World's Thinnest Watches - 11 Thinnest Watches as of 2024
While aesthetics may come first when deciding on a luxury watch, any true enthusiast would agree that engineering and design is extremely important. In recent years, some of the heavyweights in the watchmaking industry have battled it out to hold the record for world’s thinnest watch. It seems like the record-holder has been constantly changing, with the watchmakers at Bulgari and Piaget being tasked at making their next piece a fraction of a millimeter thinner than their competitor’s latest creation. It seemed like Bulgari and Piaget would keep on battling it out until another brand entered the arena: Richard Mille. Richard Mille came out of nowhere to produce the reigning thinnest watch in the world. Now with three major brands vying for the award, I am sure we will see even more engineering marvels in the future.
But it is very easy to point out the three thinnest watches in the world (and we will). In researching this article, I realized there was no comprehensive guide to the thinnest watches in the world. Others have tried, but in my view pretty unsuccessfully. Some guides mix movement thickness with overall case thickness, making it impossible to really tell who produces the thinnest watches. In this guide, we will countdown the world’s 11 thinnest watches. By thinnest, we mean case thickness, including both the case, dial and movement.
11. Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P
Thickness: 4.30 mm
When it was released in 2017, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P was the world’s thinnest automatic watch at 4.3mm. Being so thin, the watch utilizes the case also as a baseplate with the escapement, wheels and gears all being directly mounted to the caseback. The dial is also integrated directly with the movement which gives the Altiplano Ultimate 910P an interesting skeleton dial aesthetic. While the watch is obviously very thin, it is 41mm large, so it is wearable by most. The 910P has been offered in white, yellow and pink gold and retails for $32,400 USD.
10. Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra Fine 1955
Photo courtesy of Hodinkee.
Thickness: 4.10 mm
At the time of its release in 2010, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra Fine 1955 was thinnest mechanical watch in the world. Measuring at just 4.1mm in thickness, this Vacheron Constantin is simplicity at its finest. The watch features the Vacheron Constantin caliber 1003 movement, which is a full-bridge, hand wound movement that measures only 1.64 mm thick. While the watch is simple in design, the super thin movement is on full display through the display caseback. And even though it is has been engineered to be extremely thin, you get all of Vacheron Constantin’s finishings. The Historiques Ultra Fine 1955 is 36mm in diameter, making it the perfect dress watch to fit under your cuff (I mean, it is 4.1mm thick). It retailed for $29,600 USD at time of release.
9. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee
Thickness: 4.05 mm
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee is another ultra-thin hand wound timepiece that makes for a great dress watch. Released in 2013, the Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee was the thinnest mechanical watch on earth when released (at 4.05mm). The watch runs on JLC’s caliber 849 movement, first released in the early 1990s, which itself is only 1.85mm thick. Because the movement is so thin, it is able to be housed in a 4.05mm thick case. You can find the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee for around $16,000 USD.
8. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic
Thickness: 3.95 mm
The first Bulgari on our list is both an automatic and a tourbillon. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic Ref. 102937 is one of our favorite pieces on the list. We have not tried to hide that we are big fans of the Octo Finissimo line and the ultra thin Tourbillon Automatic is no different. The skeletonized sandblasted titanium dial serves a purpose other than being stunning. Like in the Piaget Altiplano, the case and movement are integrated to accomodate a 3.95mm case. Unlike most of the other watches on our list, this Bulgari is not offered in a precious metal. Instead it available on a super light titanium case and bracelet. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic retails for €145,000 (about $155,000 USD).
7. Piaget Altiplano 38mm 900P
Thickness: 3.65 mm
Slightly thinner than the the Piaget Altiplano 910P automatic is the Piaget Altiplano 900P, the 910P’s hand-wound predecessor. The watch is .65mm thinner, but the dial is strikingly similar. The hands are placed in the same position (the upper left corner of the dial) and the dial is skeletonized and integrated with the dial. One of the biggest challenges in making this watch was, surprisingly, making the sapphire crystal sit as close as possible to the dial, to keep the watch as thin as possible. When you are creating a watch that is 3.65mm thick, you don’t have any spare room. The Piaget Altiplano 900P currently sells on the secondary market for around $20,000 USD.
6. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Squelette
Thickness: 3.6 mm
The second Jaeger-LeCoulture on our list surely has the most ornate and decorated movement. The Master Ultra-Thin Squelette is a sight to behold. While it looks completely different, the Master Ultra-Thin Squelette is an openworked and enameled version of the simpler Master Ultra-Thin Jubilee featured earlier on the list. The Dial is decorated beautifully on both the dial and caseback and in a way that we would not expect from such a thin watch. The watch is offered in rose gold with chesnut enameled outer dial ring or white gold with dark blue enameled outer dial ring. On release, the watch retailed for €56,000 Euros in rose gold (around $60,000 USD) and €58,500 in white gold (around $63,000 USD).
5. Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept G0A45502
Thickness: 2 mm
The top 3 “thinnest watches in the world” are all 2mm or thinner. We consider that quite the feet. Presented at SIHH in 2018, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) immediately became the world’s thinnest watch at just 2mm. While the watch is only available on request, it is highly customizable. According to Piaget, there are over 10,000 possible permutations of the watch, though I am sure most of them will never be realized. One of the most interesting things about the watch is how you set the time. Since the crown is actually integrated into the case, Piaget gives purchasers a motorized tool for winding and setting the watch. The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept retails for CHF 410,000 (around $445,000 USD).
4. Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon
Thickness: 2mm
While not the thinnest watch on the list (though 4th thinnest is nothing to sneeze at), Piaget’s ultra-thin release at Watches & Wonders 2024 might be the most impressive. And why is that? Because it is the world’s thinnest watch with tourbillon. Yes, many people argue that tourbillons are pointless in wristwatches, but the complication nevertheless persists. And putting it into a watch that is just 2mm thick is an incredibly impressive feat. And, like the rest of the Altiplano collection, this watch is one of the best looking I’ve seen. You get to see all of the inner workings of the movement without losing any of the legibility. At 41.5mm in diameter, and with a dark cobalt alloy case, this watch is as much an everyday sport watch as it is a sport watch and mechanical marvel. But the price is pretty prohibitive. It retails for around CHF 600,000.
3. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra 103611
Thickness: 1.8 mm
For a short period in 2022 the Bulgari had the thinnest watch in the world with the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The watch was created to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Octo collection. Like the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon, the case and dial are sandblasted titanium. The time display is separated on two different dials, the top for the hours and bottom for minutes, with the seconds on a third, much smaller display adjacent to the minutes dial. The most controversial part of the Octo Finissimo Ultra is the glaringly large engraved QR code on upper left wheel of the watch. This allows the owner of the watch to connect to an NFT associated with the watch. While it is interesting, perhaps it should have been on the caseback instead. The 1.8mm thick Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra is currently the second thinnest watch in the world and retails for $440,020 USD. It is a limited edition of just 10 pieces.
2. Richard Mille RM UP-01
Thickness: 1.75 mm
Richard Mille took the watch world by surprise when the brand released the world’s thinnest watch in July 2022 (and this watch remained the world’s thinnest for a couple of years!). It’s not that Richard Mille doesn’t have the engineering chops to create such a watch. They certainly do. It just seemed that Piaget and Bulgari would continue to fight it out for the record for years to come. The ultra-thin Richard Mille RM UP-01 comes from a collaboration between Richard Mille and Ferrari and is a mere 1.75mm thick (.05mm thinner than previous record-holder, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra). The watch is not only impossibly thin, but also extremely light (it weighs just 2.82 grams). The baseplate and the bridges of the watch are made from grade 5 titanium and the movement has a thickness of just 1.18mm. On the top left of the watch is also a function selector that allows the wearer to select the winding (W) or Hand-Setting (H) function. While aesthetically it may not be for everyone, It is a spectacular feat of engineering. Something we have come to expect from Richard Mille. The RM UP-01 is limited to just 150 pieces and retails for a whopping $1,750,000 USD.
1. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra 104081 - The World’s Thinnest Watch
Thickness: 1.7mm
When Richard Mille came out of nowhere in 2022 to surpass Piaget and Bulgari to create the world’s thinnest watch, we figured it would only be a matter of time before one of the previous two record-holding brands would retake the mantle. And at Watches & Wonders 2024, Bulgari did just that. Bulgari shaved 1mm off the previous Octo Finissimo Ultra to create another stunning (and incredibly slim) watch. And this watch is all the more impressive when you look at the internals. Indeed, it is COSC certified, meaning this is a functional sport watch. And like it’s predecessor, the watch has a QR code on the dial. While it might not be for everyone, the way it is engraved onto the dial gives it a more artistic aesthetic. And when you scan the QR code, you can learn more about the watch. Pretty cool. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Ref. 104081 retails for $529,000 USD in titanium and $546,000 USD in platinum.