Bigger and bolder are the watchwords of the watch industry these days, along with the very real drive to control more and more of the production process. For Piaget, this is not the whole story , as the brand is trying to have its cake and eat it too.

Over the years, the brand’s expertise in ultra-thin mechanical watches and its investments in its own in-house know-how have been well-documented. The new Altiplano watch embodies all these things, with a manufacture movement – caliber 838P – measuring a mere 2.5mm thick married to case in very contemporary dimensions (40mm).

As is the norm with this collection, the watch is elegant and understated, with only the small seconds sub-dial at 10 o’clock and the case diameter breaking the mould. It is available in both white gold and pink gold, with a limited edition in platinum.