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Piaget Tank-Style Dress Watch 18K YG (Ref. 90802) Black Dial, 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Piaget Tank-Style Dress Watch 18K YG (Ref. 90802) Black Dial, 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Piaget (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
PGT90802
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (PGT90802)
Catalogue title (original)
1970s Piaget Tank-Style Dress Watch 18K YG (Ref. 90802) Black Dial (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number PGT90802), this is a wristwatch by Piaget, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. 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 — Craft & Tailored

Piaget is widely celebrated as being one of the most creative and esoteric watchmakers, with a deep foundation in Swiss watchmaking as the brand was established in 1874. The avant-garde approach to design isn't without a rigorous dedication to quality, which is expressed through the brand's inherent comprehension of what high luxury and fine watchmaking truly are. There is a certain dignity that can only be found in a rectangular case. Something that no round case can replicate and no odd shape can imitate. The Cartier Tank is often the first to come to mind, but many others have played the rectangular game and came out equal to, or more interesting than Cartier, at least in our opinion. This ultra-thin, 18k yellow gold Piaget with a clean black dial is a faultless example. SPECS Stock # PGT90802 Brand Piaget Style Tank-Style Dress Watch Model 90802 Serial 22XXXX Size Men's / Unisex Material 18K Yellow Gold Dial Black Millimeters 23 x 29 Strap 2pc Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent 18K yellow gold tank-style case remains in very well-preserved condition, showing gentle signs of use, deep hallmarks, and no notable evidence of being previously polished. The case retains its original blue sapphire cabochon crown. The back of the case features crisp factory engravings and hallmarks. The watch comes supplied on a 2pc black leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original deep black dial is both sophisticated and mysterious, resulting in a very stylish overall aesthetic. The dial exhibits very minimal elements of age that are mostly invisible to the naked eye due to the black dial. The Piaget print remains intact, though it has slightly faded from age. The original gold dauphine hands are in excellent condition. ACCESSORIES Non. The watch is keeping time, though the service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.

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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