Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept “Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées”

The story of Piaget began in 1874. Georges-Édouard Piaget, just 19 years of age, felt a passionate calling to horology. He set up his original workshop on the family farm in La Côte-aux-Fées, a small village in the Swiss Jura mountains. Ever the perfectionist, Georges-Édouard crafted precision movements and watch components, working to his mantra, ‘always do better than necessary’. The company’s burgeoning reputation allowed it to prosper and before long it had grown to become a family business. Georges-Édouard’s son, Timothée, was instrumental in transforming the company’s focus from movement maker to that of luxury watchmaker.

It was the third generation Piaget’s, Gérald and Valentin, who recognised that in order to truly flourish and reach their full potential, they would need to take the company global.

The contribution of Valentin was instrumental to the creation of many of today’s collections, especially its ultra-slim timepieces. It was his vision that led to the introduction of the first Piaget ‘Altiplano’ back in 1957; a model inspired by the vast untouched plateaus within the Cordillera Andes region of South America. Equipped with the hand-wound calibre 9P, which measured just 2mm, this inaugural Altiplano was so thin that it was almost beyond the comprehension of many visitors to the 1957 Basel Watch Fair. The brand’s mastery of microengineering subsequently enabled it to launch an ultra-thin automatic calibre, the 12P, that included a micro-rotor, yet still only measured 2.3mm. Where Piaget led the way, many brands followed, often basing their ultra-thin pieces on the 9P and 12P calibres.

Piaget was not the originator of the micro-rotor, that honour is widely attributed to Universal Geneve which patented the device in 1954. However, the brand has been one of the invention’s greatest advocates, with the tiny embedded oscillating weights featuring in many of its high-end timepieces.

The Altiplano has remained at the forefront of Piaget’s collections ever since its inception, with its ageless styling standing the test of time. Numerous calibres and world-first achievements punctuate the Altiplano’s enviable timeline, demonstrating the brand’s pre-eminence within this segment. The latest ultra slim creation is the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept "Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées".

Although the model’s sumptuous green tones are new, the styling upholds the design language set in place three years ago. Around this time, Piaget had unsurprisingly witnessed fierce and very credible competition, most noticeably from Italian luxury Maison, Bulgari. As a result, in 2018, Piaget showcased a seemingly unbeatable prototype, the ‘Altiplano Ultimate Concept’.

This new ‘record breaking’ prototype proved to be a breathtaking composition and the notable level of interest in the watch led to it ultimately going into full production and hitting the market in 2020. Measuring just 2mm thick, the watch took three of Piaget’s key engineers some four years to develop. However, their efforts were rewarded and model is now subject to five patents.

To achieve the seemingly impossible, the brand had to use a radically different approach. The principle at the heart of their solution was theoretically simple, to fuse the case and the movement into one entity. To execute this idea, Piaget needed to produce a case that delivered sufficient rigidity and robustness, something that was not easy to achieve given the model’s 2mm thickness. The designers knew they had to look beyond traditional metals such as steel, gold and platinum. Instead, Piaget opted for a new high-tech alloy based on the highly rigid element, Cobalt. In addition to its durability, Cobalt has excellent corrosion resistance. Furthermore, its silvery bluish hue can be polished to deliver the supreme finish demanded by Piaget’s sophisticated clientele. Perhaps the simplest looking component of the entire watch is the winding crown. Perfectly integrated into the case at the 3 o’clock position, the crown comes with its own special motorised winding and setting tool. Once fully wound, the 4Hz P900-UC calibre will run for 45 hours.

With the case effectively becoming the mainplate, Piaget had to engineer components so lithe that they would fit into the case and sit under the crystal, which in itself measures a mere 0.2mm thick. The Piaget 900P-UC calibre, featuring 13 jewels, lays its soul bare in stunning style. Just off the six o’clock position, the mainspring dominates the lower dial estate, emblazoned with the Altiplano moniker. Feeding off the mainspring, the layered cogs of the gear train snake their way to the escapement. Sitting between the 9 and 10 o’clock positions, the mesmeric regulating organ sports a balance wheel of monobloc construction. The gear train appears suspended, as does the balance, supported from behind using ceramic ball bearings. Being skeletonised, owners will fully appreciate the sublime 3D architecture of the slim model’s display.

Universally appreciated across the horological world, it is no surprise that the advent of the ‘Altiplano Ultimate Concept’ saw Piaget win the most prestigious prize in watchmaking, the Aiguille D’Or at the 2020 edition of the GPHG (Fondation du Grand Prix d’Hologerie de Genève).

One year later, Piaget has taken inspiration from the natural surroundings of its home in ‘La Côte-aux-Fées’ and produced the latest iteration of its mechanical marvel.

A rich forest green finish, combining ALD treatment and satin brushing, decorates much of the dial, the bridges and their screws. The chosen shade of green is said to symbolise the lush vegetation surrounding Piaget’s factory and headquarters.

In true Piaget fashion, the time is presented simply and elegantly, off centred at the top of the watch. The sunbrushed green dial features a silver-hued frosted centre and elongated silvery indices. Piaget has kept the hands beautifully simple, in keeping with previous Altiplano references. The hands are slender, green and baton-style. They deliver impressive legibility despite the distraction of the sumptuously appointed openworked dial elements. With green being ‘the colour’ of 2021, Piaget has, once again, proven it is always on-trend.

The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept "Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées" is paired with a deep green alligator strap, secured with a simple pin buckle, fashioned from cobalt alloy, matching the case. In further celebration of its heritage, the bridge above the cover of the keyless works is skeletonised to reveal ‘1847’, in reference to the date Georges-Édouard Piaget began his journey.

Such is today’s luxury market, brands such as Piaget are aware that their clients are becoming increasingly discerning, therefore, Piaget offers a bespoke service to accompany its flagship timepiece. Case finishes, including black DLC, dial colours, straps, hands and engraving – just about every aspect of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept – can be personalised to deliver the pinnacle of self-expression. Piaget can only produce a handful of these watches each year and at 408,000 CHF the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept "Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées" will always be the preserve of horology’s most affluent devotees.

Presently, Piaget remains the brand to beat in ultra-slim watchmaking. Any brand wishing to compete for their crown will have to delve deep into the world of material science to ‘out slim’ the remarkable Altiplano Ultimate Concept.

Escapement is an online magazine owned and operated by Angus Davies and his wife, Heidi Davies.