Founded in 1874 by a young 19-year-old in the village of La Côte-aux-Fées, Piaget was originally nothing but a means for Georges Piaget to earn some extra money as he worked on movements and watches during the winter. After decades of producing watches for other brands, it was not until 1943 that the watchmaker would begin to sign their own watches and develop as the famed watchmaker that they are today. From then on, Piaget began to experiment with ultra-thin watches and push both horological and design boundaries, which eventually led to the brand expanding into jewelry in 1959, perhaps the brand’s best-known avenue today. With their impeccable craftsmanship, audacious style, and dedication to the spectacular, Piaget’s timepieces and jewelry began to coalesce, resulting in timepieces much like the ref. 861C701 that we have here. A member of the Polo collection that launched in 1979 as models like the Nautilus, Royal Oak, 222 and more took off, the ref. 861C701 in an integrated bracelet timepiece with a luxurious flair befitting for a watchmaker turned jeweller like Piaget. With its gadroon-laced design (the horizontal bars), sleek integrated bracelet, thin case and elegant finishing, the Polo quickly became a cult-hero, and today it has enjoyed an immense increase in popularity thanks to the recent launch of a new Polo collection from Piaget.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Surfaces have minor signs of wear, with small marks and scratches visible. Dial is excellent with little to no signs of wear. The watch is currently sized to fit a 6 1/4" wrist, and includes an additional 2 links.

An icon of design that is growing in status as a piece of horological design, the Polo has gone from relative obscurity to a mainstream fan-favourite in no time thanks to Piaget's realisation that the collection deserved more attention than they have given it in the past.