Creating an impressively thin watch is no measly feat. Unless you’re simply aiming for a timepiece that would not feel bulky on the wrist, there are plenty of considerations to have when constructing a lithe wristwatch that does not cut on corners, featuring marvels of both design and engineering. There has to be great knowledge on the part of the manufacturer regarding materials to be employed and how they will function seamlessly together, as well as an eye for a premium exterior that dazzles yet shows restraint. Piaget has checked off the given requirements and is tried and tested through the years, beginning with its ultra-thin Altiplano watches it has manufactured since the 1950s.
Compare Piaget Altiplano Watch Prices Online
Release date: 1957
Price: US$16,200.00
Piaget is remarkable for being one of the pioneers of thin, exquisite and complex watches among Swiss watchmakers, in addition to their other achievements. For the company, it all began with the Altiplano that it first launched in 1957. Through the years, the original model has seen many tweaks and versions. Still, the series has maintained its reputation of deceptively simple but high quality timepieces.
Specifications:
- Movement: 430P mechanical movement, Swiss-made
- Functions: hour and minute hands, balance stop
- Power reserve: 43 hours, 21,600 vph
- Case: 18-karat white gold case
- Case thickness: 6mm
- Case diameter: 38mm
- Dial: sapphire crystal, scratch resistance
- Strap: Buckle-fastening black alligator strap
- Water resistance: 3 bar
Pros
The times may have changed but the Piaget Altiplano is still known for one thing: simple elegance. Its silvered dial is legible and luxurious, the markers and the hands appropriately slim as the rest of the watch. Inspecting it closely, one will see that Piaget has expertly polished parts of the dial to contrast the slightly rougher, matte sections. Behind the deceivingly straightforward dial is also a movement that is proof of why Piaget has reached the status that it has—the impressive 430P mechanical movement that has a power reserve of 43 hours. Piaget has finished the timepiece with an alligator strap that only becomes more admirable in time and a white gold case that has been also manufactured by the same company, not so commonly practiced by watchmakers these days.
Cons
For casual buyers, the appearance alone may not justify the price. Besides, there is no way other than opening it that would allow one to witness the inner workings on the watch. If the thin case is your primary consideration, there are other cheaper, non-mechanical models that would probably satisfy the category better, albeit without the intricate manufacture of the Piaget Altiplano.
Compare With
- Montblanc TimeWalker Urban Automatic
- Hublot Big Bang Chronograph Automatic
- Chanel Monsieur
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Calendar
Image Credits: Monochrome Watches (featured image), Time and Tide, Watchlounge, Horbiter (article images)
