Luxury watchmaker Piaget has unveiled a remarkable timepiece that merges high-end craftsmanship with iconic pop art, drawing inspiration from Andy Warhol's 1986 Self-Portrait for its new Collage watch. The Swiss manufacturer spent six months studying Warhol's work and archives to create this unique interpretation, which transforms the structure and color composition of the renowned artist's portrait into a functional wearable art piece.
The watch's dial showcases an innovative stone marquetry technique, where skilled craftsmen arrange small pieces of inlaid stone to form an intricate image reminiscent of Warhol's abstract composition. The base of the dial is crafted from black onyx, the same material used in Warhol's personal Piaget watch from 1973, creating a meaningful connection between the artist and the brand. This black backdrop mirrors the solid black background that became a signature element of Warhol's final self-portrait series.
Many design elements of the Collage watch directly reference the relationship between Andy Warhol and Piaget. The case is made from 18-carat yellow gold, specifically matching the watch model that Warhol himself owned, making this gold case unique to the Collage model and distinct from Piaget's standard Andy Warhol collection. The caseback continues this collaborative theme with an engraved outline of the artist's 1986 self-portrait, alongside both the Piaget logo and Warhol's signature.
The intricate dial work involves layering thin slices of precious stones over the black onyx base, including Namibian serpentine, pink opal, and chrysoprase. These materials create a colorful pattern that alludes to the shifting film colors found in Warhol's self-portrait, requiring manual cutting and adjustment of each mineral fragment due to variations in natural hardness and thickness. The meticulous process demands exceptional skill from craftsmen who must hand-assemble each piece.
Inside the Collage watch, Piaget incorporates its in-house 501P1 self-winding mechanical caliber, providing the timepiece with a 40-hour power reserve. Each watch is assembled by hand at Piaget's Swiss manufacture, with processes including gem-setting, engraving, and final calibration. The company is producing only 50 pieces of this limited edition, though collectors can customize their timepiece by selecting different combinations of dial stones or changing the color and texture of the leather strap.
Warhol's 1986 Self-Portrait series, often referred to as the "Fright Wig" series, holds particular significance as it was the artist's final major project before his death in 1987. The series originated from a commission by Anthony d'Offay, Warhol's London gallerist, who requested new self-portraits for an exhibition. Warhol completed the works in 1986, and they were displayed in London that same year, becoming his last self-portraits.
The artistic process behind the original series began with Polaroid photographs of Warhol wearing his distinctive silver wig, which served as the foundation for subsequent silkscreen prints on canvas. Warhol employed synthetic polymer and acrylic paints combined with silkscreen ink, merging industrial printing techniques with hand-applied color. Notably, he departed from his usual compositional format for this series, showing only his face in extreme close-up without including the neck or shoulders, creating an intimate and haunting final statement that fills the entire frame against the stark black background that now inspires Piaget's horological tribute.
