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There has always been a close connection between art and fine watchmaking. And, Piaget, which for a century and a half has blended technical mastery with artistic creation, is among the few Swiss maisons to excel in this field. It is no coincidence that one of the most disruptive artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol, found in Piaget watches a means of personal expression. Today, nearly half a century after his first purchase, the Maison’s relationship with the Pop Art icon is rekindled with the new Andy Warhol Watch “Collage” Limited Edition.
Andy Warhol was a passionate watch collectorBy the time of his death in 1987, he had amassed more than 300 watches, including seven PiagetsAfter his death, his collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York, and four of his personal Piaget watches returned to Switzerland, joining the Maison’s private collection. Among them was a bold 45mm cushion-shaped model (ref. 15102), designed by Jean-Claude GueitProduced in a limited series between 1972 and 1977, the watch went down in history as the Black Tiea piece that married gold with black in an aesthetic perfectly suited to Warhol’s unconventional character.
In 2024, Piaget and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts decided to formalize a relationship that had begun half a century earlier. This gave birth to the Andy Warhol Watch, a modern interpretation of the legendary model that had so captivated the artist. Now, a year later, the partnership reaches its peak with the Andy Warhol Watch “Collage” Limited Edition, a timepiece that brings Warhol’s joy and color into an elegant wristwatch.
For Stéphanie Sivrière, Piaget’s artistic director, and her team, the challenge was considerable: they wanted to interpret Warhol without resorting to the obvious symbols of his art. No bananas, no soup cans, no Marilyn Monroe. They traveled to New York and embarked on six months of in-depth research, with exhibition visits, archive studies, and countless books dedicated to Warhol’s vast catalogue, before settling on a direction. Both parties agreed that the first year of their partnership should focus on the power of color, a fundamental element in the artist’s pop vocabulary.
“With such a wealth of material to draw on, it was extremely difficult to know where to begin,” explains Sivrière. “Should we look to one of his most famous works and iterate on a banana, a can of soup, or perhaps Marilyn Monroe? We quickly learned that we wanted to express Warhol, but without being obvious. To suggest, rather than to show. For their part, the foundation encouraged us to approach the project with freedom and to interpret Warhol in Piaget’s expressive, unbounded style. The result is a watch that tells the story of our collaboration but that stands on its own as a piece of watchmaking art, a collectible inspired by one of history’s most prolific collectors.”
The new Andy Warhol Watch “Collage” Limited Edition draws inspiration from a collage self-portrait Warhol created in 1986 using Polaroid photographs. Its dial is crafted as a marquetry composition of four ornamental stones: black onyx as the base (a nod to Warhol’s original watch), yellow Namibian serpentine, pink opal, and green chrysoprase. The result is an abstract play of colors that evokes Warhol’s explosive palette, without replicating it literally.
The imposing 45mm stepped case is made of 18K yellow gold, a direct homage to the watch the artist wore in 1973. Its tiered form emphasizes the architectural character of the design, while the green leather strap completes the picture with a mature touch of color. Inside beats the Caliber 501P1, Piaget’s automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve, decorated with the classic Côtes de Genève motif. The case closes with a solid yellow gold back, satin-finished and engraved with the Warhol self-portrait that inspired the dial.
The Andy Warhol Watch “Collage” Limited Edition will be produced in only 50 pieces, making it truly collectible. It is not merely another nod to the Maison’s archives, but a bridge between Swiss haute horlogerie and American Pop Art.
With the Collage, Piaget honors Andy Warhol not only as a collector and friend of the Maison, but also as an artist who changed the way we perceive art itself. This watch is a reminder that art can indeed fit on the wrist and become part of our everyday life—just as Warhol would have wanted.
