In the late 1970s, fourth-generation Yves Piaget expressed his passion for equestrian sports in an elegant gold timepiece that stood out from trending steel models.
The waterproof and shockproof Piaget Polo, launched in 1979, was designed for an active lifestyle without compromising on luxury and exclusivity.
In 2024, the Swiss brand's first sports watch makes a comeback to mark its 150th anniversary. Moreover, the Piaget Polo 79 illustrates another dimension of the brand as the House of Gold, besides its label as the Maison of Extraleganza.
At Les Ateliers de L'Extraordinaire in Plan-les-Ouates, artisans work the gold into a panoply of shapes, forms and textures as well as refine their craftsmanship in sculpting, weaving, braiding and engraving the precious metal.
The guilloche-inspired Palace Décor was developed in 1961. The heavily textured, rugged engraving turned the structural gold into a decorative feature.
The signature technique has been adapted to transform solid gold into tree bark, ice crystals, snakeskin scales and other motifs on watches and jewellery.
Piaget Polo 79 in full yellow gold.
In solid 18 carat gold, the original Piaget Polo demonstrates the mastery of gold with the case and bracelet seamlessly integrated in a streamlined yet fluid and voluptuous design.
The overall effect makes the chic sports watch appear like it's crafted from a single cast of gold. In addition, the simplicity of the silhouette is countered by the richness of the precious metal that appears to flow over the watch.
The flow is emphasised by linear gadrooned decoration of the articulated bracelet that extends over and across the case and dial. The texture is enhanced by contrasting the highly polished gadroons with the satin-brushed finish of the links.
The purest expression of the original design is captured in a slightly-larger 38mm yellow gold case for the Piaget Polo 79, whose bracelet embraces the wrist like second skin. This gleaming 2024 version reinforces the 1980s advertising message that Piaget Time can only be measured in gold.
Besides the diameter of the gold case, the other distinction is the engine.
Piaget's craftsmanship explores the versatility of gold.
At its historic home in La Côte-aux-Fées in Neuchâtel, the company develops its own movements including ultra-thin mechanical and quartz calibres that allow creating various wristwatches with a slender profile.
The early Piaget Polo was equipped with the 7P, at that time the world's thinnest quartz movement. By the beginning of the 1980s, it was superseded by the 8P with a thickness of 1.95mm. Certain mechanical models featured Piaget's first ultra-thin calibre -- the hand-wound 9P with a thickness of 2mm.
The Piaget Polo 79 delivers a power reserve of 44 hours thanks to the self-winding ultra-thin Calibre 1200P1 that can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Piaget Polo 79.
