For decades, Piaget has been a watch manufacture synonymous with elegance — the epitome of ‘if you know, you know’. They are the watches that you are more likely to see upon the wrist of an heiress or some equally fabulous individual, dining blithely in a Michelin Star restaurant or draped over the side of a vintage Riva Super Aquarama as it approaches a Lake Como dock. They are the anti-hype — relentlessly chic, yet understated and perhaps even reserved, if not for their price tags.

This is a brand that, for all its jeweled resplendence, has held horological innovation at its very core for much of the life of the maison. With each passing season, Piaget seems content to follow its own path, marked by its own technical and aesthetic priorities. Where many brands seek to keep up with trends, often trailing at the heels of others, Piaget has always set its own mechanical standards as a central intention before incorporating their technical advancements into contemporary fashions.

Without a doubt, if there is a singular design trait or innovation that Piaget is most synonymous with, it is thinness. Going back to the 1950s with Piaget’s groundbreaking 9P movement, thin, elegant watch designs have been the brand’s seemingly constant pursuit. While there are certainly timepieces within Piaget’s catalog that take thinness to a truly unbelievable extent — we’re looking at you, Altiplano Ultimate Concept — the true intersection of mechanical elegance and luxurious function lies within the bounds of the Polo collection.

Piaget Polo

Released at the tail end of a decade typified by daring design, the 1970s, the Piaget Polo was an immediate standout amidst an ever-growing trend of integrated-bracelet sport watches. This trend, interpreted through various aesthetic lenses ranging from nautical to architectural, sought to challenge the very taxonomy of both sport and luxury watches. While the dichotomous blending of style and function is something that still continues very much to this day, the 1970s epoch saw conventions of style challenged, stretched, and at times shattered. It was out of that exciting and tumultuous era that the Piaget Polo was created.

Now, as there have been several iterations and interpretations of the Polo collection over the years, fully appreciating where the collection stands today requires a glance back at that which came before. Fortunately, we have done a deep dive on the history of the series previously. What we are left with today is a collection of effortlessly elegant timepieces that are as dynamic as they are glamorous.

Piaget Polo Skeleton in Green

Piaget has a history of creating resplendent, jewel-adorned timepieces, so one might be led to think that the Polo series is monotone and austere in comparison. However, this latest addition of two new pieces serves to illustrate that Piaget is not afraid to have a bit of fun. After all, gems and precious stones are not the only sources of color for Piaget. For the latest Polo Skeleton, encased in stainless steel and previously offered in a graphite gray and azure blue, the richness of a deep, verdant green is built into the very architecture of the watch itself. While the previous offerings were no less luxurious in their colorways, sophisticated and slightly subdued though they may be, the addition of such a vibrant tone of green brings a sense of playful whimsy that befits a watch intended for both luxury and sport.

Now, skeletonized watches are almost universally admired for their technical challenge. The very structure of the watch itself must be integrated in such a way that aesthetics, function, and structure must all harmoniously blend together. It is to this end that Piaget has been undisputedly successful with the self-winding manufacture caliber 1200S1 skeleton movement.

As though creating a completely skeletonized movement that is as beautiful as it is functional wasn’t enough of an undertaking, Piaget needed to create a slimmer new case to match the movement’s reduced footprint. Fortunately, the creation of thin yet functional timepieces is something that Piaget is certainly no stranger to. Thus, the Polo Skeleton’s case is nearly three millimeters thinner than its more full-figured counterparts.

Piaget Polo Date

Whether or not it is due to the influence of current trends, there is something perfectly agreeable about Piaget’s expanding use of green in the Polo collection. Undoubtedly, Piaget’s team must have considered countless shades of green, ranging in depth and brilliance. Too bright and the piece might lose its elegance, veering off into the realm of garishness. Too subdued, and it runs the risk of losing its impact altogether. Yet here, as with its blue variations in the past, Piaget seems to have struck the perfect balance.

Like the Polo Skeleton, the Polo Date now comes in a new variation dressed in a sleek combination of green and rose gold. With a vibrant guilloché dial punctuated by bright, luminous rose gold indexes and matching handset, the Polo Date in green is elevated to once again blur that liminal space between sport and splendor, and luxury and leisure.

Tech Specs

Polo Skeleton

Movement: Self-winding manufacture skeleton caliber 1200S1; 44-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 42mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m
Strap: Interchangeable stainless steel bracelet and green alligator strap
Availability: Boutique exclusive
Price: US$30,900

Polo Date

Movement: Self-winding manufacture caliber 1110P; 50-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: 42mm; 18K rose gold; water resistant to 100m
Strap: Green alligator
Price: US$30,000