Polo Skeleton

PIAGET GOES FOR GOLD

FOUR NEW VERSIONS OF THE PIAGET POLO SKELETON UNVEILED

Following the launch of the Piaget Polo Skeleton earlier this year, the Maison is delighted to unveil four new skeleton models with 18 karat gold cases.

One of only a handful of watch Maisons equipped with its own gold foundry and precious metal case-making facility, Piaget has long been renowned for its expertise in crafting gold.

We have now called upon almost 80 years of experience in working with gold to produce new precious metal ver- sions of the Piaget Polo Skeleton:

One in plain rose gold; one in white gold with a dia- mond-set bezel both available in September 2021; and two fully paved versions - available in April 2021 - featu- ring cases and movements that are decorated with a glit- tering array of up to 573 brilliant and baguette-cut stones.

A WINDOW INTO THE HEART OF A WATCH

Skeleton watches offer their admirers a whole other world of aesthetic beauty by revealing the intricate movements that power them which, in Piaget’s case, have long been regarded as works of art in their own right.

For the new gold-cased versions of the Piaget Polo Skeleton, the Maison has taken its already exquisite ultra-thin, self-winding movement - which measures a wafer-like 2.4mm - and pared it down in order to place its key components at centre stage, allowing the world outside a glimpse of the tantalising mechanical bal- let that is more usually seen only by the watch maker.

By using an off-centred oscillating weight that has been integrated within the mechanism (rather than being placed on top of it in conventional fashion), our de- sign engineers have ensured the clearest possible view of the movement without compromising the quest for slimness of the movement and of the watch.

SKELETONS IN OUR CLOSET

Piaget began making skeleton watches around 50 years ago, and their intricate and fascinating aesthetic soon attracted many high profile owners - not least the jazz trumpet legend Miles Davis, who re- gularly performed wearing a skeletonised and diamond-set Piaget.

THE PIAGET POLO SKELETON IN ROSE GOLD

For those seeking the perfect combination of a skeleton aesthetic with the luxury of a gold case in a watch sufficiently versatile to be worn both day and night, the Piaget Polo Skeleton in rose gold fits the bill perfectly.

Measuring 42mm in diameter and just 6.5mm thick, it carries the signature Piaget Polo combination of a round bezel encir- cling a cushion-shaped crystal that gives a superb view onto the intricately skeleto- nised movement.

Finished in an elegant dark blue that contrasts beautifully with the rich rose gold of the case, the mechanism also matches the quick-change strap in blue alligator leather.

THE PIAGET POLO SKELETON INWHITE GOLD

The white gold version of the Piaget Polo Skeleton features a dazzling, diamond-set bezel to add a touch of glamour after dark.

The 56 stones seamlessly integrated around the dial have a weight of 1.59 carats and their brilliant-cut guarantees a pyrotechnic sparkle in any light. Again, the ultra-slim, skeletonised movement is finished in a deep blue colour to match the quick-change strap.

THE PIAGET POLO SKELETON HIGH JEWELLERY

Here, the white gold Piaget Polo Skeleton reaches its ultimate form, with the case and the flange being set with no fewer than 148 brilliant-cut diamonds and 132 baguette-cuts, while the white gold, skeletonised 1200D1 movement carries a remarkable 292 bril- liant-cut diamonds and 11 brilliant-cut sap- phires.

Piaget is one of a mere handful of watchma- kers capable of setting a movement with dia- monds and stands in a class of its own when it comes to diamond-setting automatic and ultra-thin mechanisms. Indeed, the Maison proudly holds the record for creating the thinnest diamond-set skeleton movement ever seen.

The Piaget Polo Skeleton High Jewellery measures just 7.99mm thick and, for a fini- shing touch, a rose-cut diamond is set into the crown and the white gold clasp of the grey alligator leather strap is set with a further six baguette-cut diamonds. And for those who desire theultimate, Piaget will supply the watch on a bracelet fully paved with 184 ba- guette-cut diamonds and 1,258 brilliants with a combined weight of 15.6 carats.

MASTER OF TIME, MASTER OF JEWELLERY

Although Piaget was founded in 1874 first as a maker of watch movements, the Mai- son has also enjoyed a stellar reputation as a jeweller for the past 60 years.

It is only thanks to a mastery of the dis- ciplines of both horology and gem-setting that Piaget is able to create watches such as the Piaget Polo Skeleton High Jewellery in our “Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire”.

The ability to set diamonds on the minus- cule components of an ultra-thin watch movement made from gold is a rare skill.

Some parts are so small and delicate that they can easily be deformed by the pres- sure required to apply the stones, making it necessary to re-think the watch making process and perform a proportion of the setting before final machining.

Four full days are required to set the spe- cial, white gold movement with diamonds, and a further 11 days to fully pave the case.

But few who see the dazzling Polo Skele- ton High Jewellery in real life would deny that it is certainly time well spent...