BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
In the realm of luxury timepieces, Piaget’s Polo watches have long stood out as a symbol of contemporary sophistication and sporty elegance. As Piaget introduces a new addition to this iconic collection, watch enthusiasts and collectors alike are treated to a fusion of innovation and heritage which indicates that Piaget’s still “got it”, – as if we were in doubt after last year’s novelty. With a blend of bold aesthetics, refined materials, and cutting-edge technology, the latest Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase watch exemplifies Piaget’s forward-thinking spirit while remaining firmly rooted in its rich Swiss watchmaking legacy.
The Polo watch came about in 1979, however, the Polo S as we know it today started appearing in the mid-teens of the 21st century, 2016, I believe. In that time, it’s had lots of complications put into it, with chronographs and perpetual calendars being just two of them. At the higher end of the spectrum sits this Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase watch. It’s an interesting combination of complications seldom seen. Usually, moon phases are paired with some other kind of calendar function, but on this one, it is just that tourbillon. A real cynic could describe it as an irrelevant watch with irrelevant complications given that the Polo has never been the most popular sports watch, and the tourbillon and moonphase provide limited function. Luckily, I’m not like that. I think it looks good.
The watch is quite large at 44mm across, but it’s thin at just 9.8mm in thickness – I’d be disappointed at a thick Piaget piece. The fact that the case is 100m water resistant means this watch offers a modicum of practicality too. It’s also made of titanium to keep that weight down and it comes on an interchangeable blue strap. The blue dial is finished elegantly with horizontal striping and a large cutout offering a generous view of the movement.
The calibre inside this one is the 642P, a hand-wound manufacture movement offering a power reserve of around 40 hours with its escapement beating at 3Hz inside that tourbillon. Interestingly, despite the watch having a rounded-square case, the movement is rectangular, and it’s been used previously in Piaget’s Gouverneur range, which is a rounded-oval shape and was introduced in 2012. Maybe one day we’ll see it in a brand new square watch, who knows.
This watch is an interesting and unusual addition to this end of the spectrum. While it’s true that there are lots of integrated-bracelet steel sports watches with blue dials, there aren’t many on the level that this Piaget operates at. Whether that will help it with its retail price of €113,000 is anyone’s guess, but they’re only making 88 of them anyway.
