A Legacy of Audacity: Why Discerning Collectors Should Be Excited About the New Piaget Polo 79

For a while now, Piaget has been orchestrating a captivating dance with its own history, infusing a breath of fresh air into its legendary jewelry watches and stone-dialed timepieces. Of course, a larger trend of reviving the chicest aesthetics of the 1960s and ‘70s no doubt aids brands in crafting a narrative that resonates with today’s connoisseurs of refined art de vivre. Still, Piaget does this better than most.

Thus, with Maison Piaget celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024, there was never any doubt that the commemoration would be marked by a timepiece steeped in the brand’s rich history. And so it has, coming from the sports-chic watch realm and inspired by the original solid gold Polo.

Allow us to introduce you to the Piaget Polo 79!
 

In addition to the record-high price of gold, the Polo came out in the throes of another historical event that up-ended the watch world: the quartz crisis, which saw consumers abandoning mechanical models from Switzerland and the U.S. for less expensive, quartz-powered watches made in Japan. As a result, Swiss watch production was cut in half between 1974 and 1983, and the U.S. manufactures all but disappeared.
 

However, as Piaget was preparing for the 1979 launch of the Polo trend, the brand faced the quartz crisis head-on and even threw a gauntlet by equipping the Polo with Piaget’s Polo models emerged in 1979, resilient and sophisticated, equipped with the 7P movement, which when the movement was unveiled in 1976 was hailed as the world’s thinnest quartz movement at a mere 3.1mm.
 

Then, in 1980, Piaget unveiled the 8P quartz movement, which was a mere 1.95mm in height, and soon equipped its Polo models with this ultra-thin movement, solidifying Piaget’s legacy as not only a pioneer in ultra-thin craftsmanship but also as a brand that defies challenges with grace and sophistication.

Now that we all understand the historical context and consequence of the original Polo, let’s gaze upon the captivating essence of the new Polo 79.
 

It feels almost like a moment suspended in time because the same vibrant energy that defined Piaget in the ‘80s takes center stage, but this time in a wholly rejuvenated form.

Cast entirely in 18-karat yellow gold, the new Polo 79 breaks from its predecessor’s 2N metal (a.k.a. 99% pure gold) and embraces the contemporary allure of the 3N variant (a.k.a. 99.9% pure gold).
 

The result? A champagne color with more pinkish tones that instantly captivates and infuses into the Polo 79 a more modern aesthetic. This aesthetic is even more accentuated by slightly more polished gadroons and brushed links that seamlessly connect the bracelet to the 38mm case (which is a bit larger than the original’s case).
 

The dial becomes a canvas for the interplay of light, reflecting the brand’s dedication to creating a timepiece that doesn’t just tell time but narrates a story of contemporary opulence.

Lastly, Piaget eschews the quartz movement for the exquisite and intricate 1200P1 in-house self-winding calibre. An ultra-thin movement, you can observe its fine finishings and the choreography of its horological artistry via the crystal caseback.