The new Piaget Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Automatic Ultra-Thin is entirely in line with the brand’s DNA and sets a new record for the world’s thinnest self-winding tourbillon watch measuring a mere 10.4 mm. But never mind the record, I’m just amazed by how much detail goes into both the watch face and partial skeleton dial yet retains its simplicity.

This model is a powerful expression of the Piaget genetic heritage: unique competence in the field of ultra-thin watchmaking, combined with a determination to develop consistently innovative and creative complicated calibres. Drawing upon the qualities of both Piaget Calibre 600P – the world’s thinnest hand-wound tourbillon movement – and Piaget Calibre 1208P – the world’s thinnest self-winding movement equipped with a micro-rotor – Calibre 1270P, Piaget’s first ultra-thin self-winding tourbillon movement measuring just 5.55 mm thick, offers a combination of technical and aesthetic innovations.

Piaget Emperador Coussin: Slimmest Tourbillon

This exceptional capacity for innovation stems above all from an exceptional wealth of experience. For half a century, Piaget has been writing some of the finest chapters in the history of ultra-thin movements, a field in which it has played a pioneering role. In 1957, Piaget caused a sensation by developing Calibre 9P, an ultra-thin mechanical hand-wound movement. Two years later, Piaget filed a patent for Calibre 12P, which set a record for slimness in the category of self-winding movements.

In 2010, Piaget celebrated the 50th anniversary of the commercialisation of the legendary Calibre 12P in due style by presenting Calibres 1200P (hours and minutes) and 1208P (hours, minutes and small seconds), the thinnest mechanical self-winding movements on the market at just 2.35 mm thick, a first record. They were integrated within the new 43 mm Altiplano case and thereby set a second record for the thinnest watch in its category (5.25 mm).

Setting aside the goobledygook (if you aren’t a watch nut like I am), the crest and refinement of this timepiece makes it the perfect Monsieur’s watch if you can spare the cash. It’s also one of the most emblematic complications I’ve ever seen, the self-winding tourbillon – complete with its gold micro-rotor – makes it not only a technical marvel but a beauty to behold. In addition to the feat of engineering an extremely complex 269-part mechanism in such diminutive dimensions – this Calibre 1270P is distinguished by an exceptional aesthetic appeal that reveals the eminently modern nature of the Piaget Emperador Coussion Tourbillon Automatic Ultra-Thin.

This new timepiece in the Piaget Emperador collection is making its mark on this iconic line in the Black Tie collection thanks to a powerful design and a decidedly avant-garde character. I’m loving the black tie haute-ness of the micro-rotor, guilloché-worked and adorned with the Piaget coat-of-arms.