Watch Paparazzi

Actor Mahesh Babu spotted wearing Piaget

At what appears to be a film industry event in Hyderabad, Telugu cinema's biggest box-office draw Mahesh Babu was photographed with a Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph strapped to his left wrist. The watch sits confidently beneath the cuff of a casual shirt — a telling choice that reveals a collector who appreciates technical substance over ostentatious branding.

The Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph in titanium represents one of the most technically ambitious departures in Piaget's modern history. The 45mm titanium case houses the Calibre 882P, an in-house integrated column-wheel chronograph movement delivering 50 hours of power reserve. The blue sub-dials against a dark anthracite dial create a sophisticated palette rarely seen in this watch category. A graduated chapter ring, a retrograde date display positioned prominently at 12 o'clock, and a flyback-capable chronograph mechanism complete a genuinely complex dial architecture.

For collectors, the Polo FortyFive occupies a fascinating niche. Piaget built its twentieth-century reputation on impossibly thin movements — the Calibre 12P, for decades the world's thinnest automatic. The FortyFive series was the brand's declaration that it could compete in the sport-luxury space on movement merit alone. The titanium variant, lighter and more wrist-friendly than the steel execution, remains particularly sought after by those who wear their watches daily under demanding conditions.

Mahesh Babu commands fees reported in excess of ₹100 crore per film and maintains one of the most scrutinized public profiles in South Asian entertainment. His watch choices are consistently noted for favoring technical European watchmaking over the predictable parade of Rolex and AP seen on many of his contemporaries. The Piaget selection is consistent with a collector who reads beyond the marketing.

Retailing at approximately $16,800 at launch, the Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph Titanium trades on the grey market in a range reflecting steady but modest depreciation from retail, typical of complicated Piaget sports references. As Piaget continues repositioning itself under Richemont's stewardship, earlier FortyFive references are drawing renewed collector attention as legitimate technical artifacts from the brand's modern sporting chapter.