After a while, many watches start to look the same. Speaking personally, it takes something special for a timepiece to get lodged in my brain. Honestly, I’m lucky if there’s a half a dozen watches from any given year that get locked in. Having said that, I vividly remember where I was when I first saw the Piaget Black Tie ‘Vintage Inspiration’ — it was in the labyrinthine back rooms of SIHH in 2015. I was there, likely for a 30-minute appointment, modelling watches as they were frantically photographed. The Black Tie was low on the list of priorities. It had been announced the year before, and the tray in front of me was likely full of Altiplanos, with this vintage-inspired oddity left on the end as an ‘in-case-you-have time’ option. And boy, once I spotted it, I was sure we’d make time for it. It was quite unlike anything else at the fair. 2015 was peak vintage, sure, but everyone else was making mid-century-inspired dive watches and the like. This stepped, flattened ziggurat of 1970s design was exceptional, not just as an object, but for how well it worked on the wrist. Now, 10 years after that initial reissue, the sculptural, post-modern interpretation of Art Deco design has a new name and is the star of Piaget’s show.

Thanks to a freshly inked partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the watch formally known as the Black Tie is now the Andy Warhol watch, and the first release under this new nomenclature is the Andy Warhol Clou de Paris watch — which adds even more sculptural elements to this remarkable design.

Andy Warhol and Piaget

If you’re not overly familiar with the lore of Paiget, you might well be asking yourself — why Andy Warhol? The answer is simple enough — the renowned pioneer of pop art was a fan of the brand.

He owned seven Piaget watches (four of which are safely within the Piaget museum) and acquired the original Black Tie (which now bears his name) in 1973. For Warhol, Piaget was a perfect fit. At that time, Piaget was the height of cool — with novel, chic designs that perfectly encapsulated the excitement and opulence of the new money and the jet set. it was a brand worn by everyone from Elvis to Jackie Kennedy. Warhol, of course, was famously obsessed with cultural capital, fame and popular culture — so Piaget was the perfect fit.

Warhol first met Yves Piaget in New York in 1979, and the two struck it off, quickly enmeshing himself as a member of the Piaget Society, Yves Piaget’s coterie of clients and celebrities that quickly became a signature feature of the brand. The Piaget Society was 1980s extravagance in a nutshell, moving from party city to hot spot regularly, with the brand’s parties becoming the stuff of legend. Andy Warhol was part of this legend, travelling with the Society in America, from New York and Palm Beach, as well as spending time with Yves Piaget at iconic locations like Studio 54 and Chez Régine.

A Black Tie Affair

Now that the mise en scene is in place, it’s time to return to the Black Tie. The original watch, as worn by Warhol, was a totemic piece of yellow gold, a thick, softened square with no discernable lugs and a many-stepped case. As a design, it was a far cry from the slender, jewelled creations which for many are synonymous with 1970s Piaget. Of course, there’s a very good reason why this particular design was chosen: as is so often the case, form follows function. The movement inside the original Black Tie was the legendary Beta 21, Switzerland’s first quartz calibre, developed by a consortium of brands, including Piaget. This movement was large, at 6.2mm tall, so it necessitated some cunning design solutions, with Piaget’s being the stepped case, to add an illusion of slenderness. For Piaget, the thick profile of the Beta 21 was a deal-breaker, and the brand went on to develop its own quartz calibres, the first being the 7P released in 1976, a movement that would become most famous in the iconic Piaget Polo.

But the Black Tie design which was produced until 1977 in white or yellow gold, born from necessity would not be forgotten, thanks in no small part to its association with Andy Warhol.

The 2014 onyx dialled release marked the return of the Black Tie to the collection, and the large, 45mm white gold case set the tone for future releases, which have been exclusive, if not unique. In 2017 a Black Tie Vintage with an unusual Pietersite stone dial was submitted to the Only Watch charity auction. An example from a limited edition run of 18 watches from the last decade with a jade dial was sold at auction last year. There have also been several versions with a stunning malachite dial seen, and in 2023, a malachite dial Black Tie Vintage Reedition cased in yellow gold was a contender in the GPHG’s ‘Iconic’ category. Last year also cemented the status of the Black Tie as an exclusive object, with a in a series of 10 unique watches, examples of what is possible when it comes to customisation.

Without a doubt, the most stunning example of Piaget’s sculptural abilities with stone was a model with a Tiger’s Eye dial, with the stepped case clad in baguette-cut emeralds, which also appear on the dial as hour markers. The latest evolution of the line continues this tradition of boldly stylistic excellence.

The Andy Warhol Clou de Paris Watch

To celebrate the 1972’s design’s offical new designation as the Andy Warhol watch, Piaget has created a new evolution of the design, one that draws on the past and perhaps hints at the future. The case is still large, at 45mm across, and still in white gold. But rather than the now familiar stepped lugs, there’s a hobnail, or clou de Paris textured on the sloping sides of the case, adding not just a new textural element, but also a dynamic interplay of light onto the case. On top of that there’s a new dial material — one Piaget is quite familiar with. The thin slice of meteorite has been acid-etched and given a blue treatment, highlighting the unique Widmanstätten patterns — figures of nickel-iron that give the extraterrestrial material its unique look. On top of this is a simple silver handset with matching batons, along with minimal dial text. After all, there’s plenty of other elements on this watch to draw the eye. One other notable change from the original 70s models is the calibre. There’s no quartz crystals to be found in the 501P1, an in-house automatic, offering 40 hours of autonomy. A dark blue alligator strap completes the ensemble.

The new Andy Warhol Clou de Paris joins the other existing watches in the regular Andy Warhol collection, the malachite dial in pink or white gold and the onyx dial in pink gold. On top of that, it’s an opportunity to showcase the brand’s Infinitely Personal customisation concept. The meteorite stone will be joined by a further 120 ornamental stone dial options, from turquoise and malachite to less common stones like falcon eye. Beyond the dial, Piaget offers other customisation options, from the choice of strap through to baton or dauphine hands, as well as case material. This program is set to be a major focus for Piaget and Andy Warhol in the coming years, and if you’ve ever fancied the chance of owning a wearable Andy Warhol, this is your best bet.

Tech Specs: Piaget Andy Warhol Clou de Paris

Movement: 501P1 Manufacture self-winding movement
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: 45mm, white gold with a Clou de Paris finish
Dial: Blue meteorite
Strap: Dark blue alligator leather strap with white gold ardillon buckle
Price: 56,000 CHF