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Piaget Altiplano
Ref. G0A39105
The Altiplano's purpose has always been reduction — finding the minimum a mechanical watch can be without ceasing to be one. The 450P calibre, built entirely within Piaget's own workshops, is 2.1mm thick: the movement alone is thinner than many watch crystals, and it is what allows the case to sit at just 6.3mm from caseback to crystal. That is flat enough to disappear beneath a shirt cuff entirely, which is precisely the context this watch was designed for. At 34mm the proportions are deliberately considered rather than fashionably small: the white dial leaves room for very little, and Piaget has put almost nothing on it — thin baton markers, a small seconds subdial placed asymmetrically at ten o'clock, and that is the design. The off-axis seconds hand is the only thing that breaks the dial's stillness, and it does so quietly. Through the sapphire caseback, the 450P's decoration is visible: circular Côtes de Genève, a grained mainplate, bevelled bridges and blued screws. It is finishing done for its own sake, on surfaces a customer will rarely look at, which is the clearest indication of where Piaget's priorities lie with this line.
- Reference
- G0A39105
- Brand
- Piaget
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 6.3mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- 450P
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 43 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Piaget
Georges Piaget set up a workshop on the family farm in La Côte-aux-Fées in 1874, producing movements for other houses. The name did not appear on dials until 1943, and the decision that defined the company came a decade later.
In 1957 Piaget released the calibre 9P, a hand-wound movement two millimetres thick. The 12P automatic followed in 1960 at 2.3mm, then the thinnest automatic in the world. Thinness became the house obsession and its competitive territory, pursued through decades of records and continuing in the Altiplano line — including complete watches, case and all, under four millimetres.
Extreme thinness forced Piaget into a distinctive aesthetic. There was no room for conventional dials, so the company used hardstone: lapis, opal, turquoise, tiger's eye. The 1960s and 70s cuff watches, with woven gold bracelets and gem-set bezels, made Piaget as much a jeweller as a watchmaker, and the Polo of 1979 gave it an integrated gold sports watch of its own.
The company remained family-run until 1988, when it was acquired by Cartier — later folded into Richemont — and it continues to manufacture ultra-thin calibres at La Côte-aux-Fées while assembling and gem-setting in Geneva.
- 1874
- Georges Piaget founds the workshop at La Côte-aux-Fées.
- 1943
- The Piaget name is registered as a brand.
- 1957
- The 9P sets an ultra-thin benchmark at 2mm.
- 1960
- The 12P becomes the thinnest automatic movement.
- 1979
- The Polo launches.
- 1988
- Acquired by Cartier, later Richemont.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Watches Under 37mm (1,305), Leather Strap Watches (806), Dress Watches (417) and Solid Gold Watches (112).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | G0A39105 | QdB 25 bis |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £14,600 | £20,900 |
| Case size | 34mm | 32mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 43 hours | 168 hours |
| This watch |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 43 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £14,600. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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