FeatureThin Is In: Why Watches With Slim Profiles Are Winning Hearts

Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence in a trend that first started before the quartz crisis. The story of ultra-thin watches began in 1957 with Piaget, when they created the world’s first ultra-thin mechanical watch, measuring a little more than 4mm thick—which was a landmark accomplishment for the time. In recent years, thin and premium have become intertwined in the minds of many consumers—whether it be in terms of electronics, accessories or timepieces.

An ultra-thin watch is not only extremely comfortable, it also represents decades of painstaking, meticulous and ceaseless innovation by watchmaking’s finest masters. To get a precise movement that fits in a case not much thicker than the width of a coin is a massive undertaking. This incredible challenge has been taken on only by the most devoted and prestigious names in horology. Let’s delve a little deeper into this edgy phenomenon. All the watches we’ve selected measure at or below 11mm, particularly perfect for those with slender wrists.

It doesn’t get more elegant than H. Moser & Cie. when it comes to slim watches. The Endeavour Centre Seconds Automatic is the perfect example of the brand’s watchmaking savoir faire

₹22,00,000

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The thinness of the self-winding HMC 200 calibre allows the watch’s height to be just 10.7mm, which is an incredible feat

₹22,00,000

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With stunning good looks, thanks to a lovely midnight-blue fumé dial encased in 18-karat red gold, the timepiece will be the perfect slim addition to anyone’s collection

₹22,00,000

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Innovation Is The End Game

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that housed within that beautiful watch case beats an extremely intricate and complex, hand-crafted machine made up of hundreds of small parts. For watchmakers, the quest for miniaturisation is an unending one. The natural progression to the watchmakers’ penchant for creating lighter, more complicated yet more precise movements, ultra-thin watches are at the pinnacle of horological innovation.

The research and development team at Parmigiani Fleurier is constantly experimenting and innovating. The result is one of Parmigiani’s finest—the Toric Chronomètre

₹30,70,000

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The 40mm 18-karat gold case is exceptionally slim, at only 9.4mm

₹30,70,000

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Despite the slimness, Parmigiani has not compromised on design, and the detailing on each feature, including the time-keeping hands, is extraordinary

₹30,70,000

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A modern interpretation of the first watch designed by founder Michel Parmigiani, the Toric Chronomètre is for those who prefer their timepieces to have vintage leanings

₹30,70,000

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Considering the enormous difficulty that comes with creating these movements, it should be no surprise that only the most passionate watchmakers even attempt the feat of producing slim watches. This is because thin movements are not only complex but also incredibly delicate. Imagine the kind of precision and dexterity required to handle wafer-thin movements. This feat is best left to master watchmakers who have spent decades honing their skill set. And so, producing slim watches is definitely not for watchmakers who are faint of heart!

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Ultra Thin Moon has an automatic movement ticking inside, which powers the hour, minutes and seconds hands, along with a date and moon phase indicator

₹8,40,000

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Despite being packed with functionality, the height of the watch is only 9.9mm—perfectly exemplifying the brand's watchmaking prowess

₹8,40,000

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The Relentless Pursuit Of Thinness

Horological brands are always in stiff competition with each other to wow their audiences. This holds true for their production of slim watches as well. Constantly innovating and revolutionising timepiece design, brands have been trying to outdo each other in terms of how slim they can go for many years now.

Girard-Perregaux proves that simplicity and slimness can go hand in hand beautifully. Seen here is the elegant 1966 watch, with an atmospheric blue dial

₹9,80,000

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This edition is particularly captivating, as the stainless steel of the case and sunray blue of the dial brilliantly complement each other

Despite its thinness, the watch is not at all diminutive—with a respectable case size of 40mm that looks eye-catching on the wrist

₹9,80,000

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With a height of only 8.9mm, the watch is incredibly slim—all thanks to the GP03300-0132 self-winding calibre, whose height is 4.8mm

₹9,80,000

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The edition with a white dial is no less appealing, perfect for those looking for a simple watch that isn’t bulky on the wristT

₹9,80,000

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Famous for its seductive ladies’ collection, the Serpenti, Bulgari initially had a reputation for creating stunning joaillerie, but wasn’t that well-known in the watchmaking circle. That was until Bulgari decided to surprise the horological world with its Octo collection, which has in its repertoire some of the thinnest watches ever imagined by humankind. In 2014, they bagged the title for the world’s thinnest tourbillon (the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon), which is yet to be shattered. In 2016, they produced the thinnest minute repeater—and it still holds the title. In 2018, they wowed the horological audience with two record-breakers—the thinnest mechanical watch and the thinnest automatic watch. And then they came for the title of the thinnest mechanical chronograph. Phew! When it comes to ultra-thin watches, you can definitely never go wrong with a Bulgari on your wrist, whose research and development team is giving even the oldest and biggest of brands a solid run for their money!

To read more about the record-shattering Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, click here

Slimness In Quartz

Though the quartz crisis put the horological world in a tizzy, it was this point that drove a lot of brands to innovate at a hitherto unforeseen pace. Mechanical watches were then viewed as more than just time tellers—they became objets d’art or examples of the mechanical watchmaking industry’s resourcefulness and ferocious skill in the face of dire times. However, quartz technology also allowed quartz watches themselves to be thinner since complex movements were replaced by smaller electronic components. One of the best examples of a brand that took this concept and ran with it is Rado.

Within Rado’s True Thinline collection is the Les Couleurs Le Corbusier Edition, a colourful take on slim watches

₹2,05,900

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The 39mm ceramic case houses a 13-jewel quartz movement that powers the watch’s hour and minute hands

₹2,05,900

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Bursting with absolute distinction, these watches present the case, dial and strap in bold monochromatic shades

₹2,05,900

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The quartz movement allows the watches to achieve a mind-bending thinness of only 5mm

₹2,05,900

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Whether you’re going for a bold, eye-catching look or you’re looking for something a bit more understated, the collection has something for everyone

₹2,05,900

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Click here to discover more about the colourful Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier Edition

Comfort Under The Cuff

In addition to the fact that an ultra-thin watch is a virtual guarantee of the finest horological engineering in the world, there’s another bonus as well. Due to their slim outline and remarkably low weight, these watches are extremely comfortable to wear. Their elegance and awe-inspiring profile make them immediately stand out while you barely notice you’re wearing anything. It is the ultimate expression of the union of form and function, style and comfort.

Panerai, which is well-known for its chunky watches that look meaty on the wrist, went smaller with the Luminor Due 42 Automatic Acciaio

₹6,69,200

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Its ivory dial is housed inside a much smaller case than Panerai’s usual, sized at 38mm. Its slim profile at 10.5mm ensures that it will be a comfortable fit

₹6,69,200

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By decreasing the size of the case, Panerai, perhaps, wanted to reach out to a different consumer profile, and they have achieved great results, exemplified by this watch’s popularity

₹6,69,200

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Slim watches work particularly well for those of us with narrow wrists, who can’t necessarily pull off chunky watches. If you’re looking for a sleek, streamlined profile that adds some spunk and sparkle to your wrist, ultra-slim watches belong in your horological collection.

When it comes to wearable watches, Nomos takes the cake with its comfortable and elegant timepieces. Seen here is the 38mm Nomos Orion 1989

₹2,40,000

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The timepiece has the in-house calibre Alpha running inside, which has a wafer-thin height of 2.6mm. This allows the watch to achieve a thickness of only 8.9mm

₹2,40,000

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The Orion 38 Gray boasts similar proportions and a design scheme that is Bauhaus to the core—restrained, simple and austere

₹2,40,000

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This watch too has a slim profile, which ensures that it will sit comfortably and seamlessly on the wrist

₹2,40,000

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As is often the case with horological innovations, the charge is led by a vanguard of a select number of key players but the field inevitably opens up to new names joining the fore. As these breathtakingly slim watches become more popular and iconic, more watch Maisons are going to roll up their sleeves and take on this daunting challenge. It has become quite clear that only the most accomplished and dedicated watchmakers can succeed in creating these fascinating timepieces, which is all the motivation needed for more masters to turn their attention to this phenomenon.

Minimalist and supremely elegant, the Frederique Constant Slimline Power Reserve watches should be your go-to if you’re looking for a slim timepiece with a suave aesthetic

₹3,51,000

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Comfortably slim at 11mm, these watches house the FC-723 automatic calibre, which powers the time-telling hands along with the date indication and power reserve function

₹3,51,000

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The Frederique Constant Slimline Power Reserve collection would appeal to those with a penchant for simple and functional timepieces that are also affordable

₹3,79,500

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While each thin watch is not a record-breaker, each timepiece is a testament to the defiance of boundaries and the subversion of paradigms. This trend is set to continue to gather steam. There is no doubt that these watches are the epitome of the phrase ‘less is more’.