The Piaget Polo started life as a sport-luxe watch that, at one time, was proposed as the long awaited rival to the Patek Philippe Nautilus. However, over time it has slipped further and further from its sporty roots to become a breed of watch all of its own, and we liked it. The latest skeletonised collection completes its transition from sports watch to high jewellery piece with four gold and diamond versions.
From a technical standpoint all four watches are based heavily on the ultra-thin Piaget Polo Skeleton announced earlier this year with its 2.4mm high 1200S1 calibre movement, so to find out more about the nitty-gritty details check out our review. For now, we’re off to the end of the rainbow to find all the gold and diamonds that Piaget has left for us there.
Polo Skeleton Rose Gold
The first timepiece in the new gold collection is the most faithful to the basic Polo Skeleton, the only major difference being the swap from a stainless steel case to a 42mm rose gold one. The skeletonised hands and the hour markers have also received the Midas treatment and I actually think it’s a noticeable improvement on the regular Polo Skeleton.
The trouble with all skeletonised pieces is the loss of definition in the face, which can result in poor readability. However, the rose gold colour stands out nicely against the blue and silver movement, helping to alleviate the issue. This is without a doubt the least daring of the new models, the changes aren’t drastic and for that reason I think it’s a good addition to the line-up.
The Specs
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 6.5mm height, rose gold case, dark blue skeletonised dial | Water resistance: 30m | Movement: In-house calibre Piaget 1200S, automatic, 26 jewels | Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) | Power reserve: 44h | Functions: Hours, minutes | Strap: Blue alligator leather | Price: £39,400
Polo Skeleton White Gold
Enter the diamonds. As with the rose gold model, the headline here is the replacement of the traditional Polo Skeleton case and accents with white gold, which on its own wouldn’t look that much different from the original – a bit brighter and shiner perhaps. But what makes it stand out is the addition of a ring of 56 brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel.
The stones come to a weight of 1.59 carats and add a pleasant sparkle to dark blue that dominates the thin skeletonised movement. The integration definitely starts to pull the watch away from sporting endeavours but you could probably still get away with wearing it for the occasional game of tennis on a private court on a tropical island, if you really wanted to.
The Specs
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x height, white gold case with 56 diamond-set bezel, dark blue skeletonised dial | Water resistance: 30m | Movement: In-house calibre Piaget 1200S, automatic, 26 jewels | Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) | Power reserve: 44h | Functions: Hours, minutes | Strap: Blue alligator leather | Price: £53,500
Polo Skeleton High Jewellery
If the fourth watch didn’t exist in this collection, then I would probably be talking about how the sheer number of diamonds on this model feels a tad excessive. The white gold case has 280 diamonds in a mixture of brilliant and baguette cuts and there are another 292 brilliant-cut diamonds on the movement itself. Not to mention the odd sapphire and rose-cut diamond thrown in for emphasis on the crown and movement.
Piaget are one of the only brands in the world that are capable of setting diamonds onto a movement due to their in house jewellery workshop. However, it does have the effect of making the watch a little bit thicker, bringing the height to 7.99mm instead of the ultra-thin 6.5mm of the non-diamond encrusted models – although the size difference is probably less noticeable than the additional weight of the stones.
The Specs
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 6.5mm height, white gold case with 56 diamond-set bezel, dark blue skeletonised dial | Water resistance: 30m | Movement: In-house calibre Piaget 1200S, automatic, 26 jewels | Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) | Power reserve: 44h | Functions: Hours, minutes | Strap: Blue alligator leather | Price: Price on request
Polo Skeleton High Jewellery With Paved Bracelet
This might be the gold collection but if you hate gold and don’t want to see any of it, worry not, Piaget will simply cover the entire thing in so many diamonds that you won’t even realise that it’s gold underneath them. This final timepiece is technically the High Jewellery model above given a special bracelet.
The bracelet is fully paved with 184 baguette-cut diamonds and a staggering 1258 brilliant-cut diamonds with a combined weight of 15.6 carats. Which means, if you account for the watch itself, this one timepiece has over 2000 individual diamonds on it. That’s a lot for any watch, let alone one that comes from a sports background.
Whether or not you like wristwatches to be absolutely dripping with ice is a personal choice. I tend to lean of the side of less is more but that’s actually the genius of the Piaget Polo Skeleton Gold collection, there’s a version that everyone will like.
The Specs
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 6.5mm height, white gold case with 56 diamond-set bezel, dark blue skeletonised dial | Water resistance: 30m | Movement: In-house calibre Piaget 1200S, automatic, 26 jewels | Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) | Power reserve: 44h | Functions: Hours, minutes | Strap: Blue alligator leather | Price: Price on request
The basic rose gold and white gold versions will be available from September 2021, while the two High Jewellery pieces will be available from April 2022.
More details at Piaget.
