Really classy watches don’t need dials anymore. Piaget uses a totally transparent one for the Emperador Coussin XL Ultra-Thin Minute Repeater made out of sapphire crystal. On it are placed the golden hour markers. Aside from that this watch is all movement baby. Using Piaget’s often preferred sunburst pattern on the movement plate (which conveniently turn into minute indicators), you actually are tricked into thinking the watch is not that legible when it is in fact actually rather legible. From a distance however it just looks like a series of metal parts – which I suppose is exactly what you are looking at through the dial.

Though credit must be given to Piaget’s fine watch makers who toil to assemble the in-house made Piaget caliber 1290P automatic movement. Over 400 parts are hand-finished to produce which is of course a masterwork of difficultly. I think it is just great that Piaget was able to make the watch an automatic using a solid platinum (though black in color) micro-rotor. While the dial side of the Emperador Coussin XL Ultra-Thin Minute Repeater watch’s movement has a character all its own, the movement back is much more traditional in its design and is unmistakable a traditional Swiss watch movement.

There are a lot of “choice” Piaget watches on my list should I find myself itching for a thin dress watch. A good one would be this year’s Piaget Altiplano 40mm Date, or the larger Altiplano 43 automatic watch from a few years ago. For me those are Piaget at its best. The brand however has a much wider reach than my narrow view of them as a formal dress watch brand. If I was a woman I would be all about their jewelry watches… and jewelry. Looking once again at the Emperador Coussin XL Ultra-Thin I see a brand that wants to remind everyone that it is first and foremost a watch maker. Piaget could easily settle in to be a “step above Cartier” brand, even though Cartier stuff is pretty darn good these days. Piaget instead likes to walk both lines – of being a luxury lifestyle brand, and a self-appointed watch makers to kings and today’s equivalent there0f. The Emperador Coussin XL Ultra-Thin Minute Repeater is one of many strong symbols that represent that. piaget.com