March 28, 2024
piaget altiplano

In 1957, Piaget introduced an ultra-thin hand-wound movement, the 2 mm thick Calibre 9P, which made it possible the creation of an ultra-thin watch which redefined the codes of elegance and greatly influenced the entire watchmaking industry.

Three years later, in 1960, Piaget followed the success of the 9P with the Calibre 12P, an ultra-thin self-winding movement measuring just 2.3 mm – an exceptional result that was possible thanks to the use of a 24k gold off-centred micro-rotor.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the launch of its first ultra-thin watch, Piaget will dedicate the year 2017 to the Piaget Altiplano.

Piaget Altiplano

First to be unveiled are two limited edition models, the Altiplano Manual-Winding 38 mm and the Altiplano Self-Winding 43 mm, inspired by the aesthetic codes of the first ultra-thin watches: the historical logo, the applied gold hour-markers and the signature cross as a nod to the line’s historical origins.

The understated blue cross, also picked up from historical Piaget models, is a subtle detail which plays an important role in creating a distinctive identity in combination with the applied white gold hour-markers and the slim baton-hands typical of the line.Both are graced with a sunburst dial in the historical Piaget blue, a deep shade somewhere between cobalt and midnight blue.

Piaget models

At the heart of the new Piaget Altiplano 38 mm-diameter model beats the 3 Hz (21,600 vph) Calibre 430P which is 2.1 mm thick and represents the second generation of Piaget’s ultra-thin manual-winding movements, the heir to the 9P.

Piaget Altiplano

Crafted from white gold, the 38 mm model will be produced in 460 pieces, each one individually numbered.

the back of Piaget Altiplano

Issued in 360 pieces, the 43 mm self-winding model is equipped with Calibre 1200P, representing the fourth generation of its ultra-thin self-winding movements and measuring just 2.35 mm. Also beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, it guarantees 44 hours of autonomy.

Piaget Altiplano

In this model, the back of the white gold case is fitted with a sapphire crystal to allow the owner of the watch to admire the finishing of the movement, such as the bevelled bridges adorned with circular Côtes de Genève, the circular-grained mainplate, the satin-brushed steel parts and the blued screws.

Piaget movement

Adopting the off-centred micro-rotor principle of the original P12 calibre, the self-winding version reveals a gold oscillating weight engraved with the Piaget coat-of-arms.

Piaget movement