Piaget presents the new Polo Minute Repeater, bringing an ultra-thin minute repeater into the Maison’s contemporary sports-watch collection.
The model combines an openworked, hand-guilloché gold dial with the Manufacture’s Calibre 1290P, allowing part of the chiming mechanism to remain visible while retaining the characteristic shape-in-shape architecture of the Polo.
The new watch continues Piaget’s long-standing focus on ultra-thin watchmaking and builds on the Maison’s experience with chiming complications.
In 2013, Piaget introduced the Polo Emperador Minute Repeater, which was, at the time, the world’s thinnest minute repeater. The new model transfers this expertise to the current Polo collection, pairing the complication with the proportions and styling of the contemporary sports-watch line.
The 1290P is entirely conceived, developed, finished and assembled at Piaget’s Manufacture in La Côte-aux-Fées.
Its 430 components require several weeks of hand finishing and assembly. The bridges are hand-beveled, while the mainplate is decorated with a subtle guilloché pattern.
The minute-repeater hammers are hand-polished to a mirror finish, and a platinum micro-rotor provides automatic winding. The rotor is finished in blue PVD to match the colour accents of the dial.
The dial combines several techniques associated with Piaget’s watchmaking and jewellery expertise.
Executed in gold, it features hand-guilloché decoration with a soleillé finish, surrounded by a contrasting opaline outer track.
A fine gold fillet crosses the dial, changing from a straight to a domed profile and opening views onto the repeater mechanism below.
At 4 o’clock, a smoked blue sapphire ring bearing the “La Côte-aux-Fées” inscription reveals the inertia wheel, which regulates the chiming sequence.
Piaget states that more than 150 hours were required to develop the dial, followed by around 50 hours of hand finishing for each individual piece.
The minute repeater is activated by a slide positioned at 9 o’clock, which operates downwards. The movement architecture was reworked to accommodate this configuration while preserving the required acoustic characteristics.
The 1290P strikes the hours in G sharp and the minutes in A sharp, both in the fifth octave.
Piaget specifies an intensity of 64 decibels, three harmonic partials and a damping factor of 2,600, the result of research into both the movement and the resonance of the case.
The movement is housed in a 48 mm 18-karat white gold case measuring 9.3 mm thick. Its fluid, rounded form retains the Polo’s characteristic shape-in-shape construction.
Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM. The watch is delivered on a blue textured embossed calfskin strap with a folding clasp, accompanied by an additional leather bracelet.
Only five numbered examples of the Piaget Polo Minute Repeater, ref. G0A51038, will be produced this year. According to Piaget, this production level reflects the amount of work required for each watch rather than a conventional limited-edition strategy.
The model joins the perpetual calendar and flying tourbillon as another grand complication integrated into the Polo collection.
Piaget is also presenting a High Jewellery version under the Piaget Polo Emperador Minute Repeater High Jewellery name. Ref. G0A51017 retains the 48 mm white gold case and 1290P movement, but adds a bezel set with baguette-cut blue sapphires and a case decorated with baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds.
Its fully openworked dial leaves the extensive hand-finishing work visible, while a dark blue alligator strap completes the configuration.
The prices are available upon request. piaget.com
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