The quest for a perfect figure

The quest for a perfect figure

With their perfectly shaped outlines, ultra-thin watches push the art of mechanical miniaturisation to the limits of feasibility. Spotlight with Lionel Meylan on the know-how required to create these amazingly slender watches from Chopard, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Breguet.

They are both elegant and sophisticated, imbued with immensely simple style. Their perfect outlines are an ode to thinness, their dials a celebration of moderation.

A discreet shape, usually devoid of any pretentiousness, gives no hint of the complexity of the movement beating at the heart of the case. Because behind the somewhat stern exterior of ultra-thin watches, lie the inner workings of creative treasures, enhanced by remarkable mastery of technical constraints. How does one reconcile a quest for extreme thinness with the reliability required for a watch movement? An overly thin component or an excessively delicate wheel could compromise the robustness of the movement.

Consistently pushing the boundaries of feasibility with unbelievable dexterity, certain watchmakers have made a speciality of encasing infinitesimally small parts within an equally diminutive exterior. Above and beyond their incredible mechanical performance, ultra-thin watches are a rigorously technical promise of the ultimate in delicacy, lightness and comfort on the wrist.

IN PRAISE OF CLASSICISM

The ultimate expression of classic elegance, the L.U.C XP watch boasts ideal proportions at just 6.98 mm thick and 39.5 mm in diameter. The pink gold case houses a mechanical self-winding calibre with a frequency of 28,800 vph and a 65-hour power reserve ensuring both precision and reliability.

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A SUPREMELY SLENDER CHRONOGRAPH

Unrelenting simplicity… Such is the over-riding characteristic of the Altiplano collection which highlights the expertise
in the realm of ultra-thin watchmaking that has been cultivated by Piaget since 1957. Powered by an 883P calibre, the Piaget Altiplano Chronograph houses a flyback function and dual-time display in a pink gold case measuring just 8.24 mm thick.

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More information about this watch here

Less is more

Discretion and timeless elegance are the watchwords for the Master Ultra Thin whose 7.4 mm-thick case houses a Jaeger-LeCoultre 898C mechanical self-winding movement. The result is an extremely dainty model graced with streamlined aesthetics that draw all eyes to the passing of time.

Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Q1338421More information about this watch here

EXTREME COMPLICATIONS

Breguet stacks up the difficulties with the Extra-Thin Tourbillon 5377, which combines the complexity of a tourbillon and a 90-hour power reserve with the slenderness of a 7 mm platinum case. To perfect this self-winding movement measuring just 3 mm thick, Breguet notably designed the oscillating weight like a platinum segment rotating around the movement.

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