FeatureThe Ultra-Thin Watch & its three Ws – What does it mean, Why was it created and Who makes the best ones

Off late I have started making some lifestyle changes, you see, we live in leaner times today. So when I was assigned this particular story, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Even watchmakers are conscious about the weight of their watches! On a more serious note though, ultra-thin watches are the ultimate exhibit of technical expertise in watchmaking. Not every brand can pull one off, and the ones that do are the ones to watch out for.

The ultra-thin and its three Ws:

Ultra-thin watches have a particular aesthetical sobriety to them, which is what appeals to watch buyers. Before we get into more about that, we’d like to talk about the three important Ws of ultra-thin watches:

1. What does ‘ultra-thin’ actually mean?
2. Why did the watches come into being?
3. Who makes the best ultra-thin watches?

What does ultra-thin actually mean? And so with this question began my research on the inception of ultra-thin watches. Starting from scratch, ultra-thin doesn’t have a specific definition, it essentially translates to ultra-flat. As simple an interpretation as this may be, the creation of an ultra-thin is far from straightforward. Till the mid 18th century, watches were thick and relied on a verge escapement, and pillar-and-plate construction. Then came the Frenchman, Jean-Antoine Lépine, an influential watchmaker who revolutionised the way watches were constructed. Doing away with the top plate and substituting it with a series of locks and bridges to keep the wheels of the movement in place, he led the world to the construction of ‘flat’ watches as we know them today.

Watch Fact:  The famous Lépine caliber, to this day, is the basis for the design of most movements.

Why did ultra-thin watches come into being? Over the years, the demand for ‘slim’ watches has continued to scale and one factor that originally led to this surge was the shift in men’s style that essentially began around the end of the 18th century. The aristocracy preferred carefully cut and fitted dressing (aka bespoke tailoring), and this called for a complementing watch. The ultra-slim befitted the demand perfectly.

Creating ultra-thin watches has always been challenging, which is why only the most veteran watchmakers are capable of the art. Led by Parisian watchmaker Edmond Jaeger, Jaeger-LeCoultre was one of the first luxury watch brands to prove its mettle in this domain, in the early 20th century. They have among the most famous thin movements to their name, one of the most classic ones being the JLC caliber 849. At an astonishing thickness of just 1.85 mm, it sheds light on exactly how challenging it is to make these movements. What strikes out first and foremost is, how can adequate power be provided to the movement to maintain accuracy across the working power reserve of the watch, across such limited space?

The power of a watch is generally dependent on the height of the spring, and in an ultra-thin movement the height is exceptionally restricted. So there you have it, the challenge here is glaring. Less space means far greater precision is required to maintain the power and accuracy of the watch, which only a season watchmaker can achieve.

Another factor that’s important to the making of ultra-thin watches is the architecture of the movement. Since considerable changes are made to the architecture, the manufacturing and assembly requires the highest level of skill, attention to detail and accuracy.

Who makes the best ultra-thin watches? Let’s take a look at who does it best – our round up of the best 5 ultra-thin watches to invest in:

1. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia (Ref: 380.032)

This vision of perfection from A. Lange & Söhne is more than just a regular ultra-thin watch. Though the name Lange is enough to express the technical prowess the watch incorporates, it remains imperative to elaborate on its superlative features. Crafted with an 18-carat pink gold 35mm case, the dial of this classic Lange is in solid silver argenté with indices in pink gold. The hero here, of course, is the movement. The Calibre L941.1 is precision personified with a diameter of 25.6 millimetres and height of 3.2 millimetres.

Equipped with a lever escapement and shock-resistant screw balance oscillator, it has the trademark Nivarox balance spring, with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. Typical to Lange, the movement has 4 screwed gold chatons (A. Lange & Söhne continues using gold chatons in combination with five bore holes for each jewel in tribute to traditional watch-making and to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the movement). With a power reserve of more than 45 hours when fully wound, the movement has 164 parts and 21 jewels.

The functions of the watch are kept simple – hours and minutes; subsidiary seconds dial (stop-seconds mechanism namely). A meticulous watch – in manufacture and functionality.

2. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Reserve De Marche (Ref: Q1378420)

Known for creating small and intricate watch movements, Jaeger-LeCoultre Master collection is intrinsic to this list. While finalising a watch from Jaeger Le-Coultre, the Ultra Thin Reserve De Marche caught our attention because of its uniqueness. With its clean lines and slender stainless steel 39mm case, this watch houses complications that sit elegantly on the dial. The dial itself is crafted masterfully in sunray-brushed silver with Rhodium-plated hour-markers.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 938 is an automatic mechanical movement which contains 273 parts and has a 43-hour power reserve, with a water resistance up to 5 bar. The movement makes 28800 vibrations per hour and has a height of only 4.90 mm.

When it comes to functions, the watch displays the date, hours, minutes, seconds and the power-reserve. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and here is the proof of it.

3. Breguet Classique (Ref: 5157BA119V6)

In the world of luxury watches, Breguet has a distinct identity because of its craftsmanship. Pick a complication, and Breguet will have one piece that stands out when compared to other watches in the category. The Breguet Classique Ultra Thin is one such watch. Set in an 18kt yellow gold 38mm round case, with a brown leather strap and a fixed bezel and push/pull crown set, the watch is exquisite.

An ultra-thin, the case is only 5.35mm thick. The elegantly designed silver dial with blue-steel Breguet hands and Roman numeral hour markers give it the distinct Breguet look. The minute markers are placed around the outer rim of the dial. The automatic Caliber 502.3 movement has a power reserve of 45 hours and water resistance up to 30 metres. The watch has basic hours and minutes functions and is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. An elegant watch that is precise and powerful in its performance.

4. Rado True Thinline (Ref: R27741152)

Rado True Thinline, the thinnest Rado high-tech ceramic watch, has remained a sensation since its launch. Simple yet strong, it maintains the right balance. Unlike most other watches on this list, this timepiece is powered by the Swiss made quartz movement – ETA 210.001, which contains 8 jewels. At just 4.9mm thick, the 39 mm watch is protected by scratch resistant sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 3 bar/30 meters. An ultra-thin watch for the man who prefers contemporary aesthetics.

5. Longines La Grande Classique De Presence (Ref: L4.709.4.11.2)

Longines is the epitome of traditional watches and the ultra-slim La Grande Classique collection is designed for those who appreciate understated and classic timepieces. With a 33mm steel case, white dial and a black crocodile leather strap, the watch is powered by a quartz movement with a water resistance of 30 metres. A side view of the watch exhibits the true ‘ultra-slimness’ of the watch and makes one marvel its form. This one is perhaps the ‘slimmest’ of our selection!

Are there other ultra-slim watches that intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section below!