The thinnest watch is no longer a Bulgari!
Against the backdrop of battles for precision and the ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions, the battle for the leanest watch looks the most impressive. Richard Mille is the new champion in these competitions with the RM UP-01 Ferrari: the brand's mechanical masterpiece is just 1.75 mm in height.
That's 0.05 mm thinner than the previous record-holder Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra, which measures 1.8 mm in height, and 0.25 mm thinner than the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept.
What makes this all the more admirable is the fact that Richard Mille was able to achieve this impressive result without relying on the approach used by competitors, who battled to shave off millimeters by having the movement's mainplate double up as the caseback.
The movement measuring just 1.18 mm in height was initially created together with engineers from Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi before being housed in its case measuring 1.75 mm in height. The resulting movement is almost weightless at 2.82 g (the mainplate and skeletonized bridges are made of grade 5 titanium).
The engineers had to rethink how the escapement is constructed in order to achieve the desired height measurements. The traditional lever escapement was replaced by a new type of mechanism: the watchmaker decided to get rid of the guard pin and safety roller which prevents accidental movement of the fork.
It was replaced by an elongated anchor fork with modified horns. They also did away with the winding arbor and crown. Two wheels integrated into the bezel serve as an alternative. One allows the function to be selected (winding or time-setting) while the other is for making the adjustments.
Another typical stumbling block in the battle to make thinner watches is sapphire crystal. There are actually two crystals here: one over the miniature dial which is 0.45 mm thick and one over the openworked balance which ranges from 0.20 mm thick in the center to 0.30 mm around the edges.
According to the company's calculations, it took 6000 hours of development and laboratory testing involving numerous prototypes to create the new watch. Here's a couple more interesting specs: the RM UP-01 Ferrari will be available in a limited edition of 150 pieces, priced at an astronomical CHF 1.7 million.