There are easier ways to interview a CEO. Over coffee, across a table, with a recorder running and questions lined up in advance.

Instead, I found myself mid-game of backgammon with Benjamin Comar, the sound of dice cutting through the conversation. It was my first time playing the game, which probably showed.

Comar, who took the helm of Piaget in 2021, brings with him a deep understanding of both watchmaking and jewellery, an alignment that feels particularly fitting. It felt appropriate as Piaget has never quite played by the same rules. A watchmaker at its core, but one that chose to express itself through jewellery, form, and colour.

Like the game itself, nothing is rushed. Moves are considered, but never forced. Instinct matters, and knowing when to act is just as important as knowing when to wait.

TC: How did your love for backgammon begin?

BC: I discovered it many years ago, on holiday. I’ve always enjoyed chess, but one summer someone introduced me to backgammon and I was immediately drawn to it.

"There’s an elegance to the board, but also a depth to the strategy."

For me, it’s also a way to clear the mind. The game, like the watches, reveals itself slowly. Nothing is rushed, everything is considered.

Piaget Andy Warhol watch, in rose gold with Malachite dial

TC: Backgammon is a game of both strategy and instinct. Do you see any parallels with how Piaget approaches watchmaking?

BC: There are definitely parallels. Like backgammon, luxury is never totally rational. At Piaget, instinct plays an important role.

"Beyond technique, it’s about knowing when something feels right."

TC: Piaget has always stood slightly apart. Do you see the maison first as a watchmaker that embraced jewellery, or a jeweller that mastered watchmaking?

BC: Historically, we are watchmakers who became jewellers. That duality is essential to Piaget. It is the precision of watchmaking combined with the creative freedom of jewellery. Neither exists without the other.

There is always a sense that decisions are not purely technical. They are felt as much as they are engineered.

Piaget Polo 79, 38mm in yellow gold

TC: Many brands express heritage through complications. Piaget often expresses it through form. What do you believe Piaget does better than anyone else?

BC: We often draw from our archives, including themes of Nature, Fashion, and Art. What sets Piaget apart is not the inspiration, but the execution. Our goldsmithing, our use of colour, and our stylisation are what distinguish us. Techniques like Decor Palace, introduced in the 1960s, remain signatures today.

Then there is our use of ornamental stones. Whether used alone or combined with precious stones, they allow us to create compositions that are both bold and innovative.

TC: Why has Piaget remained so committed to ultra-thin watchmaking?

BC: Ultra-thin watchmaking has been part of Piaget’s identity for decades. The 9P in 1957, followed by the 12P in 1960, changed what was possible.

"Thinness gave us freedom. It allowed us to explore design in ways others could not, especially with the integration of ornamental stones."

At Piaget, technique always serves aesthetics. Thinness, here, is not an end. It is a tool. One that allows form to take centre stage.

TC: What does thinness allow Piaget to express that thicker watches cannot?

BC: Thinness changes the relationship between the watch and the wearer. It allows for lightness, comfort, and fluidity. The watch becomes something that fits naturally into daily life, almost like a second skin. That sense of ease is very important to us.

TC: Is there a point where pursuing further slimness no longer adds value?

BC: Of course. It is not about breaking records. For us, it is always about the wearer. A watch should be bold, but also wearable. Thinness is only meaningful if it serves that purpose.

Piaget Polo 79 in white and yellow gold

TC: Piaget’s watches often make complexity look effortless. Is there a risk that the technical depth goes unnoticed?

BC: The technical side is not something we need to prove. Those who understand it, understand it. And for them, it becomes something quite special, almost like being part of a secret.

There is a quiet confidence in that idea. Piaget does not demand attention. It rewards those who choose to look closer.

TC: What would you say to a collector who overlooks Piaget when discussing fine watchmaking?

BC: Piaget is quite unique in that sense. As Yves Piaget used to say, a Piaget watch is first and foremost a piece of jewellery. That philosophy still defines us today.

Take something like the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon. The challenge is not just technical, it is artistic. Integrating ornamental stones into an ultra-thin movement requires an extraordinary level of mastery. We do both, entirely in-house. We are not just making thinner watches. We are creating something fundamentally more expressive. It is this balance between technique and artistry that makes Piaget what it is.

A pair of stone dial Andy Warhols, Onyx and Malachite

TC: Piaget has a long history of bold colours, ornamental stones, and unconventional shapes. How do you ensure that flair never becomes excess?

BC: By staying true to who we are. At Piaget, we often work with materials that are inherently rare and imperfect. Rather than correcting them, we embrace those qualities and turn them into something unique.

We also do not produce for volume. The availability of stones often determines how many pieces we can make. That natural limitation creates a stronger emotional connection with the object.

TC: In a world increasingly driven by technical spectacle, what does elegance mean to Piaget today?

BC: For me, it comes down to what we call “Extraleganza.” It is the balance between refinement and boldness. On one hand, there is craftsmanship. Ultra-thin watchmaking, goldsmithing, and gem-setting are all executed to the highest level.

On the other, there is freedom. The willingness to experiment with form, colour, and materials in a way that feels expressive and modern. It is that duality that sits at the heart of Piaget today.

By the end of the game (which ended in my defeat), the pattern was clear.

Piaget has never been in a hurry to win on volume or spectacle. It operates with a different kind of confidence. One rooted in balance, restraint, and a clear sense of identity.

Like backgammon, it is a game of timing. Of knowing when to move, and when to hold back. And perhaps that is where true elegance lies.

-FIN-