Watch lovers come in two distinct categories – the ones who want their time pieces to be slim and elegant, and the others who like to show off a chunky piece of metal on their wrist. We look at the best thin watches in the market currently.

BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO MINUTE REPEATER

This beautiful minute repeater sets a record in the world of horology for being the world’s thinnest. Its mechanical, hand-wound ultra-complicated movement is just 3.12 mm thick, and the watch itself is housed in the signature Octo shaped 40 mm titanium case that is only 6.85 mm in height. It has 42 hours of power reserve and is a limited edition of 50 watches.

This new version of the selfwinding perpetual calendar from 2013 continues to stand out for its sublime thinness. Despite the level of the complications involved, its 39 mm steel case is just 9.2 mm in height. The dial features three counters dedicated to the perpetual calendar, as well as a moon phase indicator on top and a four-digit display of the year at 7 o’clock. The power reserve is 38 hours.

The world’s thinnest mechanical handwound Haute Joaillerie watch comes in a 38 mm case in 18K white gold, set with 38 baguette-cut diamonds (approx. 1.36K) and 266 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.86K). The crown is set with a brilliant-cut diamond (approx. 0.06K), while the dial is set with 33 baguette-cut diamonds (approx. 1.34K). The triple folding clasp of the black alligator strap is set with 23 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.05K). Despite all the embellishment, the case is just 5.65 mm thick. It’s powered by a mechanical hand-wound movement with a power reserve of 48 hours.

ZENITH ELITE 6150

Launched with great success last year, the Elite 6150 model now comes in rose gold, illuminating its curved case, its dial with engraved hour-markers and its leaf-type hands. This elegant, classically designed timepiece comes in a 42 mm rose gold case ( it also comes in stainless steel) that is only 9.45 mm thick, on account of its ultra-thin (3.92 mm) automatic movement. It has a power reserve of 100 hours.

This elegant watch with an entirely engine-turned silvered gold dial comes in a 40 mm, 18K rose gold case and is powered by a self-winding movement that is just 2.4 mm in thickness. Its power reserve is 45 hours.

This watch, in a 40 mm 18K white or pink gold case that is 8.2 mm in height, celebrates what Vacheron calls “sartorialism in a new masculine line dressed to the nines.“ The hand-guilloche decor dials of the five models in the collection feature an authentic colour chart of fabrics found in men’s wardrobes. Hour and minutes are displayed on a sub-dial rimmed with mother-ofpearl, a nod to shirt buttons. It’s powered by a mechanical manualwinding movement with a power reserve of 40 hours.

This new version of the thinnest watch in the Saxonia family comes with a subtly reworked silver dial, with its baton-style hour markers in solid gold extended and moved closer to the bezel. It comes in a pink and white gold case that is either 37 or 40 mm in diameter, but with an uniform thickness of 5.9 mm. It’s powered by a manually wound movement which is only 2.9 mm in height and has a power reserve of 72 hours.

This limited edition (100 pieces), ultrathin Tourbillon comes in a 40 mm, 18K pink gold case that is 9.85 mm thick. The automatic movement, with a 60-second see-through Tourbillon, has a power reserve of 72 hours.

The signature monobloc hightech ceramic 39.0 x 43.3 case, the sandblasted titanium case back and the stripped down index free dial of these three new watches in the collection come in a monochrome colour palette of pure white, stark black or lustrous plasma. The automatic movement is just 1 mm thick, while the watch itself is only 4.9 mm in height.

This watch, which celebrates the 110th anniversary of the famous brand, comes in a 42 mm, 18K red gold case that is 10.14 mm thick, largely on account of its slim ExoTourbillon automatic movement (4.5 mm height). A red arrow on the Tourbillon cage indicates the seconds and features a practical quick stop-second mechanism. All the functions and operations are set via the crown at 3 o’clock, where a gauge on the dial indicates the setting of the crown: winding, setting of time and quick stop-seconds mechanism. It has a power reserve of 50 hours.

A classically designed watch housed in a 40 mm polished stainless steel case that is 8.3 mm thick. There’s also a variant that’s plated in rose gold. The two are powered by an automatic movement that has a 42-hour power reserve.

Powered by an ultra-thin mechanical selfwinding movement which is just 2.6 mm thick, this watch, in a 39.5 mm rose gold case, is characterized by the elegance of the typography on its white enameled dial. The numerals are designed like geometrical shapes and the hour-markers are drawn in a single stroke, without any counterweights on the ends. The dial surface comprises three different levels: a first circle for the chapter ring, a second central disc and finally a small seconds subdial. The power reserve is 42 hours.

This Hublot collection, launched last year, is now available in a grey titanium case. It comes in four different sizes, powered by three types of movements. The 38 and 42 mm models are driven by a selfwinding mechanical movement, with a 42-hour power reserve. The 33 mm case boasts of a quartz movement, while the 45 mm version, with 3 hands and date, or chronograph with the date at 6 o’clock, houses automatic movements. The mechanical movements have a power reserve of 42 hours.