Introducing the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées

The Low-Down

It was Revolution’s founder Wei Koh, who likened the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept to a photograph of a watch that somebody had cut out and placed on the table in front of you. This almost optical illusion of a watch is 41mm across and a staggering 2mm thick. So impressive is the world’s thinnest watch that it was awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” at 2020’s prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). The watch and the award are testament to Piaget’s pioneering work in ultra-fine movement development and manufacturing.

The 2mm manual wind 9P from 1957
The 2mm manual wind 9P from 1957
The 2.3mm micro-rotor equipped 12P from 1960
The 2.3mm micro-rotor equipped 12P from 1960
A blown up diagram of the 900P showing how the gear train and other components of the timepiece are built into the caseback, which serves as the movement's baseplate
A blown up diagram of the 900P showing how the gear train and other components of the timepiece are built into the caseback, which serves as the movement's baseplate

Wei Koh covered the Altiplano Ultimate Concept in some detail back in February, which can be read in all its glory here. Piaget is no stranger to ultra-thin watches. The brand launched the 2mm thick 9P in 1957 and the micro-rotor 12P in 1960, that was 2.3mm thick (or more precisely, thin). Then in the twenty-teens we were given the Altiplano 900P (2014) and the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P (2017), both extraordinarily slim and elegant watches. The Altiplano Ultimate Concept was unveiled in 2018 and was the ultimate in the brand’s quest for the holy grail of horological leanness.

IMHO

For Watches and Wonders 2021, Piaget is launching a special version dedicated to a special place for the brand, La Côte-aux-Fées. The Swiss village, in the Jura region is the location chosen by Georges Edouard Piaget to set up shop when he founded his brand in 1874. It is the breath-taking scenery, with its particular lush spring and summer greenery, that has inspired this special Piaget.

Made from a cobalt-based high-tech alloy, the new Altiplano Ultimate Concept is powered by calibre 900P-UC, which forms the baseplate and case of the watch
Made from a cobalt-based high-tech alloy, the new Altiplano Ultimate Concept is powered by calibre 900P-UC, which forms the baseplate and case of the watch
The watch has a 41 mm diameter and is just 2.0 mm thick
The watch has a 41 mm diameter and is just 2.0 mm thick

The tribute watch features a rich forest green dial, bridge hands and screws. The watch is fitted with a complimentary green alligator leather strap. The contrast of this rich green against the polished cobalt alloy of the case is made to represent the sparkle of spring and summer sunshine. Wei’s article goes into real depth on the watch’s incredible watchmaking feats and the groundbreaking technology employed to make this watch the tour de force that it is. This new special edition is a fitting tribute to the brand’s stomping ground that proves Piaget is anything but green behind the gills when it comes to incredible watchmaking.

Tech Specs

Movement: Piaget 900P-UC – case and calibre as one unit.
Case and Dial: 41mm diameter and 2mm thick cobalt-alloy case/calibre. Green satin-brushed dial.
Strap:Green alligator leather strap with cobalt-alloy pin buckle.
Price on request

return-to-top__image
Back to Top