Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Piaget White Gold Ladies, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- Piaget (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- white gold
- Dimensions
- Case 27 mm
- Stock no.
- 40991573
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40991573)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Piaget White Gold Ladies (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40991573), this is a wristwatch by Piaget, made in Switzerland, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: white gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 27 mm. 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 — Analog/Shift
For most of its existence, Piaget operated quietly behind the proverbial horology curtain, producing some of the most mechanical movements in Switzerland. But when the Piaget name was displayed on the dial, the brand embodied a distinguishable lavish style that became synonymous with a period of opulence, representative of the American dream in the 1960s and 70s, as well as those wore it –– Andy Warhol, Roger Moore, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elvis Presley, and many more. Dating to the 1980s, this particular Piaget piece, a Reference 5273, drew on that 70s language and offers a slightly darker-and-broodier 80s vibe! It is housed in a 27mm, 18k white gold case that features a triple vertical stripe finish that seamlessly translates into the dial, which displays a matte and gloss pinstripe pattern. In true Piaget fashion, the dial features a matching 'dauphine' handset and the stylized Piaget signature. It comes fitted with an original signed black leather strap and an 18k white gold pin buckle and is powered by an in-house ultra-thin automatic movement. If you’re looking for a simple, but elegant, everyday watch that won’t look out of place in any situation, then this virtually unworn Piaget certainly must make the short list. Throw this on, and go for that Working Girl look with style!
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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