"Congratulations, You Found Yourself a Gem!"
Today we're chatting about the value in vintage Piaget
I’d love a stone dial Datejust. Often referred to as ‘exotic dials’ these pieces are rare, expensive af, and drop dead gorgeous. Yeah, probably a tad out of my humble price range. This, however, does not preclude me from the stone dial game.
One of the most criminally underrated markets are Piaget stone dial watches. Offered in precious metals, these pieces are in the upper echelon of quality.
…yeah, today we’re talking about the value in vintage Piaget.
Piaget is actually one of the houses that popularized both the ultra slim complication, and the stone dial watch throughout the 1970s.
Piaget, both jeweler and watchmaker, spent years manufacturing movements for other brands. I’ve even seen a vintage Tank Louis manufactured by Piaget (take a look at the 908 or 90802 references).
Piaget is definitely a sleeper brand in the vintage world, yet once you dive more into their offerings and history, it becomes even more captivating, begging the question of their seemingly unappreciated appeal.
Haute/Hawt
Two words I’d use to describe Piaget from the 1970s.
While their designs are unique, they’re incredibly their own. Piaget popularized the stone dial, and 50 years later we’re blessed with some of the most gorgeous watches to come from the decade.
Eye of the tiger
Inside, you’ll frequently find the calibers 9P and 12P. These are in-house manufactured calibers that are truly held to haute standards; still to this day, some of the thinnest movements ever produced.
Most collectors don’t know that ultra slim is technically considered a complication. This is because of the level of craftsmanship and engineering required to produce and decorate such a delicate engine.
Piaget is the master of ultra slim, and even their vintage models don’t disappoint.
Considering that these pieces are offered in solid gold with ‘exotic dials’ and high complication movements, you’d expect to pay five figures, yet most of these pieces are available below 5k, even closer to 4.
An even larger example at 34mm with a lapis dial that I helped sell for a friend
Why Are These Worth Collecting
Just like I said before, you’re getting an exotic stone dial in a solid gold case with an incredible movement backed by a major Swiss name for around $4,500 to $6,000.
Most importantly, though, they’re different than what everyone else has.
Sure, I bet there are a few articles out there about the vintage Piaget watches, yet I very rarely see them posted on Instagram, written about, let alone discussed in watch circles. This, to me, is hard to imagine considering how beautiful they are.
I think true beauty comes in eclectic style. Sure, wearing a Sub is badass, but everyone has one. Let me ask you this - what’s cooler, a guy rocking a Piaget Tiger Eye in a sea of Daytonas and Royal Oaks, or your average Sub owner? Yes, that’s a pretentious statement, assuming we can all afford these expensive watches, but you get the point I’m trying to make.
It’s in watches like these Piagets where I have the most fun in the hobby. It’s because curating them takes more than researching market value.
No, they’re so unique and rare than you need to be a collector at heart to truly appreciate their appeal, and discover where they hide. For me, buying, selling, and sourcing these watches is done purely out of passion. Similarly to the Zodiac GMT, these are passion sells, because I know they eventually end up in the hands of a deserving collector.
A watch I had when I first started this “business” - it’s a piece I wish I kept on the daily, but at the time, I couldn’t afford to. Now, I got another -
I hope this article serves as a mere display of passion, and that some of you readers can find that same spirit in these watches. This is a community after all, and it’s understandable to have different tastes.
Part of this article’s point is to push you to discover your tastes in collecting, and pursue them to find true enjoyment. Too often I see people buy a Sub to fit in, or keep their money safe when they really wanted a Fifty Fathoms - at pinaplwtchs, we urge you to not fit in, and do the complete opposite.