UNIQUE ORIGINAL AUDEMARS PIGUET PHOTO MONTAGE "GILBERT ALBERT" 1960

Unique photo montage, original silver print dating from the early 1960s, featuring the asymmetrical designs that were in vogue at the time, created by the famous designer Gilbert Albert.

Gilbert Albert, born in Geneva in 1930, was one of the most unique and poetic creators in 20th-century jewelry and watchmaking. From an early age, he developed a passion for nature and the organic forms it offers, from shells to rock fragments, crystals, and meteorites. After studying at the Beaux-Arts, he developed a profoundly original artistic approach: for him, beauty was not only found in so-called noble materials, but in everything that nature shaped over time. He introduced elements that were completely new at the time into his jewelry and watches: fossilized wood, coral, shells, fossilized ivory, meteorites, and raw rocks, which he combined with gold and precious stones. This boldness made him a pioneer.

At just 25 years old, he became head of design at Patek Philippe. Between 1955 and 1962, he revolutionized the Geneva-based company's aesthetic. He created watches that were both sculptural and asymmetrical, a far cry from classic models. His pieces resembled small works of art rather than traditional watches. His exceptional creativity earned him the City of Geneva Prize three times, an unprecedented achievement at Patek Philippe.

After this prestigious period, Omega called upon his talent. Once again, Gilbert Albert introduced new shapes, hammered or brushed gold textures, and an organic vocabulary that contrasted with more conventional watch design. The watches he designed for Omega are now particularly sought after by collectors.

His influence did not stop there. In the 1960s and 1970s, he collaborated with Audemars Piguet. Although this collaboration is less well known to the general public, it produced some of the brand's most daring pieces. True to his sculptural approach, Albert designed gold watches crafted like works of art, playing with volumes, textures, and free forms. In some of these creations, the watch seems almost secondary, integrated into an artistic ensemble where every detail has been modeled like a miniature sculpture.

At the same time, Piaget also called upon his services. The company, which was rapidly expanding into jewelry and watchmaking, found in Gilbert Albert a designer capable of pushing the aesthetic boundaries of jewelry watches even further. He created spectacular pieces in sculpted, chiseled, or cast gold, in a highly personal style. The boundary between watch and work of art disappeared completely. These creations, often unique or produced in very small series, are now considered among Piaget's most beautiful vintage pieces.

Building on these collaborations, Gilbert Albert opened his own workshop in Geneva. He devoted the rest of his life to creating free, instinctive jewelry that was deeply connected to nature. His pieces are sometimes compared to contemporary sculptures, as they express an intimate and poetic vision of the natural world. Several museums have paid tribute to him, recognizing the importance of his work in the history of design.

Gilbert Albert passed away in 2019, leaving behind an immense and profoundly unique body of work. He remains one of the few designers to have transformed jewelry and watchmaking into a true artistic language, where each material tells a story that is thousands of years old. Even today, the watches and jewelry he designed for Patek Philippe, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Piaget, and in his own workshop are among the most sought-after pieces by collectors, testifying to the audacity and genius of a creator who defies classification.

This photo was taken at the 1960 Geneva International Watch and Jewelry Fair. The Piaget model was cut out to be inserted into the photo between my two Audemars Piguet models, to create the final photo for an upcoming press article. The photo is in used condition with a few tears around the edges but looks good overall and deserves to be framed as befits a historical piece.

Here is the caption on the back: "Eye-catching new designs in watch cases stimulated great buyer appeal when unveiled at the 1960 International Watch and Jewelry Show in Geneva, Switzerland. Judged among the most attractive wrist watches on exhibit were, left, a pentagon in gold setting off the round dial; center, a dial offset by diamonds which creates the illusion that the gold mesh strap passes through the case, and right, a model facing off the strap and the pivot for hands off-center." 

Rare.

Publisher: N/A
Year of publication: Circa 1960
Materials: Glossy silver halide paper
Dimensions: Length 25.4 cm Width 20.7 cm