Of the storied Swiss watchmaking houses, few were quick to pivot to quartz when the writing was on the wall in the early 1970s.
One exception was Piaget. Despite its founding in 1874 as a movement manufacturer — and its reputation as a designer and producer of ultra-thin calibers, in particular — Piaget released its first quartz movement, the Calibre 7P, in 1976. This pivot to battery-powered technology, and the brand’s specialization in ultra-thin movements, no doubt had an impact on its ability to weather the quartz storm.
The particular Piaget dress watch we have here is an example of the maison’s quartz watches from that period. Dating to the 1970s, it’s a thin, handsome piece whose clean lines are unbroken by the presence of a conventional crown. (A small wheel on the caseback sets the hands.)
It features a 32mm 18K yellow gold ‘stepped’ case with a mineral crystal, a lovely sunburst 'champagne' dial with applied indices and a matching ‘dauphine’ handset, and black leather strap with a matching signed yellow gold pin buckle.
Powered by a reliable quartz movement, this piece is suitable for almost any wrist and makes for an absolutely perfect option for a grab-and-go dress occasion.
It’s a design-focused piece that nevertheless boasts some serious horological chops — just not mechanical ones!