When Piaget presented the world’s thinnest watch, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, six years ago, it showed the world exactly what masterful, high-precision work can look like. With the invention of the caliber 9P, Piaget can already draw on 67 years of experience in the manufacturing of ultra-thin movements. To celebrate its 150th anniversary, the brand has now outdone itself once again. The limited-edition Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary integrates a complex peripheral tourbillon at just 2 mm and is the worlds thinnest tourbillon watch.
The case of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary
Cobalt has the right thinness to hardness ratio to build a case as slim as that of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary with a diameter of 41.5 mm and a height of 2 mm. Therefore, Piaget decided to create a case made of a blue PVD-treated cobalt alloy. The case creates a simple but effective contrast to the exposed components of the movement. Meanwhile, the anti-reflective sapphire crystal represents another innovation by protecting the timepiece with a thickness of just 0.20 mm on the watch’s front and 0.16 mm on its back.
Another unique feature is that the caseback also functions as the movement’s mainplate. This design enables the accommodation of as many high-performing components as possible within this limited space. As with the 900P calibre, the transition between the case and movement is meant to be seamless. Other components of the movement are visible through an aperture. The crown is integrated into the case band to save as much space as possible. It can be pulled out and operated using a stylus, which also serves as a tool to return energy to the mainspring barrel by means of a gear reduction and torque control system.
The dial of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary
The movement components, including the tourbillon, take centre stage in this special timepiece. Together with the dial, they create an elegant colour scheme of blue, gold and silver in circular shapes. Through its slightly off-centre position on the dial’s upper half, the hour and minute dial sets the stage for the movement. It features polished, rounded baton indices for the hours and dots to indicate the minutes. Baton-shaped hands indicate the hours and minutes. The small seconds, however, is engraved around the tourbillon ring, which is located at 10 o’clock.
An ultra-thin masterpiece
Over at the manufacture in La Côte-aux-Fées, the Piaget team worked for three years to accomplish this ultra-thin masterpiece. After more than seventy designs for the tourbillon cage, fifteen for the anchor and thirty for the case, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th is the final result of a challenging process. As CEO Benjamin Comar notes, ‘We did far more than merely add a tourbillon. We reinvented everything’. The movement was not simply taken from the Altiplano Ultimate Concept and added in. Rather, more than 90 percent of it had to be newly developed and the machines required for an implementation to the exact micrometre had to be specially manufactured.
The calibre 970P-UC
With the calibres 9P, 12P, 900P and 910 P (with the latter two built into the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic), Piaget already has a significant number of ultra-thin movements in its portfolio. The hand-wound calibre 970P-UC is a new, complex addition. It has a power reserve of 40 hours and beats at a frequency of 4 Hz.
The centre-piece: a peripheral tourbillon
The peripheral tourbillon at 10 o’clock is largely made of titanium and completes one rotation per minute. A ceramic ball bearing on its outer edge reduces friction and a skeletonised barrel provides the necessary energy, which is up to 25 percent higher than that of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept. The latter has a cross-hair design, echoing the aesthetics of the original Altiplano. To ensure an energy supply despite the higher energy consumption in such a confined space, the thickness of the customised mainspring’s blade has been slightly increased based on its most force-bearing factor.
The machining of all other components also requires the highest accuracy of two thousandths of a millimetre. For example, the rim of the balance wheel can only be 0.2 mm thick due to its height. In addition, the four-armed wheels are diamond-polished and bevelled by hand and cannot be deformed during the decoration process.
Strap, price and availability
The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary comes with a matching dark blue calfskin-strap with a 3D-printed maille polonaise mesh motif printed onto the leather and a pin buckle made of cobalt alloy. For a greater variety, an additional strap with golden stitches will also be provided. As it takes a year to produce this ultra-thin timepiece, this is a limited edition. The watch is available for a price of around 600,000 Swiss francs.
Vacheron Constantin is updating its Patrimony with the introduction of a new 39 mm case for its manual-winding model, alongside a new dial and strap colours. The Patrimony moon phase retrograde date is also enjoying a new look. The collection's subtle yet effective facelift comes as the minimalist line celebrates its 20th year in the…
Swiss watchmaker Christophe Claret has added a sixth edition to its Poker collection. The new watch comes in a 45 mm black PVD-treated grade 5 titanium case. Aside from telling the time, the 2020 Poker watch's blue titanium dial allows three players to take part in a game of Texas Hold’em. Furthermore, the caseback features…
At Watches and Wonders 2025, Panerai is presenting the Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech PAM01575. With its case crafted from advanced Platinumtech and the technical sophistication of a perpetual calendar, the watch expands the brand’s high-end offering. Since the 1960s, the Luminor has been closely associated with Panerai. The new PAM01575 continues this legacy, combining…
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights Of The Round Table Titanium Damascus is the latest addition to the collection launched in 2013, which uniquely combines the medieval myth of King Arthur with Roger Dubuis' progressive approach to horology. This new version stands for the contrast between ice and fire. The titanium case with Damascus pattern symbolises…
Blancpain graced the world with the first modern diver's watch back in 1953. While Rolex paved the way with the first water-resistant Oyster Perpetual watch as far back as 1926, the Fifty Fathoms used the wisdom of amateur diver and Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter to define the essential features of diving watches. This includes characteristics…
Patek Phillipe presents a special version of the Nautilus to celebrate its long-standing partnership with Tiffany & Co. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 "Tiffany & Co" bears a dial in Tiffany blue and refers to the partnership with the lettering of both brands. The jeweller Tiffany & Co. was recently taken over by the LVMH…
With its new Seamaster Aqua Terra "Ultra Light", the watch manufacture OMEGA presents a watch that especially focuses on its light weight and its comfort during wearing – features that are particularly emphazising the model’s sporty character. Behind the development of this new Master Chronometer was one of golf’s major talents: Rory McIlroy. The OMEGA ambassador…
This April 2025, Audemars Piguet has unveiled a new ceramic shade that pays homage to the legendary ‘Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50’ – a shade that first graced the dial of the original Royal Oak in 1972. This new iteration draws its inspiration from the deep, clear night sky of the Vallée de Joux, a region…
OMEGA is updating the Speedmaster '57 and, at the same time, is presenting two Moonwatch models made of the in-house Moonshine Gold alloy. The former is now slightly flatter and is equipped with a manual calibre that also makes the watch a Master Chronometer. The Moonwatch made of the exclusive gold alloy is available with…
McDonalds, Connected Cannabis, Dior, and now... Audemars Piguet? At first glance, this string of companies seemingly has very little to do with one another. Yet they all have one thing in common: they have all collaborated with Travis Scott's Cactus Jack brand. Audemars Piguet is the latest brand to become part of this very unusual…
Ulysse Nardin, a venerated name in Swiss watchmaking, has long been known for its pioneering spirit and dedication to high horology. With the launch of the Diver [AIR], the brand has once again pushed the boundaries of what's possible in watch design and technology. This new addition to the Diver collection is not just another…
Frederique Constant presents a new version of its Classic Tourbillon Manufacture. This watch is a direct successor to the 2023 models and will be available in a limited edition of 150 pieces. It features a 39-millimetre steel case, a green dial, and a matching strap. The self-winding FC-980 manufacture movement powers the watch. This new…
With the Manero Minute Repeater Symphony, Carl F. Bucher is presenting an extraordinary minute repeater. The watch combines three elements – oscillating weight, tourbillon and regulator – with peripheral mounting. Last but not least, the watch in the 43.8 mm red gold case comes with a COSC chronometer certificate. As the most complex watch ever…