Usher Rocked a Vintage Piaget Polo Watch to the BET Awards

Usher has several things in common with the watch he was rocking at the BET Awards: Both icons were born in the 1970s, have greatly impacted their respective industries, and continue to appeal to modern audiences.

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The “Yeah!” singer, who picked up BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the award for best R&B and hip-hop artist, was sporting a stylish Piaget Polo at the ceremony on Sunday, along with a Ralph Lauren suit, an Azlee necklace, a pair of Shay earrings, and some Jacques Marie Mage shades.

This aptly named Piaget was first introduced at the World Cup polo tournament in Palm Beach in 1979. (For comparison’s sake, Usher Raymond IV was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1978.) Designed for the well-to-do attendees and other upper-crust folk, the all-gold Polo notably featured an integrated bracelet that made it more akin to a piece of jewelry than a traditional watch.

The Swiss watchmaker released large and small examples crafted from between 132 and 136 grams of yellow gold. The model was available with round or square dials, measuring 30 to 34 mm and 20 to 25 mm, respectively. Some references were also set with diamonds and fitted with a woven bracelet instead of one with the traditional links or gadroons.

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Piaget produced the Polo from 1979 until 1990, making approximately 2,000 to 3,000 of the square and the round iterations, or about 4,000 to 6,000 in total. The storied watchmaker, which was acquired by Vendôme Group (now Richemont) in 1988, reissued the Polo earlier this year in honor of its 150th anniversary. The new Piaget Polo 79 features a larger 38 mm case and a more robust in-house automatic caliber (1200P1) instead of the original quartz movement. The ‘70s aesthetic and signature blocked links remain unchanged.

Usher’s piece, however, was made sometime in the late 1970s. The vintage rarity, sourced by Analog:Shift , features a 24 mm yellow-gold case, a diamond pavé dial with shiny “dauphine” hands, and a striking “basketweave bracelet.” The chic wrist candy is powered by a thin, hand-wound movement and secured with a barely noticeable signed clasp. Usher paid $18,990 for his Polo—quite a bargain considering the Piaget Polo 79 has a suggested retail price of $73,000.

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