Back in the halcyon days of 2018, Piaget accomplished the impossible and created the world’s thinnest automatic watch. By radically changing the way watches are made, integrating the case into the movement and reinventing traditional movement architecture, the end result is a staggering 2mm thick. That’s about as thin as a 1 Euro coin.
It’s a testament to Piaget’s R&D team – not to mention putting them back on the ultra-thin throne that Bulgari has been keeping warm for them. The only problem is, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept is just that: a concept. Meaning a one-off prototype, a thought experiment that could land on our wrists like Schrödinger’s cat. Until now.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept (2018)
This year Piaget outdid themselves, not by creating an even thinner watch, but by turning their Altiplano Ultimate Concept into a full-blown production reality. Well, sort of; don’t expect to see it in every watch coming out of Switzerland anytime soon, but know that if you’re thinking about tackling this, one could be yours.
The new watch is identical to the 2018 model. That means a 0.12mm layer of cobalt alloy (gold is too soft) and an extremely thin sapphire crystal surround an array of 167 precision parts, all wrapped up in the beautiful Altiplano shape.
Despite its ultra-thin nature, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept promises to be relatively practical. Thanks to the cobalt, its wear resistance and 40-hour power reserve surpass anything else approaching this thinness – there’s usually no room for a barrel.
The work and ingenuity that went into it can be clearly seen on the dial, which is skeletonized due to the nature of its construction. Well, integrated would be closer to the truth. Either way, it’s an impressive sight – although if you don’t like the colors, feel free to change them.
The final highlight of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept is that despite this being the most advanced watch of its kind, Piaget still offers customization options. The case material cannot be changed, as it’s an integral part of the watch, but the color of the bridges and dial, the finish of the hands, and the strap can all be chosen by the buyer.
Apparently there are 10,000 different options, and given that there will be far fewer of these watches made (at least for a few decades), that means there’s a good chance you’ll never see the exact same watch. Honestly, most of us want the black dial and blue bridges. It’s pretty awesome.
Price and Specs:
Brand: Piaget
Model: Altiplano Ultimate Concept Models: G0A45500 (black)
G0A45501 (silver and blue)
G0A45502 (blue and black)
Case/Dial: 41 mm diameter x 2.0 mm thickness (thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch in the world), cobalt-based high-tech alloy, black PVD treatment and satin-brushed caseback
Movement: Calibre Piaget 900P-UC, manual winding
Functions: Hour, minute hands offset at 12 o’clock
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power Reserve: 40 hours Strap: Alligator leather (black version) and blue Baltimora technical fabric strap (silver/blue and blue/black versions)
Price/Availability: TBD
English 
Russian 
Italian 
German 
Danish 
French 
Swedish 
Dutch