Introducing Piaget's Thinnest Watch Now with Tourbillon

Piaget celebrated its 150th anniversary, presenting several versions, the lion’s share of which was the Polo watch. The company had begun celebrating this anniversary about two months ago when it revived one of its iconic designs, the Polo 79. Now the company presents a new version of one of its most famous achievements in designing ultra thin movements: the watch that sat on the throne of the thinnest watches for quite some time. The “Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon” watch, as Piaget’s celebration coincides with the 150th anniversary of its creation, 67 years since the pioneering invention of the first ultra-thin caliber, the 9P, and six years since the unveiling of the thinnest watch. In the world, Altiplano Ultimate Concept, in 2018, Piaget is once again pushing the boundaries of watchmaking. It succeeded in maintaining the impressive thickness of its predecessor of 2 mm now while adding the complex tourbillon mechanism. “Always do better than necessary” the company commented.

The development of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept was a six-year effort, which culminated in the watch receiving the prestigious Aiguille d’Or Award at the 2020 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.

Prior to the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, Piaget's notable achievement in ultra-thin watches was the Altiplano 900P. Introduced in 2013, the Altiplano 900P stands a mere 3.65 mm tall. It held the distinction of being the thinnest mechanical watch on the market until 2015, when the title was claimed by Piaget's sister brand, Jaeger-LeCoultre—both brands are under the umbrella of the Swiss group Richemont. In that year, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Master Ultra-Thin Squelette, surpassing Piaget's record by a minuscule 0.05 mm. Three years later, Piaget regained its position when the Altiplano Ultimate Concept was unveiled. The watch set a new benchmark with its astonishingly slender case, measuring a mere 2 mm in thickness.

The dimensions of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon truly push the boundaries of watchmaking feasibility. With a diameter of 41.5 mm and guaranteed water resistance to a depth of 20 meters, the case is crafted from a deep blue treated cobalt alloy, providing an optimal balance between thinness and hardness, enhanced by a blue PVD treatment. However, it's the extraordinary 2 mm thickness and the 0.2 mm thick sapphire crystal.
Utilizing a principle perfected since the invention of caliber 900P, there's no distinction between the movement and the case. To maximize space and achieve ultra-thinness, the case back also functions as the mainplate of the movement, with its exterior side in contact with the skin. The crown, seamlessly integrated into the case band, is operated using a dedicated tool.

The dial displaying the hours and minutes is still slightly off-center, as it was on its predecessor. The tourbillon is located at 10 o’clock, with a seconds indicator engraved on the tourbillon ring. Baton indices adorn the dial. The ratchet wheel sits on top of the open barrel and fastens to the main plate via a screw in its center at 6 o'clock.

The movement used is the hand-wound caliber 970P-UC, which beats at 4 Hz. This ultra-thin caliber is a development of Piaget's first ultra-thin caliber, the 9P, made in 1957. The newest caliber features a one-minute peripheral tourbillon, maintaining the same thickness of 2mm. As mentioned, the main plate is also the case back.

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon features a unique skeletonized barrel echoing the original Altiplano's design. Despite a tourbillon's higher energy consumption (around 30% more than a fixed regulator), it still offers a minimum power reserve of 35 hours. The watch comes with a blue fabric strap with cobalt alloy pin buckle

For more information please visit Piaget’s official website.