Watches & Wonders 2021: Piaget Releases New Novelties — Precious Metal Polo Skeletons And A New Altiplano Ultimate Concept

Watches & Wonders is here, and as you may have seen, it has announced itself this morning with a glut of new releases from a multitude of brands. It may take you a while to get through all of the new release articles here on Fratello, but don’t skip by this one, as Piaget’s Novelties are gold! Yes, I entirely meant that terrible pun, and I stand by it.

Piaget has given us new takes on both the Polo Skeleton and the award-winning Altiplano Ultimate Concept. Both are excellent models, tailored for the discerning collector. Still, both have been given lockdown facelifts which elevate them for a “new year, new me” attitude.

Piaget Polo Skeleton

That was a mouthful to say. The Polo is an essential model for Piaget. It is the brand’s take on the luxury sports watch since its creation in 1979. The Polo simultaneously handles sporty and dressy with minimal effort while maintaining the elegance on which Piaget built its reputation. The collection received a modernization in 2016 with new time/date and chronograph siblings. Then, earlier this year, the collection was expanded with the ultra-thin skeleton model. Now, Piaget has unveiled four new models, all with 18kt gold cases.

…you’ll be wearing your sunglasses at night…

Piaget is only one of a handful of manufactures with its own gold foundry, possessing the capabilities and facilities to make its own precious metal cases. Calling upon its nearly 80-years of experience, the new precious-metal Polo Skeleton watches really look the part. The four new models consist of one in rose gold, one in white gold with a diamond-set bezel, and two fully iced out versions featuring cases and movements that Piaget’s artisans have set with a blinding array of up to 573 shiny diamonds. Like Corey Hart, you’ll be wearing your sunglasses at night with that on your wrist.

Sunglasses at the ready

I prefer my sunglasses to be reserved for daytime activities. For that reason, my favorite is the rose gold model. The cool rose-tinted hue of the gold case is superbly complemented by the blue-colored skeletonized movement. Blue and gold just work; nobody can deny that. This slim slice of Polo measures 42mm in diameter and just 6.5mm thick.

…weighing a total of 1.56 carats.

If you’re not digging the blue/gold combo, then perhaps you might prefer the white gold model with the diamond-encrusted bezel. The bezel has 56 individual brilliant-cut stones set into it, weighing a total of 1.56 carats. Both the white gold and rose gold models are finished with blue leather straps to match the movement.

Diamonds are forever

Of course, some people will find these two watches too reserved and not befitting of their personality. Well, my friend, Piaget has you covered with its final two novelties. What’s that? The white gold model had a diamond bezel? Well, my carbon-loving friends, the white gold Piaget Polo Skeleton has now reached its ultimate form. Behold, more diamonds! We now see the white gold Polo case, lugs, and sides set with no fewer than 148 brilliant-cut and 132 baguette-cut diamonds.

What’s more, the white gold, skeletonized 1200D1 movement carries a remarkable 292 brilliant-cut diamonds and 11 brilliant-cut sapphires. You’d think that this amount of bling might set you back a fair bit in the thickness department, but this watch is no slouch. Coming in at 7.99mm thick, this watch will still easily fit beneath a shirt cuff you should need to give your eyes a break.

That’s a lot of diamonds.

What’s that? It’s still not enough for you? Well, Piaget thought there might be one, and for the ultimate opulence, Piaget will supply the watch on a bracelet fully paved with 184 baguette-cut diamonds and 1,258 brilliants with a combined weight of 15.6 carats. That’s a lot of diamonds. I hope my wife doesn’t see/read this and get any ideas.

The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept

In everyone’s favorite year, 2020, Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept won the coveted “Aiguille d’Or” at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). The Aiguille d’Or is basically the top prize at the annual awards and carries the ultimate bragging rights. Piaget won this award due to its efforts to identify and overcome the countless difficulties of creating a 2mm thick watch. Yes, you read that correctly, a watch that is 2mm thick — the entire watch, not just the movement.

…you risk issues with structural stability as you get thinner.

I remember when Apple released the iPhone 6 and the “Bendgate” drama that followed. While watches and mobile phones are clearly very different creatures, it emphasizes that you risk issues with structural stability as you get thinner. The iPhone was 6.9mm thick and bent. Makes you appreciate the 2mm thickness of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept a little more, doesn’t it?!

A tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées

Now, Piaget is celebrating the Altiplano Ultimate Concept’s lineage with a special version dedicated to the Swiss Jura village of La Côte-aux-Fées. If you’re not a Piaget history buff, let me help you out here. La Côte-aux-Fées is where Georges Edouard Piaget founded the eponymous watch company in 1874. It was here that the design, development, and creation of every ultra-thin Piaget movement ever was carried out.

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées has a bridge, screws, hands, and a dial in a deep, forest green and complemented by a matching strap made from alligator leather. The highly-polished cobalt alloy case contrasts nicely with the richness of the green detailing. As a reminder of the company’s heritage, the main plate is not-so-subtly engraved with the year of Piaget’s founding, 1874.

Piaget knows thin

A single watchmaker creates each Altiplano Ultimate Concept. The movement baseplate is machined directly into an ultra-resistant cobalt alloy case. It is so thin that 0.12mm separates the movement from the wearer’s skin. To put that into perspective, the average width of human hair in Europe* is between 0.06mm and 0.08mm. With that in mind, just two hair-widths are separating the movement from the wearer’s skin. Madness.

According to Piaget, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept “Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées” is its way of combining one of the most innovative watches of today with the ancient landscape in which the brand was established. Furthermore, the brand tells us to expect to see more inspiration from La Côte-aux-Fées soon! Read more about Piaget here.

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*I used a European reference here as there are many variables when it comes to hair thickness. For example, both the color of the hair and ethnic background can affect the thickness of the individual hairs. Because Fratello is a European publication, I chose to go with the average European hair thickness for the reference. This is not an exact science.