A Duet for the Ages: Two New Piaget Altiplano Models Take Center Stage

By now, I’m sure you well know Piaget’s beloved Altiplano line. It’s become a staple collection for the brand in the new millennium following its debut in 2001. For more than two decades, this family of timepieces has served as a platform for the Maison’s modern advancements in thin watchmaking.

Today, we come to you with two of the newest models to join the Altiplano lineup, continuing Piaget’s longstanding history in the realm of ultra-slim timepieces.

Creating slim and sleek timekeepers has been on watchmakers’ minds for centuries. You can even look back to the era of pocket watches and see advancements in movement and case design to make these timepieces more comfortable and streamlined.

Still, it wouldn’t be until the popularization of the wristwatch in the 1900s that a real race would begin for record-setting thinness. From early on, Piaget has been a leader in this race, notching the first record for the world’s thinnest automatic movement in 1960 with the calibre 12P, measuring just 2.3mm thick (which, for an automatic movement that’s inherently thicker because of the rotor, is quite impressive).
 

The Altiplano collection set its first record back in 2014 with the 900P, which built on the 2.0mm calibre 9P from 1957, using the Altiplano’s signature construction to integrate the case and movement. In case you didn’t know, this is the secret weapon of the Altiplano – a design in which the watchmaker builds the movement directly into the case, creating a singular entity and eliminating any superfluous bulk of a traditional watch construction.

Following the 2014 edition, Piaget notched another record in 2017 with the Altiplano Ultimate 910P and yet another in 2020 with the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, clocking in at just 2.0mm thick.
 

Fun Fact: the Ultimate Concept also won the coveted Aiguille d’Or at the 2020 GPHG.

Then last year, the Maison doubled down for the occasion of its monumental 150th anniversary year, incorporating a tourbillon to the 2020 edition without adding any additional thickness despite the upgraded functionality – again, no small feat.
 

Now, Piaget continues to build on this lineage with two new versions of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon and the Altiplano 910P.

For the new version of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, the model retains the unique and robust cobalt alloy case measuring just 2.0mm. However, for this version, Piaget has added a sapphire caseback, which offers an incredible 360-degree view of the caliber 970-UC, to the collection for the first time.

Speaking of the movement on full display, finishing techniques are of the essence, this time featuring a combination of satin-brushed and polished finishes. Here, Piaget has also added decoration that honors its heritage with a reinterpretation of its signature cross-shaped motif, historically seen on the Altiplano, now replicated across the ratchet wheel, balance wheel, and screw arrangement.
 

In addition, the caseback bears two engraved tributes to the Maison: the brand’s motto, “Always do better than necessary,” and “La Côte-aux-Fées,” the name of the historic village where Piaget was founded and continues to craft its most exceptional timepieces.

For the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, color play is also at the core with the addition of gold and khaki accents across the design, which provide both warmth and contrast to the cobalt metal. The color story extends to the khaki green calfskin strap featuring a newly developed pattern called “Polish Mesh.”
 

If this interpretation isn’t entirely your style, you’re in luck. The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon will now join the Altiplano Ultimate Concept and the Andy Warhol as part of Piaget’s Infinitely Personal program, where clients can co-create their own iteration of the watch through a dedicated online configurator, working alongside sales advisors to select custom finishes, materials, and engravings.

Alongside the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is the Altiplano 910P in a palette that echoes the model in perfect harmony. Here, the ultra-thin 910P is presented with a yellow gold case for the first time.
 

The warm metal is paired with a rich khaki green dial and extends beyond the dial to the movement, where the bridges are finished in the same khaki hue. In addition, the rotor is rendered in slate grey and green tones for the perfect complement.
 

As a cherry on top (or, rather, on the wrist), the model is complete with a matching khaki green alligator leather strap.

The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon and the Altiplano 910P join the Maison’s catalog today. For more information, including the availability and pricing of this gorgeous duo, head on over to the Piaget website.