Crafting Angry Olivia: The Piguet Family
The Piguet family is a prominent family originally from Switzerland — a small country celebrated for its concentration of master watchmakers, crafters of some of the most luxurious timepieces in the world.
Etienne Piguet’s decision to move to Gainford was driven by two things: the town’s growing population of wealthy patrons and its quiet, peaceful atmosphere, which he believed would help his son, Jacques Piguet II, recover his health. Little is known about Jacques’ anxiety crises beyond a few trusted staff members and Etienne himself. At first, the father believed that being stricter with his son would strengthen him, continually raising expectations in the hope that Jacques would improve. But one night before of a ski competition, Jacques collapsed. The ever-growing pressure from his father and grandparents had triggered a severe asthma attack, causing him to faint. Seeing his son unconscious before him changed Etienne’s heart and convinced him that Jacques needed a calmer, softer environment.
The decision to leave Switzerland was not an easy one. Etienne’s father, Jacques I, called him weak for allowing “a simple breathing issue” to drive him away from his duty. A heated argument followed, during which Etienne accused his father of being the true cause of his son’s suffering. The anxiety that plagued Jacques mirrored what Etienne himself had endured as a child. Unlike his son, however, Etienne had never been given the chance to escape. He had learned to hide his feelings, to bury them deep until expressing emotion became impossible. He did not want his son to become like him — a cold, composed man who bottled everything inside while forcing a polite smile on the surface. A Piguet man, as his father always said, never cries.
Life in Gainford proved challenging from the start. Only a handful of Black families had managed to attain and maintain such vast fortunes. In Switzerland, the Piguets had been celebrated for their success and for the artistry of their timepieces. Elsewhere, however, they were not always met with the same admiration. During their journey to Paris, the Piguets endured cutting remarks, suspicious glances, and overt prejudice. Etienne had grown used to it; Jacques had not. He had lived within a protective bubble among other prominent families, where wealth acted as a shield. Outside that bubble, the world was far harsher.
Everything changed upon their arrival in Gainford. There, Jacques met Olivia — a friendship that would come to shape not only their own lives but also the intertwined destinies of both the Piguet and Bell families.