How thin can you go? For Piaget, this has been a question that they have been answering since the late 1950s, and early 1960s when they already set records with their manual wind caliber 9P and automatic caliber 12P. At the time, the goal wasn’t purely to create the thinnest watch on the market, but more to give Piaget’s designers as much creative freedom as possible when they create their timepieces. When we fast forward to today, we see a slightly different perspective. While Piaget’s ultra-slim movements still give freedom to its designers and find their way in beautiful watches, being thin has gotten an appeal of its own.
How thin can you go? For Piaget, this has been a question that they have been answering since the late 1950s, and early 1960s when they already set records with their manual wind caliber 9P and automatic caliber 12P. At the time, the goal wasn't purely to create the thinnest watch on the market, but more to give Piaget's designers as much freedom as possible when they create their timepieces. When we fast forward to today, we see a slightly different perspective. While Piaget's ultra-slim movements still give freedom to its designers and find their way in beautiful watches, being thin has gotten an appeal of its own.
In 2018 Piaget introduced a prototype of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept at SIHH. Just looking at it took your breath away, as it seemed to be nothing more than a print of a photo on tick paper. In reality, it was a fully working mechanical wristwatch with a height of only 2mm. As astonishing as it was, it was also still a prototype. While it was quite an achievement by itself, turning it into a reliable production model that people can wear on a daily basis is something entirely different. However, when Piaget introduced the manual wind caliber 9P in 1957, it was met with the same doubts but went on to prove itself as a reliable daily companion.
To create a watch that is only 2mm thick, Piaget had to go beyond what has been, until recently, possible. The case of the watch doubles as the baseplate for the movement. To ensure that it is strong enough, Piaget used a high-tech cobalt alloy, which can be made very thin without losing its rigidity. All other parts of the watch had to be miniaturized as well, and the sapphire crystal that protects it all is a mere 0.2mm thick by itself. In terms of performance, it holds its ground with ease, not only when it comes to precision, but also with power reserve, which is still a generous 40-hours. On top of this is the Altiplano Ultimate Concept also fully finished, including chamfered and polished bridges. This is also a watch that proofs that being ultra-thin is a complication by itself. To make it even more exclusive, does Piaget offer extensive customization options to its clients, varying from the strap to the color of the dial and the baseplate. This makes it very unlikely that even when you already spot another it looks exactly the same, underscoring that the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept is indeed the king of ultra-thin.
