With its 38mm case and ultra-slim automatic caliber 1200P1, is the new Polo the Piaget many have been waiting for. An homage to the original watch, introduced in the 1970s by Yves Piaget, which quickly became the timepiece to define the spirit of the time, it also marks the 150th anniversary of the company. We talked about it with Piaget CEO Benjamin Comar;
Martin Green: Piaget is turning 150 this year; how do you plan to mark this very special moment?
Benjamin Comar: It is indeed a special year for us. We are definitely amplifying what we have sparked over the last 2 and a half years – the coherence between past and present times; having them collide into flamboyance, as we say. It’s not about dwelling in the past but being on this thin line.
What do you think is the most essential moment in the past of the company?
Impossible to choose one. Everything was decisive and surprising, from the mastery of the ultra-thinness to the birth of the jewelry watches, the work on gold or ornamental stones. Every saga and person shaped a chapter of the Maison and they all deserve to be discovered or rediscovered.
How important is the Polo in the rich history of Piaget?
It is definitely one important chapter. Generally speaking, Polo is our icon. It has gone through times carrying a lot of the Maison’s savoir-faire and is the perfect embodiment of its story and DNA. As for the specific Polo vintage launched in 1979, it is a watch dear to the Maison, to Mr Yves Piaget and also to the watch experts. It’s the first watch which had its own name; before this you were just wearing a Piaget. More than just the watch which marked the entry in the American market, carried by Yves Piaget and Grinberg, it’s the perfect definition of Piaget’s distinction. When the early stages of the sporty-chic trend saw a lot of steel watches, Yves Piaget decided to stick to the family’s decision to only use precious metal and to carve this integrated bracelet in full gold. As the advertisements were saying back then “Piaget time only measured in gold”. This was a statement, this was bold and it’s this mix of elegance and extravagance that has curated the Maison’s success and still runs in our DNA, what we call the Maison of Extraleganza.
You choose to make a new edition of one of the most recognizable Polo from the past; how did the development process of this watch take place as the design was somewhat set, but for the rest, it is a completely new watch?
On the contrary, it took a very long time to settle on the design and the specs of the watch. When the first Polo was introduced, it was the square one, then the round one followed. We indeed settled quite easily for the round one, but deciding on its size, the evolution between past and present times took a lot of time to make sure we had the correct equation. And all the prototypes are in gold as we wanted to experience the right weight and feeling. The overhaul effect remains but everything has changed. And like all the minimal tweaks, this one required the most work.
What can we expect else from Piaget moving forward into the future?
We will have many milestones this year, each celebrating a saga, a story, a product, an icon. Up next, Watches and Wonders followed by our high jewellery collection in June. That’s all I can share for the moment but stay tuned.
Having an original Polo watch, I can say it was and still is one of the nicest solid gold watches ever crafted! The recreation is beautiful, and with the mechanical movement, the cherry on top,
well done Piaget, well done!