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<p>From a 1988 Royal Oak in yellow gold to a 2015 limited edition chronograph made  for the 17th Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, here's our selection of some incredible APs you won’t want to miss </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The holiday season is knocking on the door, which brings friends, family and festivities together - and of course gifts. In this installment of 'Buyer's Guide', we explore various Audemars Piguet watches under USD 100K to help you select a very special gift for a loved one, or perhaps for yourself. While some Royal Oaks here may take you back in time, a few on the list proudly represent the watchmaker's contemporary design philosophy. The list includes the elegance of gold cases, the shimmer of a diamond dial and the energy of orange accents on a blue watch face, so let's explore:</p>

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<h3>Royal Oak Chronograph QE II Cup 2015<br />
Ref. 26327TI.OO.D004CA.01</h3>
<a data-image-style="blog_inline_image" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-chronograph-qe-ii-cup-2015-w00407ivwap000"><img alt="Royal Oak Chronograph QE II Cup 2015 Ref. 26327TI.OO.D004CA.01" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d72151fa-d443-4ba2-823b-74cd25c66cb7" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP ROC %23407_033.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A watch made in collaboration with The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for the 17th Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Cup, this limited edition chronograph comes packed in a 41mm titanium case. It instantly grabs your attention with its splendiferous silver-toned dial with the Grande Tapisserie pattern. The&nbsp;watch utilizes its gray ruthenium counters and subtle contrasts, not to mention the attractive subdials,&nbsp;which contribute to a dashing monochromatic look. When the two-tone gray dial come together&nbsp;with the case and the gray rubber strap, it results in a thoughtful design that is perhaps one of the most alluring compositions in the Royal Oak collection.<br />
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This Royal Oak, released in 2015, is limited to 200 pieces and features a caseback engraved with the legend 'QE II CUP 2015 Limited Edition'. Its tri-compax layout with the date window at 4.30 quickly reminds you of some Royal Oaks that were released at the beginning of 2022 to celebrate the Royal Oak's 50th anniversary. Its beautiful dial also shows white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. The case offers a water resistance of 50 meters, which houses a selfwinding engine - the Calibre 2385, making 21,600 vibrations per hour and delivering a power reserve of around 40 hours.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD 72,613<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-chronograph-qe-ii-cup-2015-w00407ivwap000">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Royal Oak Chronograph<br />
Ref. 26300ST.OO.1110ST.07</h3>
<a data-image-style="" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-chronograph-ref-26300st-w00510joyap000"><img alt="Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 26300ST.OO.1110ST.07" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d74ad07-bd5a-4a9c-a1c0-77945dc1e87a" data-image-style="" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP %23192 %23403 %23490 %23597 %23607_048.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is one of those Royal Oaks&nbsp;that offers all the design motifs, which make this&nbsp;collection irresistible -&nbsp;be it the integrated bracelet featuring the AP logo-style clasp design or its blue dial with the Royal Oak's signature Grande Tapisserie pattern. The Royal Oak family has many blue dial watches, some that look gorgeous with a pink gold case or the perpetual calendar that is entirely blue (the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ref. 26579CS.OO.1225CS.01), but this chronograph finds its charm in the blue watch face that graciously meets the white subdial rings, gold applied hour-markers, Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating and orange chronograph hands and accents.<br />
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Paired with a stainless steel bracelet with an AP folding clasp, the watch finds its home inside a 39mm steel case which is water resistant to 100 meters. Powering this high-spirited timepiece, released a decade ago, is the selfwinding Calibre 2386, delivering a power reserve of around 40 hours. If the orange here complements&nbsp;your style, then this Royal Oak also offers an orange Arabic numeral 60-second chronograph scale around the blue perimeter rehaut.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD 63,696<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-chronograph-ref-26300st-w00510joyap000">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Royal Oak Selfwinding<br />
Ref. 15400OR.OO.D088CR.01</h3>
<a data-image-style="" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-rose-gold-w00403zlkap000"><img alt="Royal Oak Selfwinding Ref. 15400OR.OO.D088CR.01" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6f3ff6c1-4dd5-42fb-8c43-ea07d35821d7" data-image-style="" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP %23192 %23403 %23490 %23597 %23607_040.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>An incredibly refined and sophisticated selfwinding timepiece, this Royal Oak features an 18k&nbsp;rose gold case that finds its contrast in the white tapisserie dial and a hand-stitched black alligator leather strap. The poise of this dress watch is also evident in its pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, along with a restrained date window at 3 o'clock.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The watch, which was introduced in 2012 and was produced until 2019, has a fixed octagonal bezel and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, along with a see-through caseback that offers a view of its engine. The 41mm timepiece is functioning on the Calibre 3120 movement and oscillating at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 vph). The 4.26mm-thick movement with a date functionality has a total diameter of 26.6mm and generates a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. This timepiece also offers a water resistance of upto 50 meters.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD&nbsp;63,696<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-rose-gold-w00403zlkap000">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Royal Oak<br />
Ref. 14700BA</h3>
<a data-image-style="" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/mid-size-royal-oak-yellow-gold-selfwinding"><img alt="Royal Oak Ref. 14700BA" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3dfdb25-dd97-4526-9285-21daff877a8e" data-image-style="" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP %23192 %23403 %23490 %23597 %23607_061.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Royal Oak Ref. 14700BA in yellow gold is a compact version of the original Royal Oak Ref. 5402 that was released in the 1970s. This iteration was launched in limited numbers in the 1990s and wears an 18k&nbsp;yellow gold case that features the Royal Oak's signature octagonal-shaped bezel and a tapisserie dial. This old timer remains relevant in the present times, thanks to the simplicity of its design and functions. Along with the hours and minutes, the watch face also shows a date aperture at 3 o'clock.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It is an uncluttered timepiece that comes housed in a 36mm case and is powered by the Calibre 2225 self winding movement. The engine, which has a diameter of 26.6mm and a thickness of 3.25mm, oscillates at a frequency of 4Hz, making 28,800 vibrations per hour. The bi-directional self winding movement with 36 jewels delivers a power reserve of around 40 hours.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD 53,504<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/mid-size-royal-oak-yellow-gold-selfwinding">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Royal Oak Yellow Gold Diamond<br />
Ref. 14486BA.OO.0477BA.02.A</h3>
<a data-image-style="blog_inline_image" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-yellow-gold-diamonds-w00607c00182ap000"><img alt="Royal Oak Yellow Gold Diamond Ref. 14486BA.OO.0477BA.02.A" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3c1d91fe-a189-4aa5-add5-abb86611a565" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP %23192 %23403 %23490 %23597 %23607_054.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sixteen years after the Royal Oak was launched, Royal Oak Ref. 14486BA.OO.0477BA.02.A was born. This handsome timepiece released in 1988 has a 36mm yellow gold case that features a screw-down crown and a gold dial with diamond indexes. The tapisserie pattern of the dial adds to the overall elegance of this timepiece that runs on the automatic Calibre 2131 movement.<br />
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The streamlined shape of the case perfectly matches the Audemars Piguet bracelet with a folding clasp. While at 12 o'clock is the AP logo, the date window appears at 3 o'clock. The movement, comprising 24 jewels, offers a power reserve of around 38 hours and the timepiece is water resistant up to 50 meters.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD 50,701<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-yellow-gold-diamonds-w00607c00182ap000">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Royal Oak Quantieme Annual<br />
Ref. 25920ST.O.0789ST/02</h3>
<a data-image-style="blog_inline_image" href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-mid-size-annual-calendar-w00597c00002ap000"><img alt="Royal Oak Quantieme Annual Ref. 25920ST.O.0789ST/02" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8c455990-5185-41d6-a28c-402580097b82" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/182/AP %23192 %23403 %23490 %23597 %23607_032.jpg" width="1568" /></a>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Annuel Ref. 25920ST.O.0789ST/02, which is French for the annual calendar, was produced in limited numbers in the early 2000s. Its distinct design has excited several watch collectors and enthusiasts, courtesy its dial implementation with a recessed off-center subdial at 5 o'clock to display months. The blue dial, which remains a classic choice, indicates days on the center ring, adding to the aesthetic remarkability of the piece.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
This Royal Oak is an inventive, robust timepiece that has been housed in a 36mm stainless steel case and flanked by a stainless steel bracelet. The steel aesthetic of the watch brilliantly complements the blue tapisserie dial with a brushed finish. The outer part of the dial too flaunts a sunburst finish. Water resistant up to 50 meters, this clever Royal Oak iteration is powered by the self winding Caliber 2224/2814 movement that achieves a power reserve of around 38 hours.</p>

<p><strong>Asking price:</strong> USD 50,956<br />
<a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet/royal-oak-mid-size-annual-calendar-w00597c00002ap000">Available now on Wristcheck.</a></p>

Our Favorite Audemars Piguet Watches Under USD 100K

<p>What’s encouraging brands to spend countless hours and millions of dollars tic-tac-toeing for the title of 'world's thinnest watch' over the last few years? Here’s what we found out</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Luxury watches might not be the first place you go when you're looking for a fiercely fought, multi-year grudge match that pushes the realms of possibility, but that's precisely what's taking place in the normally placid factories and workshops of highly regarded Swiss brands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We're in the middle of a battle over shavings of space. At the top of the pack, each millimeter of thickness costs roughly one million dollars. The main contestants in this ultra-thin arena are the legacy champions, Piaget, the challengers, Bulgari and the surprise contenders Richard Mille. Of course, there are other players — Jaeger-LeCoultre and Audemars Piguet make excellent slender calibres, but the first three marques have, over the last few years, staked their claims to the 'thinnest'.</p>

<p>Even though these watches might just tell the time (though some can do a whole lot more), it's worth noting that watchmakers consider making something ultra-thin a complication in its own right, as every saving is the result of new technologies and ingenious engineering solutions. In this arena, the calibre defines the watch.</p>
<img alt="RM UP-01" data-caption="Richard Mille and Ferrari's RM UP-01 is the world's thinnest watch measuring 1.75 millimeters&amp;nbsp;©Richard Mille" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec229c3f-3da1-49b0-b1d8-db910d92da1a" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Edit%2520Ultra-Thin.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Historically, the sleekness of a dress watch, or the petite profile of a woman's watch were enhanced by the thinner, smaller movement. In a time before quartz technology, this fundamental capability affected the type of watches you could make.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The original batch of ultra-thin watches, popularized in the 1950s and 60s were developed as a technical solution to a desired aesthetic, a slimmer movement meant a more elegant timepiece.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Today, the situation is a little different. Thanks to quartz, the traditional constraints around the size and thickness of a movement have disappeared. So why are we seeing this three-way race to the razor's edge? In short—competition, bragging rights and a side serve of technological progress.</p>

<p>How do these watches fare in the real world, Asher Rapkin, co-founder of watch community Collective Horology thinks they serve a dual purpose: "Personally, I’m attracted to watches that have a point of view. &nbsp;That can come to life through aesthetics, through technical innovation, or both. &nbsp;The concept of ultra-thin watches is a fun one: it’s the exploration of a superior solution to a problem that no one really has. &nbsp;It’s also a way of exploring the ideas of accuracy and precision in a watch beyond functional timekeeping. &nbsp;So, depending on how one collects, I definitely think there’s a meaningful place for ultra-thin watchmaking outside of the 'record-breaking' narrative."</p>

<p>Shaving fractions of a millimeter off a watch is a demonstration of credibility and capability — far more so than the goal of creating a watch that slips under the cuff. Some brands are fighting battles over accuracy, complexity or whatever. But at the moment, Piaget, Bulgari and Richard Mille are in a three-way tussle for the title slim king.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Piaget</h3>

<p>Piaget are the incumbent rulers of ultra-thin watches, first definitively claiming the title back in 1957 with the legendary calibre 9P. This hand-wound movement measured in at 2mm thin and set the benchmark for thin watches for decades to come. In 1960, they released the 12P, which measured 2.3mm, but had the very real benefit of being automatic, powered by a space-saving micro-rotor.</p>
<img alt="9P 12P 900P" data-caption="Piaget's slender calibres 9P, 12P and 900P (clockwise)&amp;nbsp;©Piaget" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9d158324-4f05-4338-98ff-e14d039058d3" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Edit%2520Ultra-Thin%2520%25281%2529.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>With these two calibres at their disposal, Piaget achieved some truly remarkable feats — and slender watches were just the beginning. Space saved inside the case allowed the brand to get creative with dials, specifically dials crafted from hard and semi-precious stones. Coral, Onyx, Lapis Lazuli and beyond — these rare and colorful minerals quickly became a real calling card of Piaget, and their slender calibres allowed them to achieve it.</p>

<p>More recently, Piaget has expanded on their ultra-thin legacy. In 2013, they debuted the 900P, which saw the cased watch measure in at a mere 3.65mm thin, while still offering a solid 40 hours of power reserve. Piaget achieved this by integrating all the casing elements into the mechanism—the caseback serves as the baseplate of the movement, and the hands sit below the main bridges to allow a closer fit for the crystal.</p>
<img alt="Altiplano Ultimate 910P" data-caption="The Altiplano Ultimate 910P, a 4.30mm automatic which reclaimed the 'world's thinnest' crown from Bulgari in 2017 ©Piaget" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b61d01bf-bc0b-4dc3-8eec-152f33851792" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Altiplano%2520Ultimate%2520910P.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This achievement was followed by the Altiplano Ultimate 910P in 2017, a 4.30mm automatic which reclaimed the 'world's thinnest' crown from Bulgari (more on that shortly). In 2018, they doubled down with the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Watch, which dramatically improved on previous attempts, coming in at 2mm — including the case. In 2020, this concept watch became — almost unbelievably — a commercial reality. To prevent the watch from snapping on your wrist, the case is made from cobalt alloy, which ensures a wearable degree of rigidity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From 2020 until 2022, this expression of Piaget's slender prowess stood tall, until Bulgari snatched the crown.</p>
<img alt="Altiplano Ultimate Concept Watch" data-caption="Piaget's 2018 Altiplano Ultimate Concept Watch measured 2mm in thickness including its case&amp;nbsp; ©Piaget" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="addb78ed-fecf-4058-a756-612924aa3a0a" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Altiplano%2520Ultimate%2520Concept%2520Watch.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Bulgari</h3>

<p>As a brand, Bulgari doesn't have a long history in thin watchmaking, in fact, they are relative newcomers to the watch space, but they've been making up for lost time, rapidly establishing themselves as masters in the space, providing the contemporary counterpoint to Piaget's classism. This journey started in 2014 with the Octo Finissimo collection, a modernist masterpiece of slender watches. It debuted with a 1.95mm thick tourbillon movement, followed in 2016 by the thinnest minute repeater, with a movement measuring 3.12mm, and a cased thickness of 6.85mm. The collection went mainstream in 2017 with the automatic version, which, for a while, was the thinnest auto on the market at 5.15mm, and a 2.23mm calibre. In 2018, the brand broke its own tourbillon record with a 3.95mm thick automatic tourbillon. In 2019, they decided to casually release an automatic chronograph (and GMT) calibre that measures 3.3mm. In 2020, they combined slender tourbillon and chronograph in a skeletonized movement that clocked in at 3.5mm. In 2021, they added even more complexity with a perpetual calendar calibre that is only 2.75mm thick, and 5.00mm cased.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="Bulgari full saga" data-caption="Bulgari's Octo lineup over the years, starting from the 2014 Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Manual to the 2020 Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic (left to right) ©Bulgari" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6f0e3f36-df77-4d55-8e91-3af44185aedc" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Bulgari%25202022_Octo%2520Finissimo%2520Ultra_Full%2520Saga%2520shot_02.jpg" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In less than a decade, Bulgari has amassed, in a seemingly effortless manner, one of the most comprehensive collections of ultra-thin mechanisms. Not just a single watch, but a dazzling array of complications. On its own, thin watchmaking is hard, but to integrate chronographs, minute repeaters and the rest into the array — that's stunning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="Octo Finissimo Ultra" data-caption="Powered by a mechanical manufacture ultra-thin movement, the Octo Finissimo Ultra measures just 1.80 mm thin&amp;nbsp; ©Bulgari" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="42d3020d-47c8-4076-ab5e-bee6c67471f1" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/11_2.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since 2014, the Octo has claimed eight records, and the most recent being the Octo Finissimo Ultra, which edged Piaget's contender off top billing by .20 of a millimeter. Bulgari achieved this by integrating the movement into the case, which is made from titanium and tungsten carbide. To save space Bulgari has sacrificed a traditional crown, using knurled wheels for winding and setting. The escapement has also been pared back in the name of the economy of space.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="bulgari" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3941ba17-3f17-4bbb-b32d-69bd0ed8fdd7" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/12_2.png" width="1568" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bulgari and Piaget have spent countless hours and millions of dollars tic-tac-toeing for the title of 'world's thinnest watch' over the last few years, each honing their craft, and advancing the craft along the way. So it must have come as a great surprise when Richard Mille blew them both out of the water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>New York Based visual artist and collector Phillip Toledano credits Bulgari for energizing the space; “Besides loving the way the collection looks, the Octo Finissimo started a war that no one knew we needed. It's similar to hypercars, someone always needs to be faster. Or in this case thinner. Of course, Richard Mille couldn't resist the unspoken challenge.” Which brings us to the most recent entry into this exclusive club.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XQqOHweMHOs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Richard Mille</h3>

<p>In July 2022, Richard Mille left both Bulgari and Piaget in the dust, with its surprise debut into the world of ultra-thin watches, the UP-01 Fighting for the Last Hundredths. True to its name, it shaves .05mm off the total width of Bulgari's champ, and is 2.5mm slimmer than Piaget's best.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="UP-01" data-caption="A result of many years of work, dozens of prototypes and more than 6,000 hours of development and laboratory testing, the RM UP-01 Ferrari's movement measures just 1.18 mm thick ©Richard Mille" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="52d6b569-c8a1-4561-aa1a-eb65c6a5de37" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/157/Edit%2520Ultra-Thin%2520%25282%2529.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Richard Mille has strong form when it comes to technical watchmaking — ultra-light cases, cutting-edge materials, shock-resistant tourbillons. You name it, Richard Mille has mastered it. Now they can add the world's thinnest watch to their list of achievements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The most remarkable part of Richard Mille's new record breaker isn't it's literally wafer-thin nature, it's the fact that, unlike the other watches we've discussed, the calibre is completely separate and can be removed from the case. Richard Mille is revered for their technical prowess, and their seemingly painless mastery of the ultra-thin discipline proves that the reverence is deserved.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/66nOtRzrwSg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>As a category, mechanical ultra-thin watches have existed for the last 60 or so years. For 50 of those years, the conversation was dominated not just by a few makers, but by a few movements. The last 10 years has seen an explosion of activity. A dynamic and ongoing contest between the legacy masters Piaget, and the determined newcomer Bulgari has massively committed to an entire suite of thin complications. Richard Mille has just emerged—out of nowhere—to claim the prize. The 9P's long-standing record of 2mm has been repeatedly smashed, not just for calibres, but for cased-up watches. Every year or two, we're seeing a further reduction in scale, and brands are working harder and harder to shave of fractions of a millimeter wherever they can. It's not a question of if someone will better Richard Mille's effort; it's a question of who, and when.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first wave of ultra-thin watches were made to serve style. The current batch is made to break records and advance technology. Regardless of whether or not these hyper-expensive hyper-watches are practical or not, it's safe to say this is the most exciting battle in horology right now.&nbsp;</p>


 Ultra-Thin Watches: Race To The Razor's Edge

It's The Best Time To Buy Watches

Less Is More: How Scarcity is Driving Growth for Swiss Watch Industry

<p>All set to embrace the whole new era of virtual editions, luxury watch brands are fixated on using NFTs for authentication rather than building a mission-driven social network for enthusiasts</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the context of the watch industry, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are almost always discussed as a way of authenticating timepieces. More and more of us in the watch community are familiar with these loose ideas. The story goes, NFTs will act as a unique identifier, digitally issued and coupled to physical timepieces, all stored in a decentralized database. This will allow the entire watch industry, brands as well as their customers, to get a transparent insight into how many times a given watch was sold, for what prices, and that each timepiece’s origin is connected to the manufacturer. While some brands and high profile individuals like Hublot, Jacob &amp; Co, Jean Claude Biver, have minted NFTs representing “digital twins” of timepieces, this kind of NFT hasn’t stuck much in the community, at least as of now.</p>

<p>In theory, it’s a wonderful idea. It cuts down fraud, brings transparency to the opaque secondary market, and will make many of us more comfortable buying watches. There are a lot of uncertainties with the specifics though. Will brands issue NFTs? How will it actually operate in a decentralized manner, for instance, will it ensure that the “blockchain” isn’t owned and controlled wholly by a single company? Is it multiple blockchains across brands, as we see across different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum? Most importantly, who will operate the blockchain network and what are the incentives for those who do? These are major questions around blockchain authentication that will have to be sorted out in order for this vision to come true in the watch industry.</p>

<p>While authentication is incredibly practical, this application bears none of the markers of other successful NFT projects. It’s not social. It’s not community-oriented. In today’s world, the most successful NFTs are mission-driven social networks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="NFT" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16330523-a42a-42ed-b714-2596e889f868" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/96/2300x1533 - NFT - Watermark.jpg" width="1568" /></p>

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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNC2sGQjqI_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by WRISTCHECK (@wristcheck)</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>So What Makes An&nbsp;NFT&nbsp;Successful?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>

<p>First, it’s important to note that I dipped my toes into the water of crypto and NFTs around nine months ago. I was always either skeptical or disinterested, but after years of hearing about it from friends in the tech industry, I began with some simplified reading and following crypto and NFT profiles on Twitter. I was trying to simply see what everyone else is so hype about. Now, I’m technically an “insider.” and it was my experience with Jenkins the Valet that made me see NFTs as a different kind of social network more than anything else.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.jenkinsthevalet.com/">Jenkins the Valet</a> is an NFT project, which is focused on creating the first decentralized media company. With a total of 6,942 NFTs, members use their NFTs to vote on the creative direction of ongoing projects, the first of which is a full-length fictional novel, written by New York Times best-selling author, Neil Strauss, and represented by the global talent powerhouse, Creative Artist Agency. Around this basic question – how to coordinate creative projects across large communities – Jenkins the Valet built an intuitive voting portal, a seamless licensing program where members can lend their avatars to the book for a share of profits, while leadership keeps a steady flow of updates moving through their communication channels. So what makes this project so successful?&nbsp;</p>

<h4><br />
Image, Community, Mission – The Origins of Strong Social Bonds</h4>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Images, art and community memberships have gone hand-in-hand for ages. Whether it’s the image of Che Guevara plastered on t-shirts in the pre-internet era, religious iconography, or modern NFT projects, communities are galvanized around images. These images represented a larger mission and shared values – projects that thrive, create feedback loops that create stronger and stronger communal bonds and bolster the value of images. Every successful NFT project fosters community through set icons, mantras, rituals, inside jokes, regular meeting places, values, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When everyone in Jenkins the Valet got behind the initial idea of communal creative writing, strong social bonds didn’t happen overnight. It’s difficult to pinpoint a single event that created the most cohesion in the community but one is certainly the archetypal us vs. them moment. It occurred when the leaders of the project were shot down by a big literary agent while hunting for an author to write the first Jenkins book.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We are book people” became a battle cry for the community. It’s now plastered on merchandise, hash-tagged on social media, and now serves as one of the seminal moments in Jenkins community formation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="NFT" data-caption="Jenkins the Valet’s community rallying moment on Twitter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="62bbb14c-9c9b-4e2e-ac87-5e70c2494f0b" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/96/Screenshot%25202022-02-15%2520at%25203.50.53%2520PM.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h4>Going Beyond The Usual Social Media Platform</h4>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>With NFT projects, there is a level of interactivity that far exceeds traditional social media. With Jenkins, members of the community can vote, license characters, tune into weekly community roundtables and updates, listen to interviews the author conducts for world-building purposes, and the list goes on and on. Other successful NFT projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club have created NFT-themed video games, community-wide gaming competitions for prizes, and blowout parties in NYC and Miami for NFT holders. It’s a mixture of online and offline activities that drive NFT holders to stay focused on accomplishing their missions – it’s much more structured than your average watch community Instagram feed or quarterly watch meet up. And these new behaviors are being driven by new business models in crypto.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<h4>NFTs Incentivize&nbsp;Communal Behavior Better Than Social Media&nbsp;</h4>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Austen Chu, an NFT collector and founder of Wristcheck, says that NFT communities are far more accessible and less intimidating than the watch community on Instagram. “Instagram incentivizes rarity and high value timepiecess. That’s what gets the most engagement every single time. If you are a collector with a modest collection, it is very difficult to thrive on Instagram.” It’s not strictly about what you own and how many likes you get. Communicating as a community is effectively non-existent on Instagram. Platforms like Discord, the go-to comms platform for NFT projects, make it much easier to keep dialogue on the surface for the whole community’s benefit. Public channels can be divided by topic and even language group, cutting down on how much discussion happens over private messages. With a built-in audio function, it straddles the line between instant messaging, an old-school forum and Clubhouse. You can participate in written dialogue and debate, tune into broadcasted project updates, or jump into a breakout room to chat with fellow community members.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though the technology has changed, most of this won’t seem too foreign to veteran watch collectors – online forums like The Purists Pro were the status quo before the rise of Instagram. While the rise and fall of the watch forums call for an entirely different article, watch brands should return to encouraging that type of dialogue where discussions were deep, thinking was slow, and engagement with watches meant more than a certain number of likes. There are ways to stimulate this through incentives as well.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="NFT" data-caption="Jenkins the Valet’s Discord server with ~12k members and 25+ channels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bbb94d2-4968-4f82-a3ad-672ba3af01d9" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/96/final.png" width="1568" />
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>“None Of It Is Foreign To Us”</h3>

<p>While play-to-earn might be a new idea for the watch community, collectors like<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuXFaluyvr/"> NYCWatchGuy </a>see a lot of overlap between the watch community and NFT communities. As he mentioned, “fundamentally, the social capital that someone gets from posting a wrist pic of a watch on the ‘gram’ is very similar to when someone changes their profile pic to a Bored Ape or any other high profile NFT project. Both are social signals that you’re a part of this bigger, often exclusive thing. That’s why the social and communal aspects of NFTs should plug really well into our community – none of it is foreign to us.”</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuXFaluyvr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by WRISTCHECK (@wristcheck)</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On a personal level, my sense is that NFTs can create new ways of organizing the watch community, just as Jenkins the Valet has organized new ways of working collectively on creative writing projects. That means, creating online watch communities where most of our “culture” isn’t found in private messages and our cultural rituals online are restricted to liking and commenting emojis on Instagram posts. One way or the other, NFTs are on the cutting edge of online community building, and the entire watch industry should be taking close note.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


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