An "On-The-Wrist" Review of the Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph
By Anthony Tsai
© August 2009
Do you remember the day when you had your first gulp of beer, sip of wine, shot of vodka, tequila, or whiskey? What was the first thought in your mind? - "Ewww. This tastes disgusting!!! " But later on, you've learned to appreciate, differentiate, and thirst for a glass of cabernet or pint of lager at each night's dinner? This is exactly how I feel and what I experienced while wearing the Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph for over 5 weeks.
Throughout my 10 years as a watch enthusiast, I've never experienced what I did with Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph – a transformation of initial apathy to one of enduring and absolute gratification . And to tell you the truth, it was difficult for me to return this watch back to Piaget as I fell in love with it and learned to appreciate all the design aspects of the watch, whether good or bad.
For a breakdown of Piaget's rich history, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read MTF's article in our Piaget forum before continuing on with this review: piaget.watchprosite.com .
Piaget, one of the most discreet manufactures in the watch industry IMO, has decided to expand its target customer base with the debut of its brand new sports watch collection at this past SIHH 2009 – the Piaget Polo FortyFive. Known for its stronghold in Asia, Piaget has a loyal affluent conservative clientele. With the debut of the Polo FortyFive collection, it is my opinion that Piaget is seeking to diversity its customer base to include the younger generation who seem to fancy more sporty watches. This is definitely a bold and daring move for such a conservative brand because even the slightest change at Piaget is indeed something to take notice.
In 1979, Piaget debuted its iconic Piaget Polo with striped godrons which was only available in precious metals with an integrated bracelet. For a look at more Piaget Polo variations, please read MTF's post here: piaget.watchprosite.com
The Polo FortyFive incorporates a new sporty design that still has classic Piaget Polo design elements and, in my opinion, should not dissuade or offend its existing customer base. In this review, I've also included 4 high-definition videos which will help with visualization, so let's dive in and take a closer look at the elements of the Polo FortyFive Chronograph.
Dial
When glancing at the dial for the first time (see above picture), your first impression will probably be the dial appears "too busy" as a whole. This was my exact reaction when I first saw the watch at SIHH 2009.
After wearing the watch for a few days and utilizing the chronograph feature to time parking meters, knowing exactly where to look on the dial (whether 3 o'clock for the chronograph minutes, 6 o'clock for the time seconds, or 9 o'clock for the second time zone) became second nature. "The dial of the Polo FortyFive is actually extremely legible," I thought to myself. And so, my feelings for this chronograph began to transform for the better. Hmm…another thought that popped up in my head was, "Maybe my review may prove to be interesting after all?"
Take a look at the sub-seconds at 6 o'clock in the above picture. I really love the clean look of the individual seconds hash marks in white and 5-sec interval hash marks in red . Contrasts well with the black dial if I may say so. Furthermore, there's also an outer 5-sec increment register w/ markers double the length of the inner hash marks. This design allows for easy, instant, and precise reading of the exact seconds.
At twelve o'clock is the date display with a red triangle pointing at today's date. Highly legible, the date display also shows the prior and following date, which I find to be one of the design drawbacks of the Polo FortyFive. I personally prefer seeing only today's date because there's really no reason why you need to see 18 & 20 if today's date is 19. This 3-date display actually "cheapens" the look of the watch, so I hope Piaget considers altering the date display to a single date register. Furthermore, this may even "clean up" the dial a bit.
At 3 o'clock is the 30-minutes chronograph register which I found to be not as easy to read at a quick glance compared to the sub-seconds at 6 o'clock. There is no use of red in the hash markers, and every time I use the chronograph function, I need to stare a bit at this chronograph minutes display to tell exactly how many minutes have elapsed. It would have been great if Piaget used the same red-colored incremental hash marks solely for legibility reasons, and my suggestion would be to place the red hash markers at each 10-minute intervals.
The second time zone display is at 9 o'clock. Unlike most GMT's which are 12-hour indicators, the Polo FortyFive's GMT is a 24-hour indicator which I prefer because then you don't have to worry about AM / PM. What's great about this second time zone function is it even displays partial hours, so if you look at the above picture, it is approximately 3:10PM. Most GMT displays only display the exact hour instead of partial hour.
The second time zone display has its own convenient quick change pusher at 10 o'clock, as shown in the below picture. Depress the pusher once and the hour advances forward exactly 1 hour. So if the display is at 3:10PM, it will advance to 4:10PM, not 4:00PM. For the die-hard watch geeks, it would have been impressive if Piaget incorporated a 30-minute quick set into the second time zone register rather than the standard 60-minute interval. This would have given Piaget bragging rights to differentiate its Polo FortyFive Chronograph GMT from its competition.
One feature which some have expressed dislike for is the writing of "Second Time Zone" and "Flyback Chronograph" at the outer perimeter of the 3 and 9 o'clock registers (see above). I personally don't mind the writing at all. In fact, I actually think the curvature of text blends well into the design of the watch and gives the dial a wider expanded feel which helps with legibility.
Readability of the time in the dark is not a problem for the Polo FortyFive. The dauphine hour and minute hands have thin lines of luminova, and the hour markers are completely painted with luminova. The hands in the sub-dials are non-luminescent.
As you can see in the above macros picture, one fault I did find is the luminova displayed uneven brightness upon close examination. Some parts of the hour markers were not luminescent, so I hope Piaget improves upon this. You will not notice any unevenness with the luminescence while the watch is at normal arm's distance though, only upon close scrutiny. Please do keep in mind that these are extreme macros pictures, so any flaw is greatly enhanced.
Case, Crown, and Pushers
Piaget has never used titanium as the metal for a watch case before, so the titanium case of the Polo FortyFive is a first for Piaget. The size of the case is 45mm which is in keeping with the size of today's men's sports watches. 45 minutes is also the average duration of a Polo match so that's another reason why Piaget also chose 45mm as the case size.
Despite the advertised size in the spec sheet of 45mm, the Polo FortyFive definitely wears smaller on the wrist – more closer to 42mm or 43mm because the lugs and the top half of the case curve downward with the slope of your wrist. The sapphire crystal is also slightly curved to match the curvature of the case. So those who adamantly refuse to wear anything over 42mm, please don't automatically cross the Polo FortyFive off your list. Try it on your wrist before making your final judgement.
Here's a HD video showing the dial and curvature of the case (please allow a couple minutes to download video).
Below is another picture showing the curvature of the case as well as the iconic godrons of the Piaget Polo which line the bezel and extend into the black rubber strap. These polished godrons are not made of titanium but of steel. It would be my guess that Piaget used different metals for the case and godrons for added visual contrast since the hue of titanium is slightly more grey than that of steel.
In the below picture, look closely and you will see the transparent protective sticker on the sides of the case which you can peel off. You really don't have to take these stickers off if you don't want to because they really are discreet and cut to the exact dimensions of the case. I normally take all the stickers off any watch I wear, but with these stickers I didn't since they did not detract or hamper by ability to appreciate and enjoy the watch. Not many brands apply these protective stickers, so kudos to Piaget for going to extra mile even if it's only a minute detail.
Crown & Chronograph Pushers
Going back to the polished steel godrons on the case, Piaget goes even further to maintain a homogenous design by adding matching godrons on the crown (see below picture).
One drawback I have about the crown and chronograph pushers is the small size. I wished Piaget made them a tad larger because the crown and chrono pushers are sized for a petite woman's fingers IMO.
Crown and pushers are rubber tipped to ensure a solid grip when participating in any aquatic activities. They also further enhance the sporty chronograph look.
An usual characteristic of the chronograph is tremendous amount of pressure you need to depress the reset/stop chronograph button. You really must press as hard as your finger can to depress this reset/stop button. I played with another Polo FortyFive at a local AD and noticed the same thing. A fellow Purist who purchased a Polo FortyFive asked me the same thing as well. And so, I believe it is a safe assumption to assume that most, if not all, Polo FortyFive chronographs will have a super stiff reset/stop button.
The start chronograph button has a great tactile feel though. Only the reset/stop button is stiff. Below is a HD video which clearly demonstrates the above (please allow a couple minutes to download video).
Movement & Caseback
Piaget 880P w/ PVD rotor of the Polo FortyFive Chronograph
880P movement w/ non-PVD rotor of a regular Piaget Polo
The base plate is circular-grained, and the bridges are beveled. The circular Côtes de Genève pattern and blued screws are the brand's signature aesthetic, and the PVD-treated dark-grey winding rotor is engraved with the Piaget emblem. The overall look of the movement finishing is excellent, simple, and refined.
In addition to chronograph and flyback functions, the 880P calibre displays the hour and minutes functions, along with small seconds at 6 o'clock, the date at 12 o'clock and a second 24-hour time zone at 9 o'clock, as mentioned earlier above.
The thin 5.6 mm self-winding mechanical movement has two barrels and a large screw balance, to offer a 50-hour power reserve when the chronograph mode is engaged. With a column wheel and vertical coupling-clutch, the Piaget 880P has all the qualities of a fine chronograph movement.
The Polo FortyFive was practically strapped on my wrist 24 hours a day even while sleeping, and the only time it left my wrist was when I took a shower. Overall accuracy straight out of the box for was approximately +7 sec/day over the first 4 days. Then for the next following 33 days, the movement settled down because it only ran 46 secs fast. This equates to an accuracy of +1.4 sec/day which is pretty darn impressive!
Strap & Deployant Buckle
My most favorite feature of the Polo FortyFive is the comfort of the black rubber strap and deployant buckle. The combination of the two along with the curved lugs ensures a perfect fit on the wrist.
I'm delighted to see Piaget utilize a wide tapering strap on this elegant sports watch. The thickness of the rubber strap is perfect as well as the flexibility. The rubber strap is wide at the lug area and slowly tapers down to the deployant clasp. A lot of brands these days make large 44mm+ watches but they still keep, for some strange reason, the lugs the same width as if the watch were still 38mm. Do they do this just to save on tooling and development costs of a new wider strap and wider deployant? If so, these shortcuts are a detriment to comfortability. I'm glad Piaget didn't take this shortcut.
When I first wore the watch, the first thing I noticed was how well the watch sat on my wrist. The Polo FortyFive was so comfortable that after a couple days of wear, I no longer noticed it anymore. It had become fused into my wrist! Below is another HD video of the Polo FortyFive on my wrist, so you can see how great it looks in the flesh at multiple angles (please allow a couple minutes to download video).
Let's take a look at the construction of the rubber strap and deployant buckle to examine how and why the Polo FortyFive fits like a glove on the wrist.
In the above picture, do you notice the small holes in the rubber strap next to the deployant buckle? These are the holes where the deployant fastening pins slide through. You must cut the ends on both rubber straps to size it to your wrist. It'll take a minimum of 2 or 3 size adjustments to get the rubber strap at perfect length. Make sure you don't cut off too much of the strap at each adjustment because you can always cut more off if it's too loose, but you can't glue the strap back if you cut it too short!
After you cut the rubber strap, you will need to screw the deployant screws back in (see above picture). You'll need a high quality screwdriver such as a Bergeon because this screw slot is extremely narrow. An ordinary screwdriver such as one you would use to adjust the screws on your eye glasses will not suffice because the tip will be too thick for this narrow slot.
This entire strap adjustment will probably take around 15 minutes, maybe even 20 to 30 minutes if you've never sized a rubber strap like this before. I've resized and cut rubber straps from other brands, and this one is the most complex system I've experienced due to the 2 tiny screws on each of the deployant clasps. But let me say, resizing the strap is a one time occurrence, so if I have to spend 15-30 minutes to resize the rubber strap, I'm all for it because the end result is heavenly bliss.
In the above picture, notice the summer and winter quick adjustment buttons in the deployant clasp. You can depress these quick adjustment buttons and slide the rubber strap one notch to ensure a perfect fit no matter the time of the day or year. It only takes one second to lengthen or shorten the strap anytime your wrist swells or shrinks.
And so, with the ability to cut the rubber strap and precisely size it to your wrist and utilize the summer/winter quick adjustments in the buckle, this is why the Piaget Polo FortyFive has been one of the most comfortable watches I've ever worn.
In the above picture, you can see the 2 polished godrons integrated into the strap. The one furthest away from the lug is actually screwed into the strap by 2 screws (see below picture). It is not common practice for watch brands to incorporate metal pieces into their rubber straps but it works beautifully with the Polo FortyFive.
As you can see in the below picture, Piaget continues with the godron design throughout the entire rubber strap. The first two godrons closest to the lugs are made of steel while the following are molded into the rubber strap.
Piaget continues again with its polished godron design on the deployant clasp. In terms of security, the deployant clasp is as secure as any other push-release deployant clasp in the market today. Though I do wish more pressure is required to push the deployant release buttons because it is a tad too easy.
Below is a HD video showing the deployant clasp (please allow a couple minutes to download video).
Piaget's deployant is a tri-fold deployant clasp with 2 quick release buttons. In the picture below, the outer edges of the center section could be improved upon. A fellow Purist pointed out in our forum earlier that both she and her husband experienced slight irritation on the bottom of the wrist due to the rough edges of the deployant. I do not know if this is a common complaint about the Polo FortyFive deployant; but from my own experience, the edges of the deployant on my Polo FortyFive wasn't rough enough to cause irritation. I rubbed my finger over the edges, and I do have to admit that Piaget could bevel the edges a tad bit more IMO.
Either way, I wore mine for over a month practically 24 hours/day with no problem at all. I figure I should point this out in my review so those who are going to purchase a Polo FortyFive, please check the deployant and let us know if the deployant edges are too sharp.
If you like to share watches with your spouse, one drawback is once you cut the strap, your spouse cannot wear the watch comfortably unless he/she has approximately the same wrist size. You can do minute adjustments with the summer/winter quick adjustments; but if your spouse's wrist isn't within 0.375" of your own wrist size, you'll have to purchase another spare strap if you wish to share.
Wristshots
Summary
If you're in the market to buy a non-bulky sports watch from a true manufacture with an in-house movement, column wheel chronograph, and elegant sporty look, then you should add the Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph to your list of possible candidates. With a current retail price of $17,900, it competes with well-known sports watches which are considered "trendy" or "fashion" watches, but the Polo FortyFive has the bonus complications of flyback and second time zone.
Even though the Polo FortyFive is classified as a sports watch, with its design and overall look, I do not see any problem wearing this watch with business or formal attire. Even though the watch is only currently available with the rubber strap, the polished godrons screwed into the rubber strap along with the polished dauphine hands and godrons on the bezel and crown add to the elegance of the watch which makes it versatile enough for both formal and casual wear.
The Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph surpassed my wildest expectations. Never have I discovered a watch where I felt apathetic towards it and then witness my passion grow and blossom into pure admiration. If your initial impression of the look and design of the Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph is one of indifference, all I ask of you is to give the watch a chance like I did. You may be delightfully surprised in the end!
Technical Specifications
Ref. G0A34002 Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph
Large model; Titanium case
Titanium bezel with alternating satin-brushed surfaces and polished steel godrons
Screw-lock crown in titanium and rubber
Black dial, luminescent hour-markers Sapphire crystal case-back
Functions: Hour, minute, small seconds (counter at 6 o'clock), dual time zone (24-hour indication at 9 o'clock), flyback chronograph function (30-minute counter at 3 o'clock)
Water resistance: 100 m
Manufacture Piaget 880P mechanical self-winding chronograph movement
Movement thickness: 5.6 mm
Casing diameter: 12"' (ø 26.80 mm)
Number of jewels: 35
Cadence: 28,800 vph (balance with screws)
Approximately 50-hour power reserve (double barrel)
Finishing: circular Côtes de Genève, circular-grained mainplate, bevelled bridges, blued screws
Steel triple-folding safety clasp with summer/winter position
Rubber strap with steel inserts
Additional Pictures
This message has been edited by MTF on 2009-08-19 20:16:07