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Piaget Altiplano
Ref. G0A39138
The Altiplano has been Piaget's answer to the same question since the 1950s: how thin can a serious automatic watch be made without sacrificing anything that makes it serious? At 6.36mm, this white gold version sits near the outer edge of what the calibre 1205P makes possible — a movement built around an off-centre micro-rotor in 22-carat pink gold, a solution that keeps mass low and profile flat in a way a conventional rotor simply cannot match. At 40mm the case is large enough to carry the diamond-set bezel — 72 brilliant cuts totalling approximately one carat — without the dial feeling crowded. Piaget's characteristic asymmetry does the work inside it: the date sits at nine o'clock and the small seconds at five, which spreads the complications across the dial rather than stacking them and keeps the silver surface open. At 6.36mm, it disappears under a formal cuff in a way almost no automatic watch of this diameter will.
- Reference
- G0A39138
- Brand
- Piaget
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 6.36mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 1205P
- Functions
- Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 44 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,398), Back in Stock (1,188), Leather Strap Watches (806), Silver Dial Watches (553), Dress Watches (417) and Solid Gold Watches (112).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 6.36mm is unusually slim for a 40mm case
- 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 | G0A39138 | 1201-1200 | 604020150 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £34,200 | £29,700 | £35,770 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40.3mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 44 hours | 72 hours | 52 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 automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 44 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 men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £34,200. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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