Less Is More: The Art Of The Ultra Thin Watch

Zenith Elite 681 Ultra Thin

Rose gold $11,000

Zenith’s most enduring legacy is its El Primero chronograph, which was the world’s first self-winding chronograph when it was introduced in 1969.  Though the firm has created some very unusual designs in recent years, it has never lost touch with its roots in the world of classical fine watchmaking. Some of the best evidence of its firm grasp of watchmaking’s most enduring values is the Elite 681 Ultra Thin.  Housed in a slim,  rose gold or stainless steel case, with diamond hour markers and a small seconds display at 9:00, the Elite 681 offers a spare, impressively straightforward interpretation of the classic men’s dress watch that’s versatile enough to go casual as well.

Ralph Lauren Square Slim Classique

$15,200

The idea of a Ralph Lauren watch collection might have been surprising to watch connoisseurs when it was first introduced a few years ago, but since then many have been won over by the same perfectionism and obsession with detail for which he’s famous for as a designer.  Born out of the same love of elegant design and precise machinery that led him to create one of the world’s most famous car collections, Ralph Lauren’s timepieces draw their inspiration from many sources. At just under 28mm wide and only 5.75mm thick, The Art Deco era influenced Square Slim Classique is a retro-chic exercise in flat-out elegance.

Piaget EmperadorCoussinTourbillon Automatic

Price upon request

Piaget, perhaps more than any other firm, is synonymous with extra flat watches. The company’s ultra thin movements such as the 12P are legendary, and last year it set a new record for the world’s thinnest automatic movement when it introduced the 2.35mm thick caliber 1200P.  This year, Piaget showed its mastery of complicated thin watches yet again, introducing what is now the world’s thinnest self-winding tourbillon watch: the EmperadorCoussinTourbillon Automatic.  At only 5.35mm thick, the CoussinTourbillon Automatic not only breaks records, but also puts on an unparalleled horological show by placing the flying tourbillon and the microrotor on the dial side of the movement.