The World’s Thinnest Watches – Less than 2mm thin

Thin watches – Size does matter, especially when it comes to watches. Considerations for several criteria must be made to get the ideal watch size. You must take into account some features to choose the ideal one for your daily activities.

The fact that watches have different heights is probably not often noticed by the public. Case thickness is something that most people ignore unless there are unusual conditions, but case diameters are pretty simple to observe. Establishing your ideal case height, nevertheless, is unquestionably crucial as well. It affects how the watch fits your wrist and can guide your choice when buying your timepiece. We know that standard-size models have been dominating the market, but thin watches have become more popular for quite some time.

Competition over the title world’s thinnest watch has been going on for some time. I mean who doesn’t love a world record? In the first week of July 2022, Richard Mille collaboration with Ferrari has broke the internet and impressed the watchmaking industry with their new release Richard Mille UP-01 Ferrari. The 1.75mm thin watch is named to be the world’s thinnest watch on the entire planet. Interesting huh?

I have curated a list of three thin watches in the world that are 2mm thin and less. Have an excellent read!

UPDATE: As of 8 April 2024, the top three of the world's thinnest watches changed. Visit my blog about the Bulgari Octo Finissimo COSC as the new world's thinnest watch.

As mentioned, Richard Mille’s partnership with Ferrari sets a new record for the world’s thinnest watch. Their new ultra-thin RM UP-01 Ferrari is just a mere 1.75mm in thickness triumphing the 1.8mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra by a teeny-tiny 0.05mm. Madness! Another crazy part is that it’s only been less than six months since Bulgari unveiled the new record-holder for the world’s thinnest watch. It was in March 2022, so it feels like months ago! Tough competition really exists in the watchmaking industry.

Debuted in Maranello, Italy, not only is it ultra-flat, but also ultra-light. Its movement weighs just 2.82g, while the watch is less than 30g, including the strap. The casing is what sets this new timepiece apart from rival models Piaget and Bulgari. Both of rivals used the case as the baseplate, but Richard Mille successfully built the entire movement inside a closed case.   

RM UP-01 is a limited-edition of only 150 pieces, priced at $1,750,000.

Since the watch is a collaboration between Richard Mille and Ferrari, so it is not surprising that the F1 driver Charles LeClerc was spotted to be the first person wearing the watch.

I still remember that 4 months ago, in March, the world was shaken by Bulgari by releasing the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo Ultra. The 1.8mm thin watch catched the attention of all watch aficionado. The watch was created to mark the 10th anniversary of its flagship Octo men’s collection. It achieved the brand’s eight world record in the specialty of ultra-thin watchmaking and stole the former record holder from the 2018 Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept at 2mm thin.

The time display on the 40mm sandblasted titanium watch further demonstrates its iconoclastic spirit by separating the hours, minutes, and seconds. The seconds display on the wheel at 6 o’clock is off-centered with reference to the hours and minutes, which are displayed on two regulator-style counters, in keeping with the design of the series. Moreover, the watch comes with an engraved QR code offering the ability to connect to a NFT and the metaverse, bridging the mechanical world with the digital dimension.

Limited to only 10 pieces worldwide, the Octo Finissimo Ultra’s price was set at €400,000.

Presented at SIHH 2018, Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) became the world’s thinnest watch with its ultra-thin 2mm profile, including the case. Even though Piaget can no longer boast about their accomplishments, the AUC remains the thinnest mechanical watch ever made by Piaget.

The exciting part with the AUC is that we can entirely design our own AUC, which is fantastic given Piaget’s familiarity with semi-bespoke watchmaking (their ‘Style Selector’ was presented at the brand’s New York shop over 50 years ago). So, select the bridge and dial’s colour, the hands’ finish, and the main plate’s material, then match it with your chosen strap. The AUC is accessible in more than 10,000 different combinations.

The price for the model is upon request but is approximately CHF 410,000.

This distinctive Altiplano Ultimate Concept ‘Tribute’, which was unveiled during the 2022 Watches and Wonders in Geneva, honors the first heartbeats of its initial prototype, which took place on 7 February 2017, at 7:47 a.m. This significant date is displayed on the watch at 2 o’clock, and two bigger dots indicate the appropriate time on the dial’s off-center. The location of the Piaget Manufacturing Company is mentioned. 

The Piaget logo’s font is based on the company’s traditional mark. The ratchet wheel has been inscribed with “La Côte-aux-Fées” and the manufacturer’s GPS coordinates. Super-LumiNova-illuminated stars in the dial’s background, which imitate the sky above La Côte-aux-Fées on the same day and hour of the event, complete the tribute.

The 2022 model’s thickness is the same as that of its Altiplano Ultimate Concept ancestors – a mind-blowing 2mm. Speaking of the price, the watch is also indicated upon request, but it is approximately CHF 400,000.