The Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase is a Player
The spirit of the 1980s is alive in this super thin, ultra-complicated watch.
When Piaget first launched the original Polo in 1979, it was a disrupter. Sure, there were other sports-chic watches before it – the Universal Genève Polerouter came out in the 1960s – but the confluence of 1980s avant-garde design and yuppie excess made it a decade-defining timepiece.
Of course, in the decades since the Polo’s launch, watches have become even bigger and more opulent. After all, compared to a Rainbow Rolex, the OG Polo looked demure.
However, Piaget is once again making a statement with today’s launch of its latest addition to the Polo collection, the Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase.
So, let’s take a look at it.
Follow the Money
Our perception of luxury has changed immensely since the 1980s. Still, at the time, sporty watches with their integrated metal bracelets were slowly becoming acceptable in a more formal (less sweaty) milieu. It also helped that high society was abandoning the circuit of cocktail parties and charity balls for nightclubs.
While models like the Royal Oak combined athleticism and formality, the Polo added a dose of glamor and luxury. For starters, the watch was fashioned from 4.6-4.7 ounces of solid gold, which is remarkable because, in 1980, the price of gold reached an unprecedented $850 per ounce.
Next, the Polo’s distinctive look was created by its satin-finished case striped with polished gadroons. Finally, it was also powered by Piaget’s super thin quartz caliber 7P (the thinnest quartz movement in the world at the time), which gave the watch a discreet silhouette.
Of course, modern Polos have replaced the quartz movement with a mechanical one, and their aesthetic has evolved. Still, the new Flying Tourbillon Moonphase captures the disruptive spirit of those heady days and makes the perfect wrist candy for the new high society, like tech bros who value innovation over precious metals.
Sporting a 44mm titanium case and a palette of gray and blue, Piaget is also exploring brave new worlds with this contemporary take on two haute horology complications – the tourbillon and the moonphase.
The brand is calling it an audacious move because, well, it is: the integrated bracelet is gone, and the appearance of the signature dial stripes has been minimized. However, this iteration is still anchored in the original Polo’s elegance.
Night Moves
Piaget’s technical expertise also informs the character of the Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase. After all, this year’s model’s movement, the new 642P, is only 4mm thick (that’s like two nickels stacked together).
In addition to being ultra-thin, the new, in-house 642P employs the steering wheel and P-shaped tourbillon cage of the brand’s 600P movement yet still manages to integrate the components necessary for displaying the moon (which, amazingly, only added 0.5mm to the movement’s thickness).
Stacked atop one another (almost like a figure eight or an infinity symbol), there is a lovely symmetry to the tourbillon and moonphase displays. At the same time, there’s a sense of wabi-sabi because, as the relative speeds of the earth and its satellite differ, their cycles aren’t entirely in sync. Most moonphase mechanisms vary in their ability to reproduce that difference.
Admittedly, it takes 122 years for this shift to register a difference of just one day. Still, the Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase displays the observable sky with a corrector at 9 o'clock – a nice detail for the gear heads. The moon display also doubles a small seconds sub-dial.
Light Moves
This stellar watch has more wrist presence than most Polos. Overall, the Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase is 9.8mm thick, which is big but still super sleek compared to most tourbillons.
The 44mm cushion-shaped case is also a far cry from the 27mm and 34mm diameter of the original circular and square Polos. But, again, its titanium construction keeps it feeling sleek and elegant. Plus, the material maintains the iconic alternating polished and satin surfaces.
In addition to being made from titanium, the case has textured blue inserts on the sides and crown. This hue and texture are also reflected on the dial, signaling Polo’s signature grooves.
Finally, the new Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase comes on a blue ribbed rubber strap that can be swapped for a steel and titanium folding bracelet using Piaget’s SingleTouch interchangeable strap system, which was first introduced in 2023’s Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin.
We like this evolution. It is elegant but still a little bit flashy.
To learn more, including pricing and availability, check out the Piaget website.