By Keith Bombrys
Piaget has a very rich history of ultra-thin, hand wound movement watches, dating all the way back to the 1950’s. In 1957, Piaget introduced its Calibre 9P, which was a 2mm thick piece created, which in turn redefined the direction and purpose of the watch making industry. Again in 1960, Piaget released a second 9P Calibre 12P watch. This watch was also ultra-thin, self-winding, and measured in at just 2.3mm. Both were 24k gold. Piaget was a pioneer of its time with the creation of these ultra-thin wrist pieces, which completely changed the direction of most watch makers even today. What better way to celebrate the advancement of watch development then to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first ultra-thin, 2mm Calibre 9P, Piaget watch.
In its 60th anniversary commemoration, Piaget will launch two Altiplano pieces, both of which will be available on a limited edition basis. The Altiplano Manual-Winding 38mm wristwatch will the first of the two to be released in early 2017, followed by the Altiplano Self-Winding 43mm wristwatch. Both pieces are inspired by the Calibre 9P and Calibre 12P, which were the first ultra-thin watches released to the public.
Piaget Altiplano 43mm Ref. G0A42105
The design of both pieces is very simple yet elegant. The pieces are dress pieces that are sure to light up the room instantly. The case of each is made of white gold, with the only difference between the two being that the self-winding watch (43mm) is thicker than the manual winding watch (38mm). Both pieces are done in Piaget’s historic blue (which is a very dark and beautiful shade of midnight blue). This color has been a long-standing part of Piaget’s tradition and has been used as the cornerstone of Piaget colors for many years. On the face of the piece is a blue cross which is very thin and finished in a lighter blue than the background. Roman numeral numbering surrounds the outside, coated in white gold to match the case of the piece. This is also true with the slim baton hands on the piece. The Piaget logo is found under 12 ‘o clock and an indication of the type of winding movement underneath the logo. The sunburst dial of each piece really shows well with the midnight blue-like Piaget blue face color, especially when exposed to the light. The strap is made of leather and is black in color with blue-colored facets in the leather to match the face perfectly.
Piaget Altiplano 38mm Ref. G0A42107
Each of these watches are to be handcrafted with the most particular care and delicacy. The 38mm manual-winding watch will only have 460 pieces made and released to the public, with each one individually numbered. Similar to its predecessor, the 38mm will run on the Piaget’s latest and greatest ultra-thin manual-winding, newest edition to the original 9P motor. The 43mm self-winding watch will have 360 pieces produced and released to the public. This watch will yield the Calibre 1200P, which is the latest and greatest ultra-thin, self-winding movement that is available today.
A release date is not set for either of these watches, but is a guarantee to be early 2017, as to properly commemorate the 60th anniversary of Piaget’s revolutionary creation. A price has yet to be determined for either of the watches. Given its limited availability, be ready for the release date for they will only be available for a short period of time. For more info, please visit piaget.com
