THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: PIAGET
MODEL: 15968
YEAR: c1990
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 33MM
CASE MATERIAL: 18K YELLOW GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
Founded in 1874 by Georges-Édouard Piaget in the village of La Côte-aux-Fées, Switzerland, Piaget began as a small workshop dedicated to crafting high-precision watch movements. By the mid-twentieth century, under the leadership of the founder’s descendants, Piaget had begun producing watches under its own name, transitioning from a movement supplier to a fully fledged luxury watchmaker.
Piaget has long been synonymous with ultra-thin watchmaking. The calibre 9P, introduced in 1957, and the calibre 12P, launched in 1960, were the thinnest mechanical and automatic movements of their respective eras. The manufacture also supplied movements and technical expertise to some of Switzerland’s most prestigious watchmakers. Many Cartier watches from the 1970s, for example, were powered by Piaget-based calibres.
Like many Swiss brands, Piaget was affected by the Quartz Crisis and shifted much of its focus during the 1980s towards high-end quartz watches, with collections such as the Polo proving particularly successful. Nevertheless, it never abandoned its mechanical roots. Quietly, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Piaget continued to develop elegant mechanical watches, preserving the expertise that had defined the brand for generations.
The ref. 15968 here is easily one of the most beautiful examples. It features a 33 mm case that is just 6 mm thick, thanks to the ultra-thin calibre 1050P movement. Despite being a time-only watch, the design is anything but simple. The stepped bezel, coin-edge crown, sector-style guilloché dial, Roman numeral hour track, and railway minute track all work together in perfect harmony.
The watch remains in wonderful condition after three decades of life, with gentle patina to the dial and only faint marks that are commonly seen on these Piagets. The movement came to us in great health and is running beautifully at +2 s/d, with 269° amplitude and a 0.2 ms beat error.
These neo-vintage mechanical watches have finally begun receiving the attention they deserve. Hidden gems like this—and pieces such as Blancpain’s Six Masterpieces—continue to offer remarkable value, with prices that remain surprisingly approachable.