World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch: Piaget Altiplano 900P

The Piaget watch company has made a name for itself for years by specialising in ultra-thin watches which combine unique aesthetic principles with staggering technological innovations which both dazzle the eye and considerably lighten the wallet. Their first super-thin watch was the Calibbre 9P, the mechanism of which measured a staggering 2mm, and this was swiftly followed in 1960 by the Calibre 12P, which broke world records with the thinness of its automatic movement. Since then the company has dedicated itself to producing super-slender watches of incredible technical prowess and beauty, which are durable and strong but also aesthetically pleasing - and, of course, tiny. Out of the 35 movements the Maison has developed over the years, 23 of these have been ultra slim and 12 of those were record-setters. While most watch makers shy away from making incredibly thin watches, as it involves a constant battle and tests the patience and skill of the artisans involved, Piaget remain dedicated to the 'thin' cause.

Hot release

Piaget Altiplano 900P Now, having broken numerous 'thinness' records since they released the Calibre 9P back in 1957, Piaget has smashed yet another one, choosing to celebrate its 140th anniversary by unveiling the latest in ultra-thin watches, the Piaget Altiplano 900P. This fragile-looking timepiece, which is 38mm in diameter, has robbed Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 'Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee' of the title of world’s slimmest watch by 4mm and has wowed watch buyers with its painstaking design features, which took three whole years to perfect. The most striking part of the watch is the fact that it is all one unit, with the case-back serving as a base for the movement components and the dial being a small off-centre unit which fits into the bridges, rather than being positioned on top of the movement as in other watches. Meanwhile, the wheels of the watch are so slender as to seem positively fragile, with the thinnest being the main gear train's third wheel - it measures an astonishing 12mm - and every one of the watch's 145 components being able to fit "within the thickness of the balance wheel". On top of this, the watch's hands have had to be designed to sit below the main bridges of the watch so that the crystal could sit as low as technically possible. To make this happen a new mechanism had to be created, the patent for which is still pending.

A collectors's dream

Besides all of these spectacular design features, the watch is also aesthetically pleasing in its own right, with its brushed and polished finishes and generally elegant-looking case which draws the eye without looking too ornate or showy. Unsurprisingly, the watch is incredibly light to wear but is also durable and doesn't give the impression of being liable to break easily - a good thing too, as the rose gold version will set you back $26,200 and the ultra-chic white gold watch an even more impressive $27,800. However these sizeable price tags are unlikely to deter eager watch buyers who want to hold a slice of history, not to mention painstaking innovation, in their hands, before strapping it around their wrists.