If you have been observing what has been happening in the watch industry over the last dozen or so years, you will have certainly noticed that, in addition to the sine wave of prices on the secondary market, there is still a silent competition to create the flattest mechanical watch in the world. Piaget is a real specialist in this field, boasting over 30 ultra-flat mechanisms.

But some time ago, Bulgari decided to challenge the old master, who had enjoyed undisputed fame for decades. Unveiled in 2014, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon set a new record, and as Piaget and Bulgari competed against each other over the next few years, it seemed others were happy to just watch. When Piaget presented the Altiplano Ultimate Concept with a 2 mm case in 2018, it looked like it would remain undefeated for a long time. But in 2022, Bulgari responded with an even ‘slimmer’ Octo Finissimo Ultra (1.8 mm).

However, it turned out that Bulgari’s management could not enjoy the victory for too long, because four months later, a dark horse – Richard Mille – appeared on the stage and took the prize for itself. The RM UP-01 Ferrari is 1.75 mm thick, so the brand, which previously had no such ambitions, boasted the thinnest watch in the world. In addition, Pharrell Williams showed up everywhere with this model on his arm, which of course gave Richard Mille great publicity.

The race entered a new phase this year as, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, Piaget set a new record and once again pushed the boundaries of what is possible. The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary is the thinnest tourbillon watch at only 2 mm thick. This year is important for Bulgari for other reasons, because exactly 10 years ago the groundbreaking Octo Finissimo model debuted and since then, the company has set as many as eight world records: in 2014 it was the world’s thinnest hand-wound tourbillon (1.95 mm), in 2016 the thinnest watch with a minute repeater (3.12 mm), in 2017 the thinnest automatic watch (5.15 mm), in 2018 the thinnest automatic tourbillon (3.95 mm), in 2019 the thinnest watch with a stopwatch (3.3 mm), in 2020 the thinnest watch with a stopwatch and tourbillon (3.50 mm), and in 2021 the thinnest watch with a perpetual calendar (2.75 mm). The highlight was the aforementioned Octo Finissimo Ultra (1.8 mm), which took the crown from Piaget two years ago.

A round anniversary is a good excuse to present something spectacular, so three months ago, as expected, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II appeared as the new world record holder. Its case is 1.7 mm thick, which is 0.05 mm less than the RM UP-01 Ferrari and a full 0.1 mm less than the record-breaking Octo Finissimo Ultra from 2022.

However, as soon as a new record is set, you can expect a response from the competitors. The question immediately arises: how much ‘weight’ can a watch lose? For now, there is no end in sight to this rivalry, although it seems that manufacturers are getting closer to the limits of their capabilities. If the Finissimo Ultra Mark II is a sign of things to come, I must admit that things are picking up an amazing pace. Especially in an Olympic year.