There is indeed something very Piaget men’s replica in the Polo S, far beyond just its name coming from the cult 1980s collection. Looking closer at the case, it bears a striking resemblance to the Emperador line; the finishing might have been inverted on the case and the bezel, but the lines of the case are pretty much identical. Furthermore, the dial colors of the Polo S can also be found in many previous Emperadors. The blue dial is obviously the most contentious, as it is associated with both the competing Patek and AP models (if you can call replica watches that are twice the price or more “competitors”), but truthfully it is also an iconic color in Piaget’s history, notably featured on its packaging.
The stainless steel bracelet is not actually integrated, so you can always swap it for a strap if you don’t love it.
Considering all the previous facts, the Piaget Polo S replica naming seems at first illogical: Why not call it the Emperador S if it borrowed most of its aesthetic from that existing line? Herein is the difference between product development and marketing – branding it Polo S was much more in line with the mission of this launch. Polo S obviously sounds sexier, but I believe the core reason lies deeper than that. The Polo S aimed to accomplish as much as the Polo had done in the late 1970s and early ’80s, when it was the versatile replica watch of the jet-set crowd, admired for its precious looks and water resistance.
Interestingly, the most Polo-like feature that can be found on the new Polo S is the horizontal pattern on the dial, made in honor of the construction of the original bracelet. Despite this link, it is also one of the most controversial elements in the Polo S, since it is also a signature of the Nautilus.
The blue dial is one of the best things about this replica watch – and the source of much of the controversy.
Now that we’ve looked at its inception, an incorrect assumption must be cleared up before we move to the more detailed stuff: The “S” in Polo S stands for “Sport” and not “Steel.” The Polo S does not pretend to be so important because of its metal – though since the mid-1950s all Piaget wristreplica watches have been made of precious metals, except for the forgotten (and forgettable, I dare say) Upstream, launched in 2001.
No, the real value of the Polo S is that it offers a sportier, more casual alternative to dressier replica watches, like the Altiplano, that dominate Piaget’s offerings. The price positioning was also important and different for Piaget, with the time-and-date Polo S below $10,000 and the chronograph below $15,000. This makes both replica watches about half the price of a comparable Altiplano and, as mentioned earlier (and discussed in an epic Three On Three), about half the price of comparable luxury steel sport replica watches. As such, it can be considered as the introductory piece for Piaget, which can bring new clients to a historical brand.
Piaget 1160P caliber
I specifically chose to spend a bit of time with the chronograph as this version got much less coverage than its three-handed counterpart. And, I will be honest, in the first hours of wearing it, I did not like its proportions very much at all. It was sitting high and large on the wrist, very far from the vintage dimensions with which I spend more time. Yet, it is something you quickly get used to; in a matter of days I had forgotten about it, especially since the blue dial often took the light in various beautiful ways. Here, the horizontal pattern does look very Patek (in a good way) and it definitely reminded me of the bracelets on those earlier Polo models of which I am so fond (though that might be more personal than anything).
