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Exceptionally thin mechanical wristwatches are considered not only elegant but also extremely demanding from a technical standpoint. For many years, producing such prestigious movements and watches was the preserve of a handful of storied luxury watch manufactures such as Breguet, Piaget and Bulgari. Yet a look at how the market has developed in recent years shows that younger luxury watchmakers have now launched exceptionally thin models as well.
The extraordinary fascination of ultra-thin watches
There are several reasons why so many luxury watchmakers compete for the case or movement with the lowest height. For one, discerning customers prize very thin wristwatches for their particular elegance. For another, as the perfect dress watches, their slim case height lets them slip under a shirt cuff more easily than other models.
Above all, though, there is hardly a better way for a maker of mechanical watches to demonstrate its watchmaking skill than with a caliber that combines maximum performance with the smallest possible dimensions.
That is all the more true, of course, when the movement in question features special complications such as a perpetual calendar, a chronograph function or even a minute repeater.
Thinnest case, thinnest movement or thinnest watch: Who holds the records?
The record for the world's thinnest mechanical wristwatch is currently held by the Swiss luxury watch manufacture Piaget. Its Altiplano 38 mm model has a case just 3.65 millimeters thick. This impressive feat was made possible above all by two particularly clever design solutions. The caseback doubles as the caliber's mainplate. In addition, the various components of the in-house manual-winding manufacture caliber 900P are arranged around the off-center dial so that they sit at almost the same height.
Beyond this achievement, however, Piaget's watchmakers hold another remarkable record: they have also built the thinnest chronograph movement to date. It beats inside the case of the Altiplano Chronograph, the thinnest flyback chronograph currently available. At 8.24 millimeters, its case is thinner than that of many wristwatches without any additional functions. The manufacture caliber 883P inside it, measuring 4.65 millimeters in height, is currently considered the world's thinnest movement with a chronograph function.
Another Piaget record is no less impressive, even though it does not yet concern a production-ready model available on the market: at the 2018 Geneva watch fair (SIHH), the manufacture unveiled the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which, despite its incredibly slim height of just two millimeters, is a fully fledged, hand-wound mechanical watch. The caliber, designated 900P-UC, was developed specifically for it, and its creators filed no fewer than five patents for it. The 41-millimeter case, into which the crown was directly integrated, is made – like the caliber – of a cobalt-based alloy.
The strap developed especially for it is scarcely less spectacular. Made of alligator leather with a Kevlar coating, it is only 1.1 millimeters thick. So far, however, there is no information on a possible market launch of this watch of superlatives.
Fierce competition between Piaget and Bulgari
Incidentally, Piaget had previously held the record for the thinnest watch case and thinnest movement for four decades with its Altiplano and its caliber 1208P, but in the recent past it has repeatedly been challenged by its competitor Bulgari.
In 2017, Bulgari briefly took the lead with the Octo Finissimo Automatic as the thinnest watch in the automatic segment, before Piaget successfully countered with the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic, just 4.3 millimeters thick.
Shortly afterward, however, Bulgari secured another prestigious record at Baselworld 2018, when the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic became not only the world's thinnest automatic watch but also the watch with the thinnest tourbillon ever built.
Whether records like these mark the limit of ultra-thin construction, no one can say at this point. It is safe to assume, however, that there will be further attempts to undercut the current dimensions. After all, a slim profile has been considered elegant and desirable ever since the first wristwatch by the old master Breguet, whereas particularly tall watch cases tend to be accepted merely as a side effect of an extensive range of functions.
Ultra-thin luxury watches – also available at moderate prices from Bruno Söhnle and Maurice Lacroix
Any watch connoisseur will know that the world's thinnest watch doesn't come at a bargain price. The models competing for titles such as "thinnest movement" or "thinnest watch case" are routinely offered at six-figure prices.
If you'd like to wear a particularly thin, elegant women's or men's watch on your wrist, however, you can fulfill that wish at considerably more moderate prices. For a mid three-figure euro sum, for example, there is the Rondo from Bruno Söhnle, a thin watch offered in both women's and men's versions, whose name alludes to its perfectly round case.
At 6.1 and 6.2 millimeters in height respectively, the cases may no longer be record contenders, but they are still considerably thinner than most other watches found in the luxury segment. They give their wearers a high degree of recognizability and a distinctive personal touch. This is thanks to design details that set them apart from the mainstream, such as the crown positioned at four o'clock or the placement of the date window and small seconds at two and seven o'clock respectively.
Despite these distinctive features, the Bruno Söhnle Rondo models never come across as obtrusive; instead, they win you over with their understated elegance.
Maurice Lacroix
The Maurice Lacroix range also includes several watch models with a particularly low case height.
They are found above all in the Eliros line, where even versions with a moon phase display stay well below the one-centimeter mark in case height. It goes without saying that the thin, elegant cases in this price range cannot house an elaborate mechanical caliber.
In return, buyers of a Maurice Lacroix Eliros or a Bruno Söhnle Rondo get a luxury watch powered by a precise quartz movement that not only reliably does its job but also impresses with its elegant looks.
Ultra-thin watches from Zenith and Hublot
If your ultra-thin wristwatch absolutely must have a mechanical heart, take a look at the collections from Zenith and Hublot. There you will find several watch models that carry the suffix "ultra thin" in their names.
Examples include the Hublot Classic Fusion Ultra Thin and the Zenith Elite Ultra Thin, each offered in several different versions. While their dimensions may not be record-breaking, they are still exceptionally slim.
What's more, their makers' names guarantee advanced watchmaking technology and a design that is either classic or avant-garde, as you prefer. And if you wear one of these on your wrist, whether with office attire or formal evening wear, you'll never be annoyed by your shirt cuff constantly catching on the case of your watch.
