GUIDE: The Time+Tide polo primer

Felix Scholz

In a few short weeks, Time+Tide will be sponsoring the annual Polo in the City competition – one of Australia’s premier polo meets. Now, thanks to watches such as the JLC Reverso and the Piaget Polo, as well as anything made by Ralph Lauren, most of us are aware that polo is essentially hockey on horseback, with a far better dress code. But given that we’re going to be up close and personal with the aforementioned horses (or rather ponies), we thought a bit of a cheat sheet was in order. Read on, for everything you need to know about the true sport of kings.

The Game

Polo is over 2000 years old, originating in Persia and spreading across the world, so that by the Middle Ages it was played from Kyoto to Constantinople. But it wasn’t until the British picked the game up in India that the sport entered the modern era. The first English Polo club was formed 1872, and two years later the first game was played in Australia after being introduced by the splendidly named Lt Col Thomas St Quintin of the 10th Hussars.

The Lingo

Chukker

More than just a style of boot, a chukker is a period of play in polo. A chukker is roughly seven and a half minutes, and four of them make a match.

Flagger

This is the chap who lets you know if a goal has been scored – with a flag (obvs).

Ponies

Traditionally polo was played with smaller, more agile ponies – and even though full size horses play they’re still called ponies.

Equestrian style

There’s a reason Ralph Lauren uses a polo player as his logo – it’s a stylish game. Polo was originally played by aristocrats and military men in snappy uniforms, and ever since it’s been a game for the well-heeled.

Naturally, the right watch is an essential part of this uniform, and while brands like Hublot have released polo watches in their typically contemporary sports cases, it’s chiefly a game where elegance rules. Whether in the form of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso or this Cartier Tank MC, we’re talking dressy watches that can still handle the fast pace of the game.

Images by Benn Jae.