An ultra slim watch is all the rage, especially for those of us with particularly slim wrists. It may just look like a slightly smaller version of the common wristwatch, but watchmaking technology has traveled quite the distance in order to slim these internal mechanisms, which can easily contain close to a hundred small parts, down to such compact sizes. German engineering has always been a cornerstone in the art of watchmaking, which is why it is no surprise that they introduced the world’s first “portable” mechanical clock as early as the 16th century. These portable clocks were not quite watches, but met the need for a timepiece that could be carried room to room. These smaller clocks, now generically referred to as “German table clocks,” were still pretty weighty and often the size of textbooks, so they weren’t exactly suitable as watches (though it wouldn’t have been much of a stretch considering 16th-century fashion trends.) That’s not to say that this wasn’t a huge step towards modern day watches, and it definitely lead the way for the slimming of mechanical clock mechanisms.
The advance in technology stalled for several years and then snowballed quickly at the end of the 18th century when watches were drastically slimmed down in order to meet the needs of fashion trends at the time, which were quickly moving away from 16th century puffy trousers and ruffled gowns and towards a more “clean cut” design that loosely resembles the modern day business suit. Every original watchmaking mastermind was hard at work producing thinner timepieces than ever before, finally leading way to the “knife pocket watch” by Jaeger-LeCoultre, which only measures up to an incredibly slim 1.38mm high.
Today, the wristwatch is an indispensable part of many daily lives, and the need for an ultra slim watch has not been replaced. Ultra slim watches for men are not unusual, though are a sort of specialty item all their own, so they can be a bit more onerous to find. This is not to understate the obvious need (by those with smaller wrists) and the evident style these ultra slim accessories bring to the table, which is why many of the top brands lend a hand at designing their own “slim” option. Not everyone agrees on what makes a watch “ultra slim,” so for our own purposes we’ve decided to stick with quality wristwatches that measure at or under the 10mm mark. We cyphered through all of the best brands to bring you this list of the 15 best ultra thin watches for men:
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin
While this isn’t the first rendition of the Royal Oak, it has never been done like this. Audemars paired two great things to make them even greater, twisting together titanium and platinum in a tasteful way to provide the sheer look of elegance captured by the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin. This is, of course, the larger of Audemars’ thin collection, but still only measures up to a case thickness of 8.1mm, making it suitable for slimmer wrists. The crystal and case back is glare-proofed sapphire, delicately displaying the smoked blue “Petitte Tapisserie” printed dial. The manual finish gives this watch a rugged exterior, combined with the reliability of AP Selfwinding Manufacture Caliber 2121.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Many modern watches owe a big thank you to Rolex for making luxury watches what they are today, and they didn’t shy from their usual trademark quality with the GMT-Master II. GMT driven watches are a landmark of the past and continue to hold on to their trusted name. Unlike the original rotating bezel, the new design features a solid black face paired with signature Oystersteel to offer corrosion resistance. To add to its durability, the Cyclops magnification watch lens is cut from scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and fastened to a 40mm Oystersteel case for up to 100 meters of water resistance. Because of its rugged capabilities, the GMT-Master II is suitable for any occasion and will hold up to the wear and tear of traveling and everyday use. The professional design is exactly what we expect from Rolex, with an ultra thin band that can be expanded up to 5mm.
CLÉ DE CARTIER
Cartier pulled out all the stops with the Cle de Cartier, which features intelligent self-winding movement paired with a sturdy 18K pink gold case, measuring 40mm, and matching 18K pink gold key. The key is set with a sapphire to match the sapphire crystal case back. To add to this distinguished design, Cartier accented with blued-steel hands shaped as swords and a silvered flinque sunray sheen dial. Classic Roman numeral markings are easy to read and will keep you up to date in style. Of course, a watch this beautiful needs a little security, so its water resistant up to 100 feet. The slim, couture band is cut from alligator skin finished with a double adjustable folding buckle, which is molded from matching 18K gold and is just as suave as it sounds.
Nomos Glashuette Tetra Neomatik
If you’re looking for a watch specifically for up dressing, this incredibly thin modern masterpiece is for you. Measuring in at an incredibly thin 7.3mm, the Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan remborde watch strap is durable and host a simple NOMOS winged clasp for adjustments. This beautiful, black leather perfectly accents the Neomatik’s sharp, square face and leaves room for the focus to be set on the elegant, dainty numerals and rhodium plated watch hands. A brilliant midnight blue, offset with green and orange accents, adds a fresh, but quiet burst of color to an otherwise monochrome timepiece. The automatic caliber DUW 3001 movement holds up to a 43-hour power reserve. All this detail is housed in a stainless steel case fitted with a sapphire crystal glass lens, offering water resistance up to 30 meters, though this watch is easily more suited for a business trip or Sunday brunch.
Drive de Cartier
This is the second rendition of this unique timepiece, replacing the original gold case with a modern and sleek stainless steel, but sticking with the rounded edges for this square watch face. Cartier also amped up this watch with their personal redesigned version of the Piaget 430P caliber movement, which requires no manual winding. The case itself is super slim, measuring up to 6.6mm to match the trim alligator skin strap in a low profile, black semi-matte color. What really matters is the fine details, like the minimalist roman numerals displayed under a silver flinque dial crafted from sapphire crystal for durability and water resistance up to 30 meters. Cartier added a calendar aperture at the 3 o’clock mark, which only adds to the ingenious functionality of the timeless accessory. With it’s cool, crisp tones and modern appeal, the Drive de Cartier speaks business but is equally flattering for any occasion.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin
Jaeger-LeCoultre did something special when they released their Master collection, bringing a whole new look to the world of business. The Master Ultra Thin makes this sound style and premium quality perfect for a slimmer wrist. A stainless steel case with rhodium plated hour markers and a silvered dial pair elegantly with the solid black, leather strap and provide a minimal effect that matches any attire. Jaeger-LeCoultre knows a watch this great should be protected, so it’s designed to be water resistant up to 5 bar, or over 150 feet. This ultra thin option from the Master Collection will easily be the most impressive piece of your daily wardrobe.
C5 Malvern 595
Measuring in at just under 6mm wide, the C5 Malvern 595 combines an ultra thin, sleek aesthetic with a price that’s just too great to pass up. Although it is one of the more affordable thin watches on the market, Christopher Ward ensures each and every piece is packed with the same premium quality. The C5 Malvern 595 gives you a hand wound masterpiece finished with a few delicate, but elegant features, like a domed dial with an opaline finish topped with a double-curved sapphire crystal lens and a gorgeous see-through case back that lets you see the inner workings of this wristwatch. Of course, you get all the style you’d expect from Christopher Ward with two different leather wristbands to choose from.
Chopard’s L.U.C XP
Chopard put a unique touch on this ultra thin L.U.C. XP by choosing a special finishing technique that includes vertical brushing, giving all the hardware a “raw metal” aesthetic. The automatic movement mechanism measures up to just 3.3mm, giving way for a super small case at only 7.2mm. Of course, all these compact mechanics are fashionably accented with a thin fabric strap of blue cashmere, complete with a sturdy alligator leather backing and delicate matching buckle. The L.U.C. XP is the ultimate everyday watch with just enough class to accent any style.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra-fine 1955
Although it has recently been beat out of its title as the thinnest mechanical watch in the world, the Historiques Ultra Fine 1955 still packs magnificent class into a slim, stylish accessory. In-house mechanical movement gets its kick from the Caliber 1003 hand-winding mechanism, which measures in a an astonishing 1.3mm, allowing Vacheron Constantin to case it inside a total 4.13mm. The case, crown, and gorgeous Ardillion buckle all boast matching 18K pink gold, which offers 3 bar water resistance and elegantly the alligator leather strap, which comes in a stunning solid black with a glossed finish. The transparent case back and gorgeous sapphire crystal lens lets you inside the watch, revealing the crafted mechanics and minimalistic gold hour markers. If you’re looking for straightforward and sleek, this one’s for you.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Manual Watch
Stealing the title of thinnest mechanical watch in the world from Vacheron Constantin, this Altiplano edition is unbelievably thin, even for a manual, wind-up watch. Although appearing quite delicate and seriously luxurious, the Ultimate Manual watch is quite durable, offering water resistance over 100 feet. Don’t let its small size fool you, though, because the expertly crafted 18K white gold case is embellished with 78 diamonds lining the round dial. To finish off an already quintessential watch, Piaget added a stylish, ruched alligator skin band that measures up to a scant 3.65mm.
A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin
Boasting a total case height of only 5.9 mm, the Saxonia Thin is the flattest designed by German mastermind A. Lange & Sohne. With solid white gold case, crown, hands, buckle, and hour marking appliques, this watch is worthy for any occasion. Although small in size, this timepiece has a few fine finishing tricks up its sleeve, like mirror polished end pieces, chamfered and polished springs and screws, and a copper blue dial with a thin layer of goldstone set to resemble stars in the night sky. The premium leather strap lends two color options that are equally as charming, including a midnight blue and a neutral gray.
Baume & Mercier Hampton 10156
Bringing a bit of urban appeal to the table, the Hampton 10156 is a great contender for an ultra thin men’s watch. Baume & Mercier perfectly captured the warmth of urban bustle in the solid gold number appliques but also keeps a cool, classic touch with the polished steel rectangular case. Swiss made self-winding movement will assist you throughout your day while anti-scratch sapphire crystal and case back protect your timepiece as you go. The off-white dial is simple and clean and perfectly contrasts the gold sword-shaped hands. This isn’t our thinnest watch, but at only 10mm it perfectly adorns even the thinnest wrist. A warm, brown alligator skin strap finished with a steel buckle gives the timepiece some final flair.
Junghans Meister Hand-winding
The Meister Hand-winding mechanical watch has a simple aesthetic that dates back to the original model designed in the early 1930’s. Thanks both to the original ingenuity of Junghans’ watchmakers and some improvements to technology in the 1960’s, the Meister collection is equally as elegant as it is reliable. The stainless steel circular case measures up to a slim 7.3mm and houses the quality of a calibre J815.1 movement mechanism. Finished with a matte silver-plated dial and simple hour markers, it leads the game in minimalistic design. A timeless horse skin strap finished with a matching steel buckle stays consistent with the clean-cut look and adjust to securely dress small wrists.
Rado True Thinline
This blacked out timepiece doesn’t live in the shadows. Rado is well known for engineering a high tech ceramic, a spin on other common metals that is equally as resilient with several finishing options. This premium ceramic is forged at great temperatures and polished for a gleaming effect when it hits sunlight. Complete with matching ceramic adjustable bracelet and a sturdy build that is water resistant up to 3 bar, this is the watch that will truly go anywhere. The blank dial and crisp sword-shaped hands keep time with the help of premium Swiss quartz movement, and a clean sapphire crystal provides anti-glare assistance. Available in a sleek, monochrome smoky grey that is suitable both for streetwear tonight and that important board meeting in the morning.
Slim d’Hermes
First released in 2015, this ultra thin accessory is the crossroad between business casual and luxury and is the slimmest of all Hermes’ models. The straightforward lines and lissome silhouette elegantly accent the wide dial and thin number appliques. A second dial seated within the main dial justifies other meticulous details, like a crisp alligator leather band linking a polishes stainless steel case to it matching steel pin buckle. Crafted with the reliability of Swiss made Hermes Manufacture H1950 Movement, this worthy timepiece delivers trusted values and timeless style in one of three neutral colors.