GPHG 2020 “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept

Chabi Nouri, CEO of Piaget, winner of the Grand Prix de l'Aiguille d'Or

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept was developed entirely in-house by Piaget's dedicated Research and Innovation division. They worked solely on the prototype for four years, during which many of the established codes of watchmaking were re-invented.

Measuring a mere 2mm including case and sapphire crystal, the same thickness as the iconic 9P calibre Piaget unveiled in 1957 at Baselworld and that shook the world of watchmaking, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept served as a stage for numerous Piaget innovations, including the case being part of the movement, an integrated winding crown, an ultra-thin crystal and more importantly new constructions for the barrel and the energy regulation. With the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, the idea was to create a watch not formed by multiple layers, but from a previously untried fusion of re-scaled components, combining the case and the movement as a whole. In order to do this, Piaget embarked on a journey of miniaturisation that resulted in the filing of no fewer than five patents and that led to this 2mm-thin hand-wound watch, with wheels as thin as 0.12mm and the sapphire crystal down to a mere 0.2mm.

Finishes:

The world’s thinnest mechanical watch: 2mm
Total case and movement fusion
Manual-winding movement totally integrated in the caseback
Circular satin-brushed back
Sunburst satin-brushed bridges
Bevelled bridges
Circular or sunburst-brushed wheels

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept, therefore, continues the Maison's great tradition in the art of ultra-thin watchmaking.

Technical specifications:

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept

Reference: G0A45501

Case

Material: Cobalt alloy
Diameter: 41 mm
Thickness: 2 mm
Water-resistant to 20 meters

Dial 

Openworked

Movement

Manual-winding mechanical
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve of 40 hours
Functions: hours and minutes

Strap and buckle

Canvas strap
Pin buckle

MSRP: CHF 410'000