Nearly precisely two years in the past, I lined the introduction of Piaget’s Tribute to the Altiplano Final Idea. It was a “darkish mode” model of the Altiplano Final Idea that celebrated the watch’s fifth anniversary. The 12 months 2024 marks one other anniversary for Maison Piaget because it has been 150 years since Georges-Edouard Piaget opened up his first workshop in La Côte-aux-Fées in 1874. To rejoice this sesquicentennial anniversary, Piaget introduces one other darkish blue model of its 2mm-thin Altiplano. Certainly, it’s not thinner than its predecessor. However the Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon does characteristic, because the title suggests, a flying tourbillon.
I suppose by introducing this watch, the oldsters at Piaget are unofficially saying, “We’re okay with letting Richard Mille and Bvlgari combat it out for who could make the thinnest watch.” Simply this Monday, Bvlgari introduced its 1.7mm-thin Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC, which beats Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 Ferrari by solely 0.05mm. Even the truth that the brand new Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon incorporates a flying tourbillon isn’t record-breaking. Since 2014, Bvlgari has held the report for the thinnest watch with a flying tourbillon with its 1.95mm-thin Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. So, now that every one this fist-fighting is out of the best way, we are able to calmly check out the nonetheless very spectacular Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon.
Similar thinness, larger diameter
As I mentioned within the introduction, the brand new Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon is manufactured from the identical darkish blue PVD-coated cobalt alloy because the Tribute model. Each watches even have the identical thinness, however the Tourbillon model’s diameter elevated by half a millimeter. That doesn’t sound like quite a bit, however for a watch on which each and every millimeter counts, it’s. It was most likely performed as a result of the watchmakers wanted more room to suit the tourbillon inside. That’s additionally why they made the sapphire crystal up high even thinner than on earlier Altiplanos.
And regardless that this new Altiplano appears to be like quite a bit like earlier ones, 90% of its elements have been redesigned. That’s as a result of, aside from needing extra room, the watchmakers additionally wanted to remove friction. Clearly, a tourbillon eats right into a watch’s energy reserve, however the watchmakers needed to maintain it at a cushty 40 hours. That’s why they’ve elevated the blade thickness for the mainspring. And so they’ve fitted ball bearings to the tourbillon as an alternative of a pivot.
A flying tourbillon
Similar to on earlier Altiplanos, the motion additionally serves as a dial and a case again on the similar time. Within the Tourbillon’s case, it’s the hand-wound caliber 970P-UC. It holds a one-minute peripheral tourbillon at 10 o’clock, which additionally serves to point the working seconds. It’s not solely seen on the entrance of the watch but in addition peeks via the again. This motion options 13 jewels and 6 ball bearings and runs at a 28,800vph frequency. The barrel is positioned between 6 and seven o’clock with the Piaget brand proper subsequent to it.
The standard off-center dial takes its place between 12 and 1 o’clock. It’s adorned with baton indexes and has a pencil-shaped minute hand. The hour pointer hand appears to be like prefer it’s a hand as effectively, but it surely’s truly a part of a single disc. You may function the motion by way of the crown that sits flush with the case. If you pull it out, you want a particular stylus, which incorporates a gear-reduction and torque-control system. All that is to stop the consumer from inserting an excessive amount of drive on all the fragile elements.
Closing phrases
The watchmakers at Piaget went via a number of trial and error whereas growing the Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon. They tried a whopping 70 totally different variations for the cage, 15 totally different anchors, and 30 totally different instances. And even now that there’s a working idea, it’s going to nonetheless take one total 12 months to make one other one. That’s why this watch robotically turns into a really restricted version. We haven’t acquired any phrase in regards to the pricing but, however when you’d like extra info, please go to the official Piaget web site.
Regardless that the Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon may not be the thinnest watch with a tourbillon, I do assume it’s higher trying than Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo. And though I do recognize all of the analysis, improvement, blood, sweat, and tears that went into watches like these, I do assume I want the beefier ones on my wrist. However perhaps that additionally has one thing to do with the truth that record-breaking watches are just too costly for my pockets.
What do you consider the Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon? Let me know within the feedback beneath.
