Piaget, one of the unchanging names of Ultra-Thin watches, once again set a record by being the new owner of the world's thinnest mechanical watch title with its new model, Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept.
Ultra-Thin watches have quickly become a popular concept in the past few years of luxury watchmaking. The two most important representatives of this interesting concept that pushes the limits of technology to the end are Bulgari and Piaget. However, if we look at the issue in terms of past, we can see that Piaget is one of the oldest names in this regard, as the brand has been working on "thin watches" since 1957.
The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which is presented to watch enthusiasts on the Watches & Wonders 2020 on-line platform, is not only a new record-breaking timepiece but also a pioneering model for a new concept with its personalization options.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept was introduced in 2018 to watch enthusiasts with a prototype. The model, which appeared in the 60th year celebrations of the cult Altiplano Collection of the brand, fascinated the watch lovers with its total thickness of only 2mm.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept - 2018 Prototype Version
The concept, which can finally go into mass production this year, gives the signals of a new era in watchmaking with its unique engineering and architecture pushing the limits of micro-mechanics.
The new model comes with a 41mm diameter and only 2mm thick case. The case, which reminds us of a big coin with its look, is made of a special cobalt alloy that can offer a robust structure despite this low thickness. Many components have been redesigned from the movement parts to the sapphire crystal (which is normally 1mm thick but reduced to only 0.2mm) so that the case can go down to this incredible fineness.
The Caliber 900P-UC, which gives life to the model, is a truly micro-mechanical miracle. Time is displayed through an off-centered dial at 12 o’clock in hours and minutes. The movement offers 40 hours power reserve when fully wound.
The fact that the movement displays the time through an off-centered layout, provides a great advantage in terms of the efficient use of the components in a limited space. In the movement, where almost every part is designed specifically for the concept, the thickness of the wheels forming the gear train is reduced to a value of 0.12mm. In the movement, which is designed to spread completely on the surface, the balance bridge, which is one of the leading components with its height, has been canceled. In the design that turns the standard layout upside down, a free-sprung balance controlled by four micro-weights is used.
In the meantime, don't let the whole concentration going to the thickness of the movement fool you. Caliber 900P-UC is a purebred Piaget and it fulfills the requirements of this completely. The components of the movements are prepared with sunray and matt finish. All of them are hand polished and chamfered. Even a PVD coating was applied to the main body.
The crown that controls the movement also required a special design. The crown, which is embedded in the sideline of the case, is pulled out of its place by a special apparatus. This provides both an aesthetic integrity and protects the crown from possible impacts.
At the beginning of the article, I mentioned the personalization options offered in the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept. These options offered to Altiplano Ultimate Concept customers include the color of the dial, and even the bridge, the finishing of the hands and the main body, and the crocodile or kevlar strap options accompanied by an ultra-thin buckle.
