Extremely-thin watchmaking is an interesting subject, one in all our favorite areas of experience right here, at MONOCHROME. Extremely-thin watchmaking is horology at its purest, a no-compromise seek for the slenderest motion that needs to be thought-about a real complication. Whereas high-watchmaking usually seeks to deliver as many issues as doable in a single motion, ultra-thinness is all about miniaturisation. We’ve just lately printed a video retracing the battle for the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, a race that implied Bulgari, Piaget and Richard Mille, ending up with a report skinny watch of 1.70mm, the Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC. However let’s dive deeper into the subject, by wanting on the world’s thinnest watches per class. The thinnest mechanical watch? The thinnest chronograph? The thinnest watch ever? We have now all of them right here.
Be aware: this text is supposed to grow to be one in all MONOCHROME’s classics and shall be up to date based on the state of the trade, relying on the latest developments within the area of ultra-thin watchmaking.
Thinnest Mechanical Watch – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC (1.70mm)
Let’s begin instantly with the crown jewel, the title that many manufacturers have needed for years, that of the world’s thinnest mechanical watch. Whereas hardly a subject for many years, the mid-2010s noticed a return of curiosity in ultra-thin, with manufacturers similar to Piaget and Bulgari displaying robust curiosity on this particular area of the watch trade. The report holder till 2013 was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Grasp Extremely-Skinny Jubilee at 4.05mm till the introduction of the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Grasp Extremely-Skinny Squelette at 3.60mm and the Piaget Altiplano 900P at 3.65mm.
However in 2018, the scenario modified drastically when Piaget unveiled the extremely spectacular and technically mind-blowing Altiplano Final Idea, a brand new world report with a 2mm skinny case, involving a posh building the place the motion and case have been merged as a single piece. As its designated competitor within the area of ultra-thin watchmaking, Bulgari answered by unveiling the Octo Finissimo Extremely with its 1.80mm skinny case, a brand new world report that solely lasted for a number of months earlier than Richard Mille, a model not normally related to this sort of experience, launched a 1.75mm credit score card-shaped watch.
However in 2024, Bulgari determined that the crown needed to come again to Italy and unveiled the Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC, with a 1.70mm case – thus 0.05mm thinner than the RM, or in regards to the measurement of a human hair. From a technical perspective, the Extremely COSC depends on the identical precept as the primary Octo Finissimo Extremely, with a motion developed with Concepto and a building the place the caseback acts because the mainplate of the motion. In the identical vein, the regulator-like show with separate time indications avoids superimposed arms. And as an alternative of an ordinary crown (that will be bigger than the peak of the case), two horizontal knobs are positioned on either side of the case. And probably the most spectacular is that, regardless of the extremely low tolerances on the motion and elements, Bulgari efficiently made this watch exact sufficient to be a licensed chronometer. Removed from a prototype, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch is definitely meant to be worn.
Thinnest Tourbillon Watch – Piaget Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon (2mm)
Whereas having misplaced the title for the thinnest mechanical watch, Piaget wasn’t able to let all information go to its competitor and determined to improve its Altiplano Final Idea watch with a tourbillon, with out including any extra thickness to the 2mm case. Whereas the report for the thinnest tourbillon watch was the property of Bulgari till early 2024, with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Computerized at 3.95mm (housing the 1.95mm BVL 288 calibre), it now comes again to Piaget with the 2mm Altiplano Final Idea Tourbillon.
A paper-thin watch at simply 2mm in thickness that appears virtually two-dimensional, the Piaget AUC Tourbillon retains many of the options discovered within the time-only model. Main upgrades have been made, nonetheless, to include the anti-gravity system into this virtually nonexistent case, and the fact is that nearly 90% of the elements are new. The structure nonetheless entails the concept of fusing the case and motion right into a single part. As for the tourbillon, as an alternative of a traditional building the place it’s held by its underside, plus finally with an higher bridge, the tourbillon cage is guided peripherally by ball bearings. The result’s certainly mindblowing.
Thinnest Computerized Watch – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Computerized (3.95mm)
Whereas it has misplaced the title of the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Computerized nonetheless holds the world report for the thinnest computerized watch ever created. Unveiled in 2018, this complicated watch with an openworked motion and a tourbillon regulator measures solely 3.95mm in peak. Its motion measures simply 1.95mm in thickness. The report for the thinnest computerized watch was made doable by utilizing a peripheral rotor to wind motion, as an alternative of a central oscillating weight or a micro-rotor, two options that will have added substantial thickness to the motion.
Right here, the oscillating weight rotates across the motion and is provided with a ball-bearing system. In actual fact, even by including this self-winding mechanism to the motion, Bulgari retained the identical 1.95mm thickness because the hand-wound Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, which was the thinnest tourbillon watch when unveiled in 2015.
Thinnest Time-only computerized watch – Piaget Altiplano Final 910P (4.30mm)
Whereas not per se a record-breaking watch, the thinnest non-tourbillon computerized watch, or name it the world’s thinnest time-only computerized watch nonetheless is the pretty spectacular Piaget Altiplano Final Computerized 910P. Measuring solely 4.30mm in thickness, this watch was on the time of its introduction in 2017 the thinnest computerized watch ever created, due to a building that can later be improved for the Altiplano Final Idea. It certainly depends on a caseback carved and milled to obtain the motion’s part, thus appearing as a mainplate. Additionally, the motion is constructed across the plate that serves as a dial, and never beneath it, once more saving house. Lastly, to avoid wasting much more house, the motion is wound by a peripheral rotor, which sits on the dial aspect and rotates across the motion.
Thinnest Chronograph – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT (6.90mm)
On account of their complexity and their hyperlink with sports activities, chronograph watches haven’t usually been appeared by way of the scope of ultra-thin watchmaking. Nonetheless, the 2 masters of ultra-thin, Piaget and Bulgari, couldn’t miss the chance to interrupt the report for the world’s thinnest chronograph watch. In fashionable instances, the primary report was damaged by Piaget, which unveiled the Altiplano Chronograph Flyback in 2015, with an 8.24mm skinny case and a 4.65mm motion.
The present report for the world’s thinnest chronograph is, unsurprisingly, within the arms of Bulgari with the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Computerized. Measuring solely 6.90mm in complete, this watch is spectacular on many ranges. Initially, it incorporates a state-of-the-art chronograph motion with column wheel and horizontal clutch (a vertical clutch would have been too thick on this context). Second, it’s an computerized motion, once more with a peripheral rotor to avoid wasting house. Lastly, the big diameter motion, which is barely 3.30mm in thickness, additionally contains an unbiased GMT perform that may be adjusted by way of a pusher on the left aspect of the case – making this Octo Finissimo Chronograph a extremely sensible watch and an incredible every day wearer. A barely revised and much more sensible model in metal has been introduced just lately, this time with 100m water-resistance however an 8.75mm case.
Thinnest Chronograph Tourbillon – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph (7.40mm)
Once more one other report by Bulgari (which in complete smashed 9 world information, a few of them misplaced and regained afterwards) however this time with a extra area of interest complication, or ought to I say mixture of issues. This time, in 2020 and for its sixth report, Bulgari unveiled the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph, securing the world’s thinnest Tourbillon Chronograph watch in the marketplace. As stated, perhaps a bit much less of an achievement on paper, in comparison with the aforementioned watches, however a technical prowess however. With a case of seven.40mm and a motion of three.50mm solely, this addition to the Octo Finissimo assortment featured an unprecedented mechanism, which will be noticed by way of the caseback and is visually beautiful. As soon as once more, thinness is obtained due to a big motion with a peripheral rotor as a result of, sure, this mixture of a tourbillon and a chronograph can also be selfwinding.
Thinnest Perpetual Calendar – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar (5.80mm)
For its seventh report in a row, Bulgari (as soon as once more…) wasn’t competing with Piaget however with Audemars Piguet. Certainly, in 2018, AP unveiled its Royal Oak RD#2 idea watch, changing into actuality a 12 months later with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Extremely-Skinny, again then the thinnest perpetual calendar watch ever created, at 6.30mm. Bulgari couldn’t let the report within the arms of one other watchmaker and unveiled in 2021 the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, an computerized QP with a case of 5.80mm, securing the title of the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch. Barely thicker than the automated Finissimo, the Octo QP shares the identical micro-rotor base motion however to realize house, the perpetual calendar mechanism isn’t a module on prime of the calibre however is built-in into the motion – thus ensuring that its calibre BVL 305 measures solely 2.75mm in thickness (vs. 2.23mm for the time-only micro-rotor BVL 138).
Thinnest Minute Repeater – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater (6.85mm)
One in every of Bulgari’s oldest information, which was damaged in 2016, the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater stays to this present day the world’s thinnest minute repeater watch ever created. With its 3.12mm motion and 6.85mm case, it’s laborious to think about the way it was doable to combine all of the elements {that a} chiming watch requires – along with the traditional timekeeping capabilities, a minute repeater has to combine gongs, hammers, a centrifugal strike governor and all of the cams, racks and levers that “learn” the time. The calibre BVL 362 inside this Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater is hand-wound and contains no fewer than 362 particular person parts – all in a strikingly compact house of three.12mm. And whereas sound wants house in a minute repeater watch, there was no such possibility right here so the dial has been minimize out to amplify the sound of the gongs.
(presumably) thinnest Pocket watch – Vacheron Constantin “Knife” ref. 10726 (round 3.5mm, 0.94mm motion)
Extremely-thin watchmaking is way from a contemporary subject and has been round for many years. That being stated, discovering what’s the world’s thinnest pocket watch is way more difficult than it’s for in the present day’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch. Because of this we’re itemizing what we predict is presumably the thinnest pocket watch ever made. After some analysis, it seems that through the Nineteen Twenties, all three manufacturers from the Holy Trinity (Patek, Audemars, Vacheron) had their tackle ultra-thin, so-called “knife” or “blade” pocket watches. What may properly be the thinnest pocket watch ever created is that this Vacheron Constantin reference 10726, a watch with a motion measuring… 0.94mm skinny. Sure, you learn accurately, lower than 1mm, at a time when CNC machining didn’t exist. The big motion (17.5 strains, about 39.5mm) allowed to unfold out the elements on a horizontal airplane, relatively than stacking them vertically. Nevertheless, as spectacular because the report is perhaps, the 10726 was produced in solely 3 examples and proved pretty unreliable.
Extra dependable and produced for about 50 years was the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 145, measuring only one.38mm in thickness and located in a number of blade/knife pocket watches from 1907 as much as the Nineteen Sixties. Trying carefully on the JLC motion, we will see nice similarities with the motion of the VC above. It was frequent for producers to make use of outsourced actions again then and Jaeger-LeCoultre was one of many important suppliers of ébauches on the time – supplying AP, Patek or VC.
Thinnest watch ever made – Ebauches SA Delirium IV – Eterna Linea Museum Watch (0.98mm)
The race for thinnest mechanical watch that we’ve just lately witnessed is barely the second battle in a conflict that began within the Nineteen Seventies and opposed Switzerland and Japan, however then concerned a relatively new know-how, quartz. Free from the constraints of mechanical actions, Japanese watchmakers Seiko and Citizen secured not solely a distinguished share of the watch market but additionally their place as technological leaders, putting them far forward of the Swiss – which additionally prompted the so-called quartz disaster and the dying of many watch manufacturers in Europe.
By mastering the quartz motion know-how by the mid-Nineteen Seventies, Japanese watchmakers began to enhance their actions and miniaturize them to the max. In Might 1978, Citizen introduced Exceed Gold with a battery-powered motion of 0.98mm. The watch, nonetheless, measured 4.1mm as a result of peak of the battery and handset. In July 1978, Seiko answered with the Calibre 9320 measuring 0.90mm, housed in a watch with a 2.5mm profile, a world report again then. A uncommon, extraordinarily costly piece allegedly produced in about 15 examples. A kind of idea watch to make some extent.
Effectively, this example by some means irritated a number of Swiss trade leaders, who determined to battle again. A person named Gedalio “Gerry” Grinberg, a Cuban-born watchmaker, and founding father of the Movado Group, determined to focus on ultra-thin watches and positioned his model Harmony as the reply to the Japanese hegemony. The person travelled to Switzerland and met with André Beyner, the pinnacle of Ebauches SA (which might grow to be ETA, but additionally participated within the creation of Switzerland’s first quartz motion, the Beta 21). The results of this alliance would grow to be the Delirium sequence of watches.
In early 1979, Ebauches SA introduced the primary Delirium watch, with a case of only one.98mm – to be retailed, for instance, by Tiffany in NYC because the Harmony Delirium. Longines and Eterna additionally supplied equally powered watches (each manufacturers have been a part of ASUAG, proprietor of Ebauches SA). Capitalizing on the experience of an organization named Renata (now a part of the Swatch Group), Ebauches SA was able to miniaturizing the battery to the max (1.1mm) and introduced the Delirium II in mid-1979, with the Harmony Delirium II and Eterna Linea Quartz watches measuring a mere 1.43mm.
The ultimate act on this battle occurred in 1980, when Ebauches SA introduced the Delirium IV, with a thickness for your entire watch of solely 0.98mm (as a comparability, an ordinary plastic bank card is 0.76mm). This was made doable by utilizing rotating discs as an alternative of conventional arms, in addition to a particular ultra-thin battery and crystal. There have been a number of points, nonetheless, relating to the watch’s robustness, as merely fastening the strap may bend the case and pop the crystal out. This watch generally known as the Eterna Linea Museum Watch would thus stay an idea by no means to be mass-produced. This Delirium IV however stays the world’s thinnest watch ever produced.
