At the 2013 Geneva Exhibition, while many were captivated by Piaget’s ultra-thin cushion-shaped minute repeater, it was the Altiplano Date that stood out as the most practical choice for daily wear among ultra-thin timepieces.
The design of this watch is based on the 2010 Altiplano 43 Automatic, but with a reduced dial diameter of 40mm, making it more suitable for Asian wrist sizes. Additionally, it introduces a date display, a feature not present in its predecessor. One of the key highlights is the 1205P movement, currently the thinnest automatic movement with a calendar function, measuring just 3mm thick, while the case itself is a mere 6.36mm.
The 40mm case is crafted from 18K white gold (also available in rose gold and rose gold with diamond bezel). Thanks to the sloped bezel, the watch fits comfortably on the wrist. The off-center small seconds subdial is positioned at 5 o’clock, while the date display is at 9 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are designed to be discreet, ensuring you can easily tell the time without being distracted by unnecessary details.
Flipping the watch over, you can admire the movement of the 1205P movement through the sapphire crystal caseback. With a 44-hour power reserve, this is a great achievement for an ultra-thin watch. As the 12th movement in the Altiplano series, the 1205P has surpassed the production bottleneck of the previous 1208P movement, meaning that orders are no longer subject to long wait times.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best ultra-thin watches under 200,000 RMB this year, and even the diamond-set bezel version offers great value for money.
Piaget Altiplano Date Watch
18K white gold case (also available in rose gold or rose gold with diamond bezel), 40mm diameter, 6.36mm thickness, sapphire crystal glass front and back, Piaget 1205P ultra-thin automatic movement, 3mm movement thickness, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 27 jewels, 44-hour power reserve, rose gold rotor, brown alligator leather strap, pin buckle.
