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Piaget Limelight
Ref. G0A42151
The Limelight Gala is Piaget doing what it has always done best: treating the case itself as a jewellery object rather than a container for a movement. The silhouette here is built around a pair of elongated, sweeping lugs that arc away from the round case without a visible break, and the crown is hidden entirely to avoid interrupting that line. Sixty brilliant-cut diamonds, just under a carat in total, run across the bezel and continue into those lugs, so the set stones and the gold read as one unbroken curve. At 7mm thin, the case disappears against the wrist in a way that a conventional round watch at this diameter would not — the proportions push it decisively toward jewellery, and the white satin strap reinforces that. The buckle is rose gold set with a single diamond, which is a considered finish: not a detail most owners will see every day, but one that closes the piece properly when they do.
- Reference
- G0A42151
- Brand
- Piaget
- Case size
- 26mm
- Case thickness
- 7mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- Piaget Calibre 59P
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- White
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Piaget
Georges Piaget set up a workshop on the family farm in La Côte-aux-Fées in 1874, producing movements for other houses. The name did not appear on dials until 1943, and the decision that defined the company came a decade later.
In 1957 Piaget released the calibre 9P, a hand-wound movement two millimetres thick. The 12P automatic followed in 1960 at 2.3mm, then the thinnest automatic in the world. Thinness became the house obsession and its competitive territory, pursued through decades of records and continuing in the Altiplano line — including complete watches, case and all, under four millimetres.
Extreme thinness forced Piaget into a distinctive aesthetic. There was no room for conventional dials, so the company used hardstone: lapis, opal, turquoise, tiger's eye. The 1960s and 70s cuff watches, with woven gold bracelets and gem-set bezels, made Piaget as much a jeweller as a watchmaker, and the Polo of 1979 gave it an integrated gold sports watch of its own.
The company remained family-run until 1988, when it was acquired by Cartier — later folded into Richemont — and it continues to manufacture ultra-thin calibres at La Côte-aux-Fées while assembling and gem-setting in Geneva.
- 1874
- Georges Piaget founds the workshop at La Côte-aux-Fées.
- 1943
- The Piaget name is registered as a brand.
- 1957
- The 9P sets an ultra-thin benchmark at 2mm.
- 1960
- The 12P becomes the thinnest automatic movement.
- 1979
- The Polo launches.
- 1988
- Acquired by Cartier, later Richemont.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Watches Under 37mm (1,305), Women's Watches (1,217), Silver Dial Watches (553) and Solid Gold Watches (112).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 26mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | G0A42151 | O42855266004001 | L52007716 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £23,400 | £23,900 | £22,850 |
| Case size | 26mm | 26mm | 29mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Mesh bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £23,400. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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