of watchmaking, jewellery and decorative arts.

Time is indicated by central hours and minutes, which remain deliberately discreet so as not to disturb the composition. There is no date, no seconds display, no text on the dial beyond the signature, which reinforces the idea that this is first an artistic object and then a timekeeper.

Movement: ultra thin Calibre 830P

Behind this theatrical façade lies a familiar and respected engine, the manufacture Calibre 830P. Developed and produced in La Côte aux Fées, this hand wound ultra thin movement is one of the cornerstones of the modern Altiplano collection.

Measuring just 2.5 millimetres in thickness and 26.8 millimetres in diameter, the 830P is a compact calibre designed around two priorities: slender architecture and comfortable autonomy. It offers approximately 60 hours of power reserve, an impressive figure considering its height, and beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour, or 3 Hertz, a classical choice that suits a dress watch and eases fine regulation.

The technical layout remains sober: hours and minutes without additional complications, manual winding, with energy stored in a large barrel dimensioned to support the longer reserve. A balance with screws is used, a detail consistent with Piaget’s fine watchmaking codes. The movement comprises around 131 components and runs on 19 jewels.

Finishing is in line with the maison’s manufacture standards. The bridges are decorated with circular Côtes de Genève, their edges are bevelled and polished, and the mainplate is circular grained. Screws on the bridges are blued, adding a discreet colour accent, and the Piaget coat of arms is engraved on one of the main bridges. This type of decoration does not seek baroque excess; it aims instead for a refined, consistent language that rewards closer inspection.

Piaget’s history with ultra thin starts with the 9P in 1957 and continues through calibres such as the 12P, 430P and finally 830P, which brings that lineage into a contemporary context. In the Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition, this thinness allows the brand to maintain an elegant profile even once the case is fully set with diamonds.

Case and external elements

The Altiplano chassis is here executed in 18 carat white gold with a diameter of 41 millimetres and a total thickness of 8.3 millimetres. This keeps the watch firmly in the dress category, with a broad dial opening and relatively slim profile that sits well on the wrist despite the gem setting.

The bezel is set with baguette cut diamonds arranged in a continuous circle, framing the dial with a clear, architectural line. The lugs carry brilliant cut diamonds which follow their curve, visually extending the sparkle of the bezel onto the case middle. On the crown, Piaget places a rose cut diamond that functions as both a tactile element and a final visual accent when the light catches its domed facets.

Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM, appropriate for a watch of this nature and in line with the expectations for a high jewellery, enamel heavy piece that is not intended for aquatic use. The watch is delivered on a blue alligator leather strap that echoes the tonal range of the dial and connects to a white gold buckle, maintaining coherence between case, dial and strap.

On the wrist, the proportions feel balanced; the flatness afforded by the 830P means the gem set case does not become top heavy, and the Altiplano’s restrained lines keep attention where it belongs, on the dial.

Piaget exploring the Chinese zodiac

With the Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition, Piaget extends a series that has been exploring the Chinese zodiac for more than a decade, yet does so with a sense of fresh energy appropriate to the sign it honours. The Horse is described in the Maison’s own language as energetic and always in motion, celebrating freedom and lightness, and that sensibility runs through the watch from its sculpted dial to its ultra thin heart. This is a confluence of métiers that Piaget has cultivated for generations: stone setting, hand engraving, enamelling and the engineering of ultra thin calibres. The presence of Anita Porchet gives the piece additional weight in the eyes of collectors attuned to contemporary enamel, while the use of Palace decor and paillon ties it back to historical Piaget codes.

Limiting production to eighteen pieces and framing the watch with baguette diamonds clearly positions it within the high jewellery, high craft segment, with pricing held back and handled directly between manufacture and client. It is not a daily watch in any practical sense; it is a focused expression of what Piaget calls Extraleganza, that union of excellence and extravagance that has animated its most ambitious creations for over 150 years.

From a technical standpoint, the watch is coherent. The 830P brings genuine horological substance, with dimensions and finishing that fit the narrative of an ultra thin manufacture specialist. The case remains slim and wearable despite significant gem setting, and the dial integrates multiple decorative techniques in a way that feels intentional rather than crowded.

For enthusiasts of Piaget, of enamel art or of the Chinese zodiac theme, the Altiplano Zodiac Horse Edition is a compelling proposal. It captures a specific cultural moment, the return of the Year of the Horse, and translates it into a rare wristwatch that sits at the intersection of motion, mastery and controlled extravagance, reserved for the small number of collectors who will secure one of the eighteen examples available worldwide.