Piaget Limelight Gala by Shamsa Alabbar

Ahead of its appearance at the 17th edition of Art Dubai, Piaget unveils a new creation crafted in tandem with designer Shamsa Alabbar, who has brought a fresh perspective to this delicate jewelry watch.

Extravagant, yet ever so elegant... For over half a century, the stunning, shimmering curves of the Limelight Gala have set a tempo that is resolutely “Extraleganza”. Hovering between a watch and a piece of jewellery, this quintessential watch even now tailors itself to the everyday, while bringing allure to spectacular evenings. As celebrations begin to mark the Maison’s 150th anniversary, since its creation at the heart of the village of La Côte-Aux-Fées at the hands of the visionary Georges-Édouard Piaget, it is this surprising meeting of minds that Piaget has chosen to explore with a highly contemporary designer brimming with personality. A leading figure in the contemporary Arabic jewellery world, since 2013, Shamsa Alabbar has been transposing the ancient codes of the Arabian Peninsula into a series of graphic pieces in which calligraphy and typography take on a new dimension. Hemmed with gold and diamonds : this is the image that the designer is now applying to the dial of a limited-edition Limelight Gala watch.

While the mesh work, painstakingly completed by hand in Piaget’s workshops, and the lush, asymmetrical waltz of diamonds immediately bring to mind the codes of the Limelight Gala, the gaze is irresistibly drawn to this enchanting dial, which is utterly one of a kind. Inspired by the Token motif, which the designer has made her signature by weaving it through her jewellery collection, the dial also pays homage to Arabic typography and the iconic mashrabiya. Much more than a simple arabesque, the dial distils the charm of a culture that is, now more than ever, part of the zeitgeist. “Piaget has always been a brand that captivated me with its unique designs and exquisite craftsmanship. It holds cherished memories of the most significant moments in my life. Whenever I visited the Piaget flagship store at The Dubai Mall, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by their creations, particularly their watches. The opportunity to design a dial for the Gala watch feels like a surreal dream come true”, adds Shamsa Alabbar. This collaboration will be presented at Art Dubai from the 1st to the 3rd of March 2024, featuring on Piaget’s stand to celebrate gold work, one of the cornerstones of Piaget’s success.