Dazzled by the extravagant high jewellery Limelight Gala watches or the extreme thinness of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, The new Piaget Polo Date Black model was somewhat eclipsed during the latest edition of Watches & Wonders. Piaget's interpretation of the luxury sports watch, the Polo made its debut in 1979 and underwent a radical makeover in 2016. Unlike the ultra-thin gold Polo Skeleton set with 1,478 diamonds that was also unveiled during Watches & Wonders 2022, the latest 42mm Polo Date is a solid entry-level watch designed for everyday use with a sleek black dial and matching black rubber strap.BackgroundYves G. Piaget, the fourth generation of the Piaget dynasty, was the brainchild of the Polo. Harnessing the brand's expertise in watchmaking and jewellery, the Polo was a sleek bracelet watch with a contemporary sporty/chic vibe. Introduced in 1979, the watch’s design was a continuous stream of solid sculpted gold bars that wrapped around the wrist. Fitted with Piaget's ultra-thin quartz calibre 7P - considered to represent the height of technology in its day - the Polo accounted for almost one-third of the brand's sales. Ad - Scroll to continue with article In 2016, the Polo underwent a radical makeover resulting in the Polo S, a cushion-shaped luxury sports watch that added stainless steel to the mix for a more casual vibe. Positioned as the brand's entry-level luxury sports watch, the Polo S, offered initially in time-and-date?and?chronograph versions, boasted a relatively thin profile in keeping with the Piaget’s tradition of ultra-thin movements. Since then, we've seen the Polo in an impressively thin Skeleton version and a range of colourful dials, including the Polo S Automatic Green, smaller 36mm diameters for women and dazzling high jewellery versions.Casual EleganceThe dynamic finishings on the 42mm stainless steel case highlight the signature cushion-shaped case of the Polo collection; the bezel features a horizontal brushed finishing while the bevels are polished and the casebands are vertically brushed. With its resilient 100m water-resistant case and sporty rubber strap, the watch still looks elegant thanks to its lean case height of 9.4mm.Although the black dial is touted as a new colour, there was a pair of Polo watches with black dials and black ADLC coating on the bezel released in 2017. However, the new model discards the black-coated bezel, allowing for a sharper contrast between the steel case and the matte black dial that is decorated with guilloche ridges. The applied indices and hour and minute hands are filled with Super-LumiNova for visibility in low light conditions. The counterweight on the seconds hand is a stylised Piaget P, and the red tip is the only dash of colour on this otherwise black and white dial. Truncating the 6 o'clock index is the trapezoid-shaped date window with a white background and black numerals. Similar to the first 1979 Polo, with its horizontal gold bars running across the dial and down the strap, the horizontal ridges on the black rubber bracelet echo the ridges on the dial, giving the watch a uniform, flowing aesthetic. Fitted with Piaget's interchangeable strap system - quick-release levers on the caseback - the black rubber strap can be exchanged for something dressier.Calibre 1110PThe exhibition caseback reveals the automatic calibre 1110P, an evolution of Piaget's automatic 800P. Measuring 25.58mm x 4mm, this movement displays the hours, minutes, central seconds and a date window. It operates at 28,800vph (4Hz) and has a power reserve of 50 hours. A stop-seconds mechanism allows you to set the time with precision. The finishings include circular-graining, Geneva stripes, bevelling, sunburst wheels and blued screws. The grey rotor is decorated with circular C?tes de Geneve and the Piaget coat of arms.Availability & PriceThe 42mm Piaget Polo Date Automatic?with a steel case, black dial and black rubber strap retails for EUR 11,400,?USD 11,600 or?CHF 11,100?and is now available from boutiques and retailers.?For more information, please consult Piaget.com.