To kick off the 150th anniversary of the brand this year 2024, Piaget is launching the Polo 79, a reinvited version of the classic polo watch that was iconized in the 1970s. In the 1970s, Mr. Yves Piaget blended his love of horses, sport, and highlife into one single timepiece that became an icon of the glamor of the 70s and 80s and that was the Piaget Polo. The piece was equally at home at Polo matches in Palm Beach and the nightclubs of New York City like Studio 54 and on the wrist of many celebrities and friends of Mr. Piaget including Andy Warhol and Elizabeth Taylor, just to name a few.
In 1979, Piaget launched a watch that would become an icon in the 80s. With a design and construction that included alternating polished gadroons and block links that continued seamlessly from bracelet to case and even to the dial, the Piaget Polo turned into an icon very fast.
The evocation of the elite sport was entirely in keeping with the elite status enjoyed by Piaget in their Piaget Society. Now, 45 years after its first appearance, this historically significant timepiece is reborn as Piaget Polo 79 and still in keeping with today’s Zeitgeist and Piaget Society.
The 1980s Icon in Full Gold
The 1970s witnessed the arrival of several elegant sports watches, mostly in steel, launched by some of the greatest names in Swiss watchmaking. But there had been nothing like Piaget’s Polo: a masterpiece of modern design that conceived the timekeeper and bracelet as one aesthetic whole, and also in full gold.
Embracing the wrist like a second skin the bracelet was so skilfully wrought in Piaget’s workshops that it appeared to have been sculpted from a single piece of gold: ‘Piaget Polo’ may have been shock-resistant and water-resistant, but it refused to compromise on luxury and exclusivity at a time when Piaget only worked with precious metals. Advertised as ‘the world’s ultimate sports watch’, the Piaget Polo was as revolutionary as it was chic.
Above: Old advertisement from the late 1970s and 1980s
Its profile on the wrist was guaranteed by Piaget’s mastery of ultra-thin movements both mechanical and quartz. In 1976 Piaget had launched the famous 7P, at the time the thinnest quartz movement in the world, which equipped early examples of Piaget Polo. By the beginning of the 1980s, it was superseded by the even thinner 1.95mm 8P. But the celebrated mechanical calibre 9P was also used to make certain models of Piaget Polo. Such was the model’s popularity that it soon appeared in an array of variations: round, square, gem set, bi-colour gold —white and yellow gold—, time-only, perpetual calendar, and it even appeared on a leather strap.
“We really had to answer to this particular demand of our customers who are used to getting just dress watches.” explained Yves Piaget at the time. “But now our customers like to do more and more sports. That’s part of the evolution of our lives today. They want to be exquisite, even in sport. They want to wear a better watch, even in their sports. So we created this sport line which is waterproof, shockproof.”
Things to Know About the New Piaget Polo 79
Now, the Piaget Polo 79 returns to the purest expression of the original design, albeit with a few subtle updates. In line with current tastes, the quartz calibre has been eschewed in favour of the ultra-thin 1200P1 in-house automatic calibre that can be admired through the sapphire crystal on the display case back.
The Piaget ultra-thin calibre 1200P1 is an automatic movement that is a mere 2.35 mm thick. This 180-part movement with 25 jewels, beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph to provide a power reserve of approximately 44 hours. The movement features blued screws, circular Côtes de Genève, circular-grained main plate, beveled bridges, wheels with a sunburst motif, and a gold micro-rotor oscillating weight engraved with the Piaget coat of arms. It is the calibre typically powering the Piaget Altiplano collection.
While paying homage to the iconic piece of the past the new Piaget Polo 79 has been slightly enlarged to a case diameter of 38 mm from the original size of 34 mm. This elegant sports watch is entirely 18K yellow gold. Otherwise, it is the same masterpiece executed entirely in 18K gold that dazzled the jet set 45 years ago and is already beloved by the people in the know. There are many elegant sports watches, but only Piaget’s Polo 79 is an sports elegant watch.
A full hands-on review of this new watch to follow tomorrow. Can’t wait to see this watch in the metal. Stay tuned!
Sticker Price USD 73,000. For more info on Piaget click here.
