There was a time when men's watches were characterised mostly by their ruggedness and size - the bigger, the better. Today, however, many men prefer something smaller, slimmer and more delicate.
The trend first appeared last year when Bulgari released a slim watch named after its founder, Sotirio Bulgari, to celebrate the brand's 125th anniversary. Then Dunhill partnered with Jaeger-LeCoultre half a century after their first collaboration, to bring back an old-timer: the Alfred Dunhill Facet watch (3). This ultra-slim rectangular timepiece with the eponymous faceted glass is an update of a watch that debuted in 1936. Powered by Jaeger Le-Coultre Calibre 822 with hour, minute and small seconds at 6, the new Facet watch has a silver-coloured dial with blue, baton-style hands and is a stunning accessory for a tailored grey suit.
More evidence surfaced at the recent SIHH watch fair. Even Panerai, famous for its voluminous pieces, launched the P.999, a new hand-wound mechanical movement only 3.4mm thick but with 19 jewels, a 60-hour power reserve and a balance wheel oscillating at 21,600 vibrations per hour. This movement allows for new models such as Radiomir Oro Rosa (4), which is smaller, lighter and more elegant than the brand's usual pieces, but maintains its military DNA. I usually don't like pink gold but matched with Panerai's masculine style - especially its classic dial with big numerals - it works quite well. It's a piece that would look perfect on a man with long but perfectly coiffed hair, a la Bradley Cooper.
Many theories have been put forward to explain the phenomenon of thinner watches and one of them is that since the world has emerged from recession, people are still thinking lean. The more pragmatic explanation may be that as more watchmakers have set up manufactures to produce their own movements, they enjoy more flexibility to produce pieces with different dimensions.
Thin movements are fascinating. At the thickness of a biscuit you have all the parts perfectly assembled to tell time. The title of thinnest self-winding movement currently available in the market has been claimed by Piaget with its Calibre 1200P at 2.35mm. It is inspired by the brand's 12P launched in 1960, the thinnest movement at the time. The 1200P runs Piaget's iconic Atiplano watches, and allows the cases to be as slim as 5.25mm, supposedly also a record.
But what really draws me are the 'anniversary edition' pieces, especially the style in white gold. The black hand-guilloche dial with silver-coloured baton hour markers and baton hands is understated yet brimming with style. It's worn by the man who tells you a lot about himself without saying much.