Arms-On: Piaget Polo 79 Watch
Footage by Ed Rhee and Jacob Witkin
Various years up to now, I was engaged on a enterprise for a pre-owned watch provider, and its assortment was crammed with traditional Polo watches by Piaget. I spent an excessive time frame trying this a part of the catalog, studying all the weird and wild variations accessible. I understood that these have been super-dated watches, however I was nonetheless eager about them. I questioned my model as I couldn’t pretty make clear why I was drawn to these Nineteen Eighties relics which were so clearly passé. Fast-forward to 2024, and as soon as I heard regarding the new Piaget Polo 79 watch, I perked up and paid consideration. Then I obtained rather more excited as soon as we obtained our arms on one for a evaluation.
From the get-go, the Piaget Polo 79 appears to be truly good; whereas clearly impressed by the distinctive mannequin from — you guessed it — 1979, it benefits from a handful of updates that make it fully applicable for correct now. Very like how Cartier insists on calling the case sides that transition into lugs “brancards,” Piaget refers again to the horizontal strains that embellish all of the span of the watch, along with the perimeters, as “gadroons.” However, not like “brancards,” which is the French phrase for “stretcher,” “gadroon” is actually an English phrase (with French origins) that describes a decorative motif consisting of convex ridges or rounded flutes, usually utilized in construction, furnishings, and metalwork. Piaget’s use of gadrooning on the Polo 79 (and its predecessors) is as visually satisfying as a layered cake, and it’s clearly what gives the piece its distinct character. It’s the frosting that takes an in every other case widespread chew to at least one factor memorable. Is it an extreme quantity of for some? Sure, nevertheless not everyone likes additional unfold — nevertheless for people who do, it’s the icing on the cake (sorry.)
Not that there’s one thing widespread regarding the Piaget Polo 79; we’re talking a few hefty chunk of 18k yellow gold, sculpted into Yves Piaget’s imaginative and prescient of what a bracelet watch must be. It’s heavy (200 grams), flashy, and throughout the phrases of my colleague Jake, “so dang good.” The excellence of the polished gadroons with the brushed surfaces of the rest of the metalwork is great.
As compared with the 34mm or smaller proportions of old-school Polo watches, the model new Polo 79 clocks in at 38mm in diameter. Throughout the fussy world of watch enthusiasm, 38mm seems to be the sweet spot that the majority can agree on, so that’s a win. In customary Piaget model, the case is a slender 7.45mm and wears comfortably on the wrist. That’s nowhere near Piaget’s thinnest watch, nevertheless a statement-making gold timepiece that was as quickly as marketed as “The world’s last sports activities actions watch” shouldn’t be too skinny anyway. There’s a great amount of articulation between the bracelet hyperlinks and none of that dreaded hair-pulling that some bracelets can inflict. The ends of the tapered bracelet meet at a flawlessly hid clasp, and I would fortuitously placed on the watch dial going via down to point off all that gadroon-y goodness on the band.
However, the gold dial could be merely nearly as good to take a look at, seamlessly built-in with the case and bracelet. Polished faceted dauphine arms degree to the carved circles on the refined chapter ring, The pair of gold arms are a bit of bit highly effective to study in some lighting on account of lack of coloration distinction nevertheless the faceting of the surfaces makes it manageable. I’m completely having enjoyable with the scarcity of textual content material on the dials of watches I’ve not too way back reviewed on account of who desires phrases to get in the best way wherein of efficiency and design? Inscriptions that time out the model, movement type, water resistance, or chronometer certification are greater left unwritten in my opinion, or at a minimal, moved to the once more of the watch. Happily, that’s precisely what we have proper right here with merely the Piaget branding beneath 12 o’clock — although Piaget could have understandably etched “Automated” on its dials.
The distinctive Polo watch was the vessel that Piaget created to point off its then-new ultra-thin quartz movement. Be mindful, the Polo was born via the Quartz Revolution, not prolonged after the debut of the chunky Beta 21 quartz movement created via a consortium of Swiss watchmakers. So, a slim, in-house-made, Swiss caliber using the latest timekeeping tech was one factor to be applauded all through that interval; in consequence, practically all first-gen Polo watches have been proudly quartz-powered. In the intervening time, it’s a singular story, in spite of everything, and tastes have swung once more to traditional mechanical watchmaking. As such, the Piaget Polo 79 is furnished with a model new movement: the Piaget Caliber 1200P1 automated movement with a micro-rotor. The movement, which measures 2.35mm thick, ticks at 21,600bph, and gives 44 hours of vitality reserve is undoubtedly pretty and correctly executed nevertheless, honestly, at this value degree, it wouldn’t harm to see further ornate ending.
Speaking of value, that’s the biggest roadblock proper right here — the Piaget Polo 79 retails for $73,000 USD, which is extravagant, to say the least. That’s notably stinging on account of attributable to that pre-owned watch provider I labored with, I do know that Polo watches on the secondary market have been reasonably priced for robust gold watches. Certain, these have been used, smaller, and quartz-powered — nevertheless it is nonetheless an unnecessarily dramatic leap for a up to date, larger automated mannequin. Whereas I imagine the 2024 Piaget Polo 79 is an ultra-cool piece that brilliantly updates an obligatory retro design, the related price does go away a barely bitter aftertaste. For further data, please go to the Piaget website.
