Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Piaget · Altiplano
Piaget Altiplano 43 mm Blue Ceramic
Reference 81122OR.45
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Piaget
- Collection
- Altiplano
- Model
- Piaget Altiplano 43 mm Blue Ceramic
- Reference number
- 81122OR.45
- Year / era
- 1955 · 1950s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Moon phase
- Movement
- In-house automatic, chronometer certified
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- White rubber velcro strap
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Baguette diamond rainbow
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Printed minute track with applied batons
- Bracelet / strap
- White rubber velcro strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 11F — In-house automatic, chronometer certified
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Moon phase
- Functions
- GMT second time zone, date
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1955 – 1965
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Piaget Altiplano 43 mm Blue Ceramic sits within Piaget's Altiplano line, introduced in 1955. It carries the house codes established since 1874 — ceramic case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and in-house automatic, chronometer certified — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Piaget
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1874
- Founder
- Georges-Édouard Piaget
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Luxury
- Major collections
- Polo, Altiplano, Limelight Gala, Possession, Piaget Andy Warhol
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Certified chronometer regulation · Proprietary case-hardening and polishing
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house automatic chronograph · In-house manual-winding · In-house automatic, chronometer certified
- Notable watches
- Piaget Polo 41 mm Salmon 18k (1988) · Piaget Polo 36 mm Salmon 18k (1974) · Piaget Polo 39 mm Black Ceramic (1970) · Piaget Polo 41 mm Ice Grade (1977)
Brand history
Piaget has spent more than 152 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Polo, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Georges-Édouard Piaget established Piaget in 1874, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Piaget calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1874
Georges-Édouard Piaget founds Piaget in Switzerland.
1899
Piaget earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Piaget to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Piaget enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Piaget continues to produce Polo, Altiplano, Limelight Gala and other icons in limited numbers.