The Polo was Piaget’s 1980’s icon, but the vast, vast majority had a quartz movement – this is automatic. Model reference 14661 C701.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the serial number on the movement we can accurately date this watch to being made in 1980. The Polo model was launched in 1979, and 1980 was an all time high in gold prices (adjusted for inflation)
CONDITION
To understand this gold watch more you need to understand the history of gold prices. Gold had increased from £14.54 at the start of 1970 to £288.11 at the start of 1980. During the 1970’s inflation in the UK was particularly high, but over the course of the decade gold increased in price by almost 2,000 per cent. This was a major factor in the quartz crisis, as Swiss companies could not afford the base material that their watch cases were made from, forcing companies as large as Cartier to launch gold plated cases for the first time ever. Piaget customers are more comfortably off than many, so when Piaget launched the all gold Polo range of sporty watches with the bracelet that extends to the dial and watch case it was very bold. But the modern equivalent to this watch, albeit with nearly a carat of diamonds, sells for £42,000 so Piaget customers tend to have disposable income – even the certificate of authenticity states that Piaget are the “watch of the international elite”.
The Polo model was designed by Yves Piaget as the ultimate expression of the brand – watch and bracelet rather than a watch on a bracelet. It was an instant success as was spotted on the wrist of everyone from Sammy Davis Junior, Roger Moore, Andy Warhol to Ursula Andress and Brooke Sheilds. In 1980 the Piaget 8P quartz movement was launched and it was this back set quartz model that is the one you normally find, but this example has the microrotor 13P Piaget movement, making it very rare and desirable. The bracelet is quite long and our sister website, SpareLinks.com, may have extra links if required – again the bracelet on some of these watches is often too short for modern wrists, so that is a big plus. The bracelet clasp is signed on the inside, along with the stamp 750 for the gold content. On the negatives there is a pinprick mark on the glass, and a small stain on the dial near the date window at three. Both bracelet and case look to be unpolished. The box is a great piece of design in itself, and to have the box, stamped certificate from Hefik (UK Distributors for Piaget) and the hangtag with matching serial number is a real bonus.
This watch will be supplied with the original presentation box, Piaget’s Certificate of Authenticity and the hangtag.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 35.6 mm
Width without crown 34.0 mm
Lug to lug length 34.7 mm
Case Thickness 8.0 mm
Bracelet will fit a maximum wrist size of 193 mm. The bracelet can be sized for you if you give us your wrist size when placing the order.
All sizes are approximate.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.
