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Piaget Altiplano 12406 with Lapis Lazuli Dial, 18k White Gold — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Piaget Altiplano 12406 with Lapis Lazuli Dial, 18k White Gold

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Piaget (maker)
Date
c. 1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k white gold
Stock no.
Product 15404499566868
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 15404499566868)
Catalogue title (original)
Piaget Altiplano 12406 w/Lapis Lazuli Dial - 18k White Gold (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 15404499566868), this is a wristwatch by Piaget, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k white gold. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY

Founded in 1874, Piaget occupies a rare position at the crossroads of high jewellery and fine watchmaking. Unlike most jewellery watch brands, Piaget operates a fully integrated manufacture and has historically supplied movements to elite maisons such as Cartier and Audemars Piguet, cementing its credibility as a serious movement maker. Coupled with its distinctive, design-led approach, this technical depth has earned Piaget its long-held reputation as the jeweler of the watchmaking world. On offer is an Altiplano, circa 1970s in 18k white gold. It houses a blue lapis lazuli stone dial, making for a very beautiful combination. It runs on an ultra-thin automatic 12P movement which has just gone through a complete service with our affiliate WatchCheck. Remaining in fantastic vintage condition, this piece remains extremely crisp with deep hallmarks and shows no cracks or notable wear in its stone dial. For anyone looking for an interesting dress watch that's not likely to be seen elsewhere in the wild, this piece makes for a great unisex option.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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