Pack It Up, This Is the Ultimate 1980s Watch, in the Best Possible Way

When Piaget revived its most iconic watch design with the Polo 79, it looked nearly indistinguishable from the original horological symbol of 1980s wealth and excess.

Yes, the revival is scaled up from 34mm to 38mm, and the then-novel quartz movement is replaced with an in-house, ultra-thin automatic. But for all intents and purposes, the 18-karat yellow gold Polo 79 is the same watch that was adored by Andy Warhol and Miles Davis, among many others.

Piaget

A year later, in 2025, Piaget toned down the Reagan-era glam a bit by offering the distinctive bracelet-style watch in solid 18-karat white gold. While no less expensive or opulent — even the hands are solid gold —the update did provide some “quiet luxury” discretion.

Another year on, the Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweler has reached the logical climax of the Polo 79 revival by offering it in a two-tone palette as emblematic of the 1980s as the watch itself.

The varying tones of the 18-karat white gold flat segments and 18-karat yellow gold rounded gadroons amplify the contrast established by satin brushing on the former and mirror polishing on the latter.

Piaget

Two-tone watches peaked in popularity during the 1980s, so it is a wonder the original Polo, which ceased production near the decade’s end, never adopted the theme during its original run.

In that respect, Piaget’s new mixed gold Polo 79 feels like the ultimate 1980s watch that never was.

Fully integrated

By crafting the two principal recurring segments of the Polo 79 in different gold tones, Piaget paints a clearer picture of the elegant integrated design.

Piaget

The dial and case appear as one solid piece, with the flat satin-brushed white gold and curved polished yellow gold segmented slightly sunken in on the round dial. A tiny dotted minutes track, with slightly larger marks every five minutes, provides the only orientation for the satin-brushed, solid yellow gold dauphine hands.

As clean and seamless as the design is, Piaget makes its presence known with a prominent logo on the dial and a signed, solid white gold crown.

Piaget

The coolest application of the contrasting gold tones appears on the bracelet. The original yellow gold is used for the polished connecting links, which create the gadroon motif, and feature rounded teeth that slide into slots on the H-shaped, brushed white gold middle links with industrial grace.

While every previous version of the Polo — by which I mean the original and the Polo 79, not the 2000s redesign — is a genuine work of art, the new two-tone iteration almost looks better from the side than from the front. A profile view shows off the intricacy of the motif and the remarkably thin 7.5mm case height.

Piaget

Despite its slender build, the Polo 79 is an automatic, powered by Piaget’s in-house Caliber 1200P1 movement. It features a micro-rotor, which is, of course, crafted from solid 18-karat yellow gold. The splendidly finished movement provides a 44-hour power reserve and is on full display through a sapphire crystal caseback.

Availability and price

Piaget’s ultimate Polo 79 is available now through its boutiques and authorized dealers for $91,100, before taxes and tariffs. While it is not technically a limited edition, production capacity limits the annual output.

Piaget

Piaget Polo 79 Two Tone

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	Piaget Caliber 1200P1 automatic
Water Resistance	50m

• $91,000 at Piaget

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