SIHH 2015: Piaget Presents the World’s Thinnest Hand-Wound Chronograph (Updated with Live Photo and Price)


Piaget Altiplano Chronograph - anglePiaget watches have long been renowned for their elegant thinness, and the brand has set numerous watch-world thinness records with its releases of recent years. The new Piaget Altiplano Chronograph, which debuted this week at SIHH 2015 — sets another one, for world’s thinnest hand-wound flyback chronograph.

The Piaget Altiplano Chronograph actually sets two new slimness records, both for the movement (just 4.65 mm thick) and the case (a wafer-like 8.24 mm). Piaget has created 25 in-house movements that it considers “ultra-thin,” with 14 of them holding world records in their category. This latest is Caliber 883P, based on Piaget’s 880P, the thinnest automatic movement on the market. Two years of development went into its creation, and the finished movement boasts unprecedented thinness in several key components, including the cannon-pinion (.12 mm), barrel staff (.115 mm), and chronograph gear finger (.06 mm). Piaget also managed to equip the movement with a 50-hour power reserve, a small seconds display, and a dual-time indication — all this, of course, in addition to a flyback chronograph function controlled by a column wheel and a precision-ensuring vertical clutch system.

The 30-minute chronograph counter is displayed on a subdial at 3 o’clock, the small seconds on a subdial at 6 o’clock, and the 24-hour indicator on a subdial at 9 o’clock.

Piaget Altiplano Chronograph - front

Piaget Altiplano Chronograph - sidePiaget Altiplano Chronograph - angle

The ultra-slender, 41-mm case of the Piaget Altiplano Chronograph — available in 18k rose gold or 18k white gold with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel — has a streamlined look, with discreet, elongated chronograph pushers that blend seamlessly with the case’s curves. It also features a see-through sapphire caseback for viewing the 883P movement and its classical decorative finishes, which include circular côtes de Genève, circular graining on the mainplate, beveling on bridges, sunbursts on wheels, and blued screws. The movement is made of 240 components, including 30 jewels, and has a frequency of 21,600 vph (3 Hz).

The white dial has a sunburst satin-brushed finish, and slender baton hands indicating the time on alternating single and double hour indices, a design hallmark of the Piaget Altiplano collection. The watch comes on an alligator strap (brown for the rose-gold version, black for the white-gold diamond version, not pictured) with a case-matching gold pin buckle. Piaget’s latest record-setting thin watch will be priced at $29,000 (for the rose-gold model). The U.S. price for the white gold-and-diamonds model has yet to be determined.

Piaget Caliber 883P - front
Above and below: Piaget Caliber 883P is just 4.65 mm thick.
Piaget Caliber 883P - sideI had the opportunity to handle and to try on the new Piaget Altiplano Chronograph at the SIHH in Geneva. Below, you’ll find a photo showing how it looks on the wrist.

Piaget Altiplano Chronograph - wrist

 

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  1. Debashish

    Piaget was always famous for their ultra-thin watches, it seems they are maintaining their heritage in the proper manner and creating outstanding ultra-thin timepieces.

    Take a bow Piaget!

    Reply
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