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Andy Warhol is best known for Campbell’s soup cans, but he was also something much cooler: a tastemaker in the watch world. People still like to talk about the fact that he never set the time his Cartier tank. A few of his Patek Philippe pieces have yielded more than six figures at auction. And decades earlier Piaget came back in style in 2024Warhol was known for his handsome, cushion-shaped watch from the Parisian jeweler known as the Black Tie. Now celebrating its 150th anniversary, Piaget officially relaunches the model as Andy Warhol, in honor of the artist who made it famous.
Actually, Piaget just simplifies things collectors with this rebranding: on the secondary market, the Black Tie is already commonly referred to as the Andy Warhol. Despite the new name, the watch itself didn’t exactly languish in Piaget’s archives for decades; it had been in production for some time before this relaunch, with three variants of the model available in the brand’s catalog (although these ‘were not previously offered to customers online). In addition to the new name, the Andy Warhol line will receive a more robust personalization program – something that is closely aligned with the heart of Piaget watchmaking. The newly named collection kicks off with a single model, the Clou de Paris.
The bulbous, oversized Andy Warhol – one of Piaget’s most recognizable case shapes outside of the Polo – was first introduced in 1972 to house the Beta 21 movement, the very first quartz movement developed by and for the Swiss luxury players. when designing the oversized watch. Brands such as RolexPatek, Omega, IWCand Piaget worked together to produce the movement and they all went on to use it in their watches. The problem is that the Beta 21 was positive beastlyforcing the companies to come up with creative ways to hide its mass. With the Black Tie, Piaget came up with perhaps the most elegant solution: a stepped case that turned the thickness of the watch into a handsome design.
Warhol bought his Black Tie in 1973. It is one of seven Piaget watches that we know the artist owned. including the Polo and a ref. 9088 (a secret watch hidden in a block of gold!). Warhol’s horological legacy, like his work, is a bit strange. He had So many watches: Piagets, Cartiers, Rolexes and Patek Philippes. A year after his death, Sotheby’s has auctioned 313 watches which were found in his home in New York. But despite his status as a prolific collector, the artist is largely associated with the Tank in the public imagination. However, it is this gentle Piaget that has been most closely associated with his name in serious watch circles for years.
The first new Andy Warhol is the final boss of stone dial Piagets. These types of watches are very popular this year, thanks in large part to a rise in demand for the brand’s vintage pieces. Piaget’s new Clous de Paris will look just as good on Instagram (or better yet, in person!) as those throwbacks. The defining feature of the new example is the large blue meteorite dial. Here the large case is an advantage: it gives Piaget a larger canvas so that the beautiful stone can really sing. The watch takes its name from the design on the bezel, which is finished with a series of small pyramid-shaped bumps – a pattern known as… Clous de Paris, of course.
Along with the release of this watch, Piaget is also renewing its historically important customization program. The brand’s vintage pieces are known for being almost one of a kind. Piaget rarely called its watches Polo until 1979, instead letting customers create unique pieces. Collectors can personalize the new Andy Warhol with 10 different types of stone dials and tinker with the straps, hands and case materials. Piaget has already composed one the most impressive 2024s among watch brandsand this new Andy Warhol ends his red-hot year in style.