Qualifying exactly what constitutes a thin watch is no easy task. To tackle this assignment, I arbitrarily decided to set the maximum thickness allowed at 9.9mm (so anything under a centimetre qualifies).
While that may be a bit of a slap in the face for the masters of ultra-thin watchmaking such as Piaget and Bvlgari, their models do still fit within the category, but given the almost comical thinness of many record-setting pieces, they aren’t the most relevant watches when it comes to picking out a watch that is simultaneously “thin” and suitable for daily wear. Therefore, I’ve decided not to rank these watches based on “how low their brands can go”, but rather on everyday practicality.
An honourable mention should go to Konstantin Chaykin’s recent “Joker” ThinKing and Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 Ferrari. Both of which are so thin, that they barely exist. I haven’t been able to confirm this, but I’d wager their extreme lightweight also makes them two of the most expensive watches per gram on the market. That’s not a metric anyone’s ever used to determine the value of something (in fact, amusingly, the opposite is often taken as truer), but I thought it was funny enough to mention. I don’t know, maybe the Joker itself is rubbing off on me…
Top 5 Thin Watches (that you might actually want to wear)
5. NOMOS Glashütte Orion 35/38
When it comes to thinness, relative affordability, and eminent wearability, there is no way at least one NOMOS Glashütte couldn’t have made it onto this list.
For me, the Orion is the epitome of elegance. It is, in my opinion, the most graceful of the German maker’s models, and one that frequently graces my wrist.
Interestingly, I own the 38 version (the special edition De Stijl model I was involved in bringing to market with Ace Jewelers of Amsterdam way back in 2017), which measures just 7.9mm thick.
Beyond that 100-piece limited, which benefits in terms of dial balance from its evenly weighted but proportionally mismatched hour indices, I prefer the 35mm (8.7mm thick) version (at times while working for NOMOS, I would even don the 33mm Rosé version (7.6mm thick) on the suede strap — an unusual choice for a man that shouldn’t be ignored if you’re a fan of vintage diameters and warm dial tones).
What I like most about the 35mm version versus the 38, is the placement of the going seconds sub-dial. Because the two diameters share the same movement (the alpha calibre), the seconds pinion is actually in the same place on both, meaning it appears much closer to the centre of the dial on the 38mm version. That’s a personal preference but one to bear in mind when deciding between the two.
4. Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 6224-3642-MMB
With so much (deserved) attention foisted upon the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms family, it can be easy to forget that the world’s oldest continuously operational watch brand is perhaps relatively better at creating timeless dress watches that slot into the heirloom category with ease. When I was a younger watchmaker, no one could convince me there was anything more desirable than a rose gold cased Blancpain with a white dial. It was, back then, the epitome of class in my mind.
While my tastes have expanded somewhat since I’ve never really been able to shake that feeling. The level of respect I have for Blancpain’s legendary achievements in this sphere darn near knocks me off my feet whenever I’m reminded of it.
I feel almost guilty that I don’t think about Blancpain more, but I’m happy to say this quieter corner of the Swatch group machine did not slip my mind while assembling this list. The 38mm wide, 8.35mm thick Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 6224-3642-MMB on the red gold bracelet has old-school elegance written all over it and won’t let you down.
3. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin
One of my favourite watches from my favourite brand the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin measures an impressive 5.9mm thick while retaining proportional robustness that gives its wearer confidence in its ability to withstand the rigours of daily life.
When it comes to Lange, I’m wont to favour yellow or rose gold as it seems more befitting of a brand this high up the food chain, but a simple 37mm Saxonia Thin in white gold (201.027) is true stealth luxury and a watch of which I am certain you will never tire.
And just to shine a light on this important specification: the watch is 37mm in diameter — probably the most underrated and underserved diameter in watchmaking.
2. Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Titanium
The original and “best” Bvlgari Octo Finissimo when it comes to the perfect realisation of a concept, delivered in a delicious tone-on-tone colourway. The all-titanium version is certainly hard to beat when it comes to a list of this nature, but its 5.15mm thickness and 30m water resistance kept it off the top spot in favour of the…
1. Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Stainless Steel
In my humble opinion, there is such a thing as too thin. While I’d argue till dawn that the titanium Octo Finissimo is “the best” execution of the concept theoretically, it isn’t the model I’d choose to wear myself.
Alon Ben Joseph, my co-host on The Real Time Show and co-owner of the aforementioned Ace Jewelers bought the titanium Octo Finissimo as soon as it was released, and it's been one of his most-worn watches since. As such, I’ve had many opportunities to wear it myself, and as supremely impressive as it is, it’s just too freakishly thin for me. The steel version, however, measures a much better balanced 6.4mm and boasts an impressive 100-meter water resistance to boot.
When it comes to a super thin, highly credible watch from one of the most exciting brands on the market right now that is, crucially, wearable, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo in stainless steel can’t be topped for me. And at £12,900, it is significantly cheaper than the titanium model (£15,300) that landed in second place on this list.
Let us know what your favourite thin watches are in the comments below and be sure to check out Anthony's picks from 2023!
