SIHH 2018: Piaget breaks records for thin watch production
Piaget proves again that thin is definitely in.
It presented two record-breaking timepieces that pushed the limits of thinness – the Altiplano Ultimate Concept and the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P.
The Altiplano Ultimate Concept is only 2mm thick, making it the world’s thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch. The result of four years of research and development, the watch is impressive. The 41mm timepiece is driven by a new calibre, the 900P-UC, and comes with 44 hours of power reserve. It only weighs 21.7g.
A new barrel was designed and placed at 6 o’clock. It has no cover and no drum, and the ball-bearing-mounted mainspring is attached onto the frame instead. At 3 o’clock, a new control device is seen, which uses a control stem and a selection lever to selectively control a corresponding function. The crown is made into a flat “telescopic” crown that is recessed into the case. The fifth patent is for the method it took to fit the 0.22mm thin crystal onto a bezel integrated with the case.
It’s other world-record-setting timepiece is the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic, the world’s thinnest mechanical automatic watch at only 4.3mm thick.
The thinness is achieved by using extremely miniaturised parts, some barely thicker than a hair, as well as integrating the calibre and the case together to create a single unit. The case is also used as a mainplate.
A new, revamped quartz-powered Possession line for women features rotating bezels paired with colourful interchangeable straps. The rotating bezels evoke the rotating rings found in its counterpart jewellery collection, as does the colour theme that the line introduces.
“It combines all the Piaget savoir-faire with the gem-setting, gold craftsmanship,” Nouri says. “It has a playfulness to it, with the rotating dancing ring.”
The high-jewellery Altiplano line also features malachite and lapis lazuli marquetry dials. Created by artist Hervé Obligi, each of the two 41mm watches features a tourbillon and is limited to eight pieces. The watches are equipped with 670P calibre and a 48-hour power reserve.
Piaget also added six new variations to its Extremely Lady line, highlighting gold bracelets worked to resemble textures of fur, frost and wood. They are paired with dials made of semi-precious materials including lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl.
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After four years of development, the maison has revised the fitting of the Concept’s calibre and dial inside the case