Piaget Polo: The Transformation of a Legend

The latest edition in Piaget's Polo line is an understated model with a black dial in steel called the Piaget Polo Date Ref. G0A47014.

The iconic model has come a long way to get where it is now. Piaget Polo's journey began in 1979: the novelty was brought to life after the company began receiving requests from its trading partners in the United States looking for a luxury watch with a sporty style. The resulting model was fully tuned in to the changing tastes and at the forefront of technology.

The first Polo was equipped with a quartz movement called Piaget 7P, which was the thinnest in the world at just 3.1 mm in height. The watch's bracelet was another sign of the times, which blurred the line between timepieces and jewelry.

The Polo watch was 100 % luxury paired with a pure-gold bracelet that had alternating satin-brushed surfaces on flat links with polished gadroons. One year after the release, the watch was already being sported by the original Bond girl and 1960s sex symbol Ursula Andress, and the Polo quickly became an essential guest at high society's social gatherings.

Gold, high-profile events and fashionable quartz — a far cry from what we see with the Piaget Polo Date in black, yet the model has somehow surprisingly managed to remain recognizable and hasn't lost its character. It's still a luxury sports watch for everyday wear with details that instantly tell you this watch is rooted in the collection's origins.

For instance, the black dial is ruled with stripes which remind you of the striped Piaget Polo dial from 1979, although they’re very different stripes. The stripes extend onto the grooves of rubber strap which the practical watch now comes with. It's worth clarifying that Piaget has a quick-change system for straps, so the watch can be transformed in the blink of an eye if you want an accessory more suitable for evening wear.

Steel was a perfectly natural choice for the case material. The success stories of other sports-chic watches elevated steel to a new level on par with gold, even making it more prestigious for a range of models. This case took shape in 2016, when Maison Piaget introduced the refreshed Polo collection.

It measures 42 × 9.4 mm. Not only has the perception of steel changed significantly since the late 1970s, so too has the attitude towards quartz. It’s stepped down from the pedestal to make way for a mechanical comeback.

Piaget Polo Date in black houses the manufacture caliber 1110P, an automatic mechanical movement with a 50-hour power reserve. The transparent caseback allows you to simultaneously appreciate the finishing and Piaget's coat of arms on the oscillating weight.