Among the interviews I conducted last year at the Dubai Watch Week, the one with maverick watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin stood out by far. What stayed with me long after our conversation—even more than the bits about the Joker series from the Wristmon (short for ‘Wrist Monsters’) collection—was his blatant confession about the sourcing troubles he was facing on account of economic sanctions against his home country of Russia; it was refreshing to see Chaykin speak so candidly about the same.
So you can imagine my surprise this August when the brand grabbed headlines yet again, only this time it was for a much sought-after distinction: of producing the prototype for the world’s thinnest wristwatch. ‘1.65mm is not just a number, it is a record breaking achievement’ said the opening line of the press statement for the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing prototype, and it certainly is one. The timing of the launch cannot be ignored either, for just months earlier, Bvlgari had unveiled its Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC watch, which—at 1.70mm thickness—continues to be the thinnest watch in production.
Other contenders in the thinnest watch race include heavyweights like Richard Mille and Piaget, with MING leading the fray for the lightest timepieces. Closer home in India, it is the 3.3mm thick Titan Edge Ultraslim that made the GPHG longlist this year. The verdict is clear: not only are thin and lightweight timetellers here to stay, but the competition between them is also heating up. In this piece, we dive deep into the fascinating world of thin, thinner and the thinnest watches.
Thin Watches: A Post War Pursuit?
Interestingly, wristwatches—historically a women’s accessory before being worn by men towards the end of the 19th century (especially during wars for their utilitarian qualities)—started getting thinner only from the 1950s. Typically, brands pulled this off by creating thinner movements; for example, Vacheron Constantin, one of the oldest watch brands in the world, launched its calibre 1001 in 1952. With a thickness of just 2.94 mm, it was the world’s thinnest wristwatch movement then. A few years later, the brand followed this up with the calibre 1003, which boasted a thickness of 1.64mm. Around the same time (in 1957 to be precise), Piaget came up with its 9P movement, which was only 2mm thin. Then came another feat in 1960: the brand’s 12P movement, merely 2.3mm thick, became known as the thinnest self-winding movement in the world.
Seven years later, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) launched the super slim, self-winding calibre 920, which was used in legendary models such as the Audemars Piguet (AP) Royal Oak ref. 5402 from 1972, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700 from 1976, and 1977’s Vacheron Constantin 222. The calibre 920 even saved AP from the brink of total disaster during the quartz crisis days; after all, it powered the reference 5548, which had a diameter of 36mm and a thickness of just 7mm, making it the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar upon its launch in 1978. In fact, calibre 920 is still the world’s thinnest automatic movement with a full-sized rotor; and its without date version is only 2.45mm thin. Not surprisingly, it continues to be used today by AP and Vacheron Constantin, and known as calibre 2121 and 1120 respectively (they are produced in-house by these brands).
We must also note here that JLC’s tryst with making thin watch movements (and thus, timepieces) actually began back in 1907, when the watchmaker crafted its first ultra-thin pocket watch; since then, this creation has continued to influence the Maison’s portfolio (case in point, the brand’s contemporary Master Ultra Thin collection), helping it reiterate its commitment to innovation, precision, and artistry. Cut to today, and the flurry of thin (or at the very least, thinner) watches—launched by several brands, including independent watchmakers—proves that the race to create not just the thinnest watch movement but the overall timepiece itself has reached a new crescendo.
The Race is On
As the instances above illustrate, it’s the big players in the industry that have been traditionally dabbling in this space. But in recent times, this too has witnessed a change of sorts. Currently, the thinnest watch (prototype) in the world is the 1.65mm thick ThinKing by independent watch brand Konstantin Chaykin; the timepiece was unveiled at Geneva Watch Days this August.
However, the record for the thinnest mechanical watch in production was set in April this year by Bvlgari when it launched its Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which comes with just 1.70mm thickness. This watch beat Richard Mille’s 1.75mm thick RM UP-01 Ferrari Ultraflat, which was the previous record holder when launched in October 2022. Just earlier that year (2022), Bvlgari had achieved the record with its 1.80 mm thick Octo Finissimo Ultra, so it was almost as if Bvlgari was taking its proverbial crown back this year. But now that Konstantin Chaykin has entered the competition, it would be interesting to see how things pan out.
Piaget’s contribution to the thin watches universe cannot be ignored either. Not many can forget its feats with the Altiplano line; the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, measuring a mere 2mm thick and with a metal weight of just 14.2 gm, was the thinnest watch in the world in 2018. Also noteworthy is the Piaget Altiplano 900P (3.65mm thick, with 31.5gm metal weight) that was launched in 2013.
Of course, there’s the JLC Master Ultra Thin Squelette which, at 3.6mm, was the world’s thinnest back in the year 2015; it came close on the heels of the Master Ultra-Thin 1907, which was launched the previous year with just 4.05 mm thickness. Over the years, the brand has diligently grown its Master Ultra Thin collection; the latest entrant being the new interpretation of the Master Ultra Thin Date. With 7.8mm thickness, it is far from being the thinnest watch in the world, yet it is indisputably a thin timepiece.
Brands traditionally synonymous with a certain bulk are shedding thickness (and often weight) as well. A case in point is MB&F’s recent launch, the M.A.D.1S, where the ‘S’ stands for a ‘‘slimmer case, thanks to a single cylinder display and now powered by a Swiss movement’. The resulting watch is now 15mm thick as compared to its 18.8mm thick predecessor (the M.A.D.1). Even the Patek Philippe Cubitus collection—which has collectors splitting up into the ‘love it’ and ‘hate it’ factions—veers towards the thinner side with all three models being less than 10mm thin.
Meanwhile, the MING LW.01 watch, which launched in October last year and whose manual movement version weighs just 8.8 grams (the automatic one weighs 10.8 grams), is not only the world’s lightest mechanical wristwatch, it’s also rather thin thanks to its 6.5mm thickness. Back in India, 40-year-old homegrown brand Titan rolled out the Titan Edge Ultraslim with a 3.3mm thick case, which certainly made the industry sit up and take notice, especially when the watch was entered into this year’s GPHG competition under the Challenge category.
Remarkably, complications like tourbillons and perpetual calendars are also getting thinner. Take for instance Piaget, which celebrated its 150 years with a 2mm thick Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, currently the thinnest tourbillon watch in the world. And earlier this year, Arnold & Son released its Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton, which is just 8.4mm thick.
Given their proclivity for making thin timepieces, Bvlgari and Richard Mille also have thin tourbillons. The RM 27-01 Tourbillon, introduced in 2013 and just 10.05 mm thick, may not have been ultra thin, but it is among the thinner options available, just as the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon from 2014, which came with only 5mm thickness.
Among perpetual calendars, one cannot not mention the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. A February 2023 launch, the all-titanium watch is only 6.2mm thick, a fine achievement for this category of watches (and an improvement upon its titanium and platinum predecessor from 2019). On the other hand, Bvlgari’s thin watchmaking prowess prevails across watch functionalities, for its other thin offerings include the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Ref 103200 with 5.80mm thickness and the Bvlgari Baselworld Octo Finissimo Automatic Ref 102713 with 5.15mm thickness.
Comfort and a Sense of Purpose
What then makes thin timepieces such an attractive proposition? Watchmakers agree that thin and light watches tend to be more comfortable. “Thinner watches might be less susceptible to accidental collisions since they have a lower profile or fit better under sleeves,” points out Ming Thein, founder of MING watches. Such is the convenience and wrist mobility offered by thin timepieces that the wearer doesn’t feel his/ her wrist weighed down by the timepiece. The resulting wearability is much better, especially for longer periods of use.
But that’s not all, for brands are also looking to showcase their skills as watchmakers through these thin timetellers. Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, has repeatedly pointed out in his interviews how the thinnest watch record has always been an excuse and that it’s been mainly about the brand shedding the stereotype of being a ‘jewellery watchmaker’ and therein finding its path and purpose.
Pushing Boundaries of Watchmaking
Indeed, while setting a record is a matter of great pride, brands are ultimately looking to offer their clients something unique in the world of horology. The desire to stand out comes with its own price though: one has to overcome challenges both big and small. As Thein emphasises, “Everything becomes a cascade while dealing with such extreme numbers, for even the small changes have a big impact.”
Most importantly, the pursuit of thinness cannot come at the expense of durability, precision or performance; the thin watch needs to be strong enough to endure daily use. This, in turn, precludes traditional movement with superimposed gears and hands, and mandates the use of innovative techniques featuring lightweight and robust materials, and advanced engineering that supports miniaturised mechanical movements.
So while the RM UP-01’s record thinness resulted from dozens of prototypes and more than 6,000 hours of development and laboratory testing by the brand in collaboration with the Ferrari team, Konstantin Chaykin’s ThinKing takes inspiration from an old ultra-thin Bagnolet pocket watch caliber with cylinder escapement (that was signed Aug. Golay Leresche à Genève and dated back to the mid-19th century). And in both models, the thinness is greatly owed to a near perfect symbiosis between the movement and case.
Weighing 13.3 gms (without the strap), the 1.65 mm thin ThinKing, for one, uses heat-treated stainless steel with high hardness, not to mention a special strap including flexible titanium supports and elastic inserts that help absorb shocks and reduce stress on the watch case. To add to it, the mainspring barrel has no covers and the winding mechanism with pawl and flat spring is integrated into the barrel-arbour, making room for a good mainspring. With the movement featuring a double balance wheel, functions are distributed across the two: while one works with the pallet fork, and the other houses the hairspring, thus allowing for a thinner movement.
Lastly, the low rigidity of the case—often a biggest issue with ultra-thin watches—is overcome by the external carrier case, the PalanKing. It is equipped with an automatic winding system that attaches to the ultra-thin watch when it is placed in the case. In other words, the ultra-thin watch is wound automatically and the wearer just has to hold the PalanKing with the ultra-thin watch on the wrist. And get this: even with the case, the total thickness of the ThinKing prototype is just 5.4mm.
Maintaining an Aesthetic Appeal
With so many workarounds, can a thin watch be aesthetically pleasing too? The answer is a resounding yes. Paying close attention to the watch’s architecture, from the curvature of the case to the design of the strap or bracelet, can help ensure that the watch not only has a strong visual appeal but also fits ergonomically on the wrist.
The JLC Master Ultra Thin watches serve as a good example; their classically understated aesthetic makes them undoubtedly sophisticated. “It is the ultimate dress watch,” proclaims the Maison’s Product Design Director Lionel Favre and we can’t dispute it.
Drastic changes too, can agree with the aesthetics. In the case of the MING LW.01 watch, ‘eliminating the dial’ has allowed for a continuous visual transition between the movement holder and caseback, and the animation in the centre. Even with ThinKing, the visual language of the Wristmon is intact and a fleeting glance is also enough to classify it as one.
What the Future Holds
Going by the recent instances of brands outdoing each other in the race to be the thinnest, can we expect more records to be broken? As attractive as it may be to experiment and seek glory, pursuing ultra thin designs involves dedicated resources and unconventional movement development, which can be difficult to sustain.
Thein admits that while it’s always good to challenge oneself and push limits, MING doesn’t intend to keep pursuing ultra thin (or light) designs. “The investment required to really have a chance here would be better allocated towards other projects that would be accessible to more collectors,” he avers.
Rather than follow a trend, brands seem to be keen on establishing and maintaining an identity: that of being a beacon of technical mastery and innovation. And that, more than anything else, should keep them going.
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Lead Image / Thumbnail caption: Bvlgari has been at the forefront of making thin timepieces and its Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC currently holds the world record for the thinnest mechanical watch in production
Captions for Body Copy Images (from top to bottom): Just 1.65 mm thin, the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing prototype is a record-breaking achievement; Jaeger-LeCoultre’s super slim, self-winding calibre 920 was also used in legendary models such as the Vacheron Constantin 222 from 1977; unveiled at the Geneva Watch Days 2024, the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing prototype takes inspiration from an old ultra-thin Bagnolet pocket watch caliber with cylinder escapement; launched in April 2024, Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC watch is a mere 1.70mm thin; the 1.75mm record thinness of Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 Ferrari Ultraflat has resulted from more than 6,000 hours of development and laboratory testing by the brand in collaboration with the Ferrari team; launched in October last year, the MING LW.01 is world’s lightest mechanical wristwatch with the manual movement version weighing just 8.8 grams (the automatic one weighs 10.8 grams), and boasting just 6.5mm thickness; in a first for an Indian watch brand, the Titan Edge Ultraslim, which comes with a 3.3mm thick case, made it to this year’s GPHG longlist under the Challenge category; Piaget celebrated its 150 year anniversary with a 2mm thick Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, currently the thinnest tourbillon watch in the world; earlier this year, Arnold & Son released its Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton, which is just 8.4mm thick; a February 2023 launch, the all-titanium Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin watch is only 6.2mm thick, a fine achievement for this category of watches (and an improvement upon its titanium and platinum predecessor from 2019); the JLC Master Ultra Thin watches bear a classically understated aesthetic, with the latest entrant in this line being the new interpretation of the Master Ultra Thin Date, which is just 7.8mm thick.
All images courtesy: respective brands
