BY ERIK SLAVEN
Piaget has come out swinging at Watches & Wonders with incredible pieces like the starry Altiplano Ultimate Concept, winner of the Aiguille d’Or prize at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève back in 2020 and now available to buy (kind of). At 2mm thick, it was the thinnest mechanical watch in the world until Bvlgari recently threw down the 1.8mm Octo Finissimo Ultra. Then there’s the Polo Skeleton with 1,747 diamonds set in the case and bracelet with the 2.4mm skeletonized in-house caliber 1200S1. You likely can’t afford these or other Piaget marvels at the show, but the latest Polo Date in black is a more grounded offering.
This piece doesn’t stray from the familiar Polo formula first launched in 1979, but it’s a nice addition to the collection. The stainless steel case is 42mm in diameter with a blend of brushed and polished surfaces. There are sapphire crystals front and back with the in-house automatic on full display. It’s fitted with an interchangeable (quick-release levers) black rubber strap with a ridged pattern that matches the dial. Water-resistance is rated at 100 meters. This particular sports watch model has been available for quite some time with dials in many colors (including limited editions in black), but as a standard edition with a silver steel case and black dial, it’s very welcomed.
The dial is matte black with the familiar horizontal ridges and has the Polo’s cushion-shaped dial within a round case aesthetic. Applied silver indices have Super-LumiNova inserts, along with the stylized silver hour and minute hands. The seconds hand has a contrasting red tip and open-worked “P” signature counterweight. The date window sits at 6 o’clock and a detailed minute track spans the outermost perimeter.
The heart of the watch is Piaget’s in-house caliber 1110P automatic, which is an evolution of the Piaget 800P. It has 25 jewels, beats at 4Hz with a 50-hour power reserve. Seen from the exhibition case back, everything is hand finished to the highest standards with circular Côtes de Genève, beveled bridges, sunburst wheels and blued screws. The rotor is slate grey with a white Piaget coat-of-arms.
Piaget’s latest Polo Date with black dial (ref. G0A47014) is certainly my choice when compared to other variants with grey or blue dials, for example. It really highlights the design with contrasting black and silver, and brings a cool personality to the very popular line. At USD 11,600/EUR 11,400, it’s also a relatively attainable piece compared to other novelties at the show. Visit Piaget here.
