Piaget recently unveiled the Altiplano Micro-Mosaic, an ultra-thin watch with a dial featuring a mosaic rose, comprised of hundreds of tiny pieces of tinted glass.
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(1).jpg)
Mosaic is a decorative technique many centuries old, and it has recently found favour in watchmaking. Piaget uses the technique to form a delicate rose for the dial of its Altiplano Micro-Mosaic. The process beings with pieces of glass in varying colours being broken up. These smaller pieces are then melted together to form a piece in the desired shade.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a9SvQGlnmsY/UW4uaV6qd_I/AAAAAAAAMVM/rSdXD4-NEGk/s640/Piaget+Altiplano+Rose+Micro+Mosaic+%25283%2529.JPG) |
Bits of glass are broken up… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(2).jpg) |
And then heated… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(5).jpg) |
And fused… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(4).jpg) |
To create glass of the perfect colour. |
The resulting glass is then heated and stretched repeatedly, until it is exceptionally fine and thin.
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(6).jpg) |
It is then heated… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(7).jpg) |
And stretched… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(8).jpg) |
And stretched some more… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(9).jpg) |
To create the strips for the mosaic tesserae. |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(10).jpg)
Tiny pieces of this glass are then broken off to be used as tesserae in the mosaic. Each piece of glass is selected and positioned by hand, and secured with a tiny bit of cement. The shades have to be carefully chosen, in order for the final result to look as desired.
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-micro-mosaic-creation.jpg) |
The glass is selected according to colour to suit the motif… |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(13).jpg) |
And then applied piece by piece. |
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(12).jpg)
![](http://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/migrate/Piaget-Altiplano-Rose-Micro-Mosaic-(11).jpg)
The Altiplano Micro-Mosaic is a limited edition of eight pieces. The 38 mm white gold case is set with 78 diamonds of 0.7 carats. Inside is the ultra-thin 430P automatic movement. In Singapore the retail price is S$122,750, including 7% tax, which is equivalent to about US$99,600. – SJX
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