There only have been a few threads in these forums dedicated to very thin pocket watches, most notably Thinnest possible movements?. None of these threads solicited collectors to post photos of their thinnest pocket watches (even if they are not all that thin). That's what I am hoping many readers will do in this thread. Please include thickness measurements if you have them handy (I don't for most of my watches).
To get things started, here are two photos comparing a range of some of the thinnest watches in my collection, in order of relative thinness, starting with thinnest (1) below.
Top row, left to right: (1) platinum & diamond Cartier (shown below), (2) platinum, 18k & enamel Verger-cased unsigned movement by Louis-Elisee Piguet (or a successor) with two Geneva seals, (3) platinum, enamel & diamond Verger-cased V&C, (4) 18k or platinum & enamel unsigned watch with two Geneva seals, (5) 18k V&C.
Bottom row, left to right: (6) 18k & platinum Touchon, (7) 14k Cress Arrow-case C.H. Meylan, Type A in my classification system, (8) 18k & enamel Cress Arrow-cased C.H. Meylan, Type N in my classification system, (9) 14k Illinois, Grade 438, (10) platinum Waltham Maximus A
I think the thinnest watch presently in my collection is the Cartier (watch (1) above), which is 3mm thick, cased.
I understand that V&C made an even thinner pocket watch movement, but they are quite uncommon and I have not been able to acquire one.
Audemars Piguet also made some very thin pocket watches. I used to have one that was about as thin as the Cartier. The photo below shows that watch (bottom right), the Cartier (bottom left), and a stack of two quarters, showing how thick those watches are. Behind the quarters is another very thin watch (I forget which), but it is a thick watch compared to the Cartier and the Audemars.
I no longer have the Audemars because it was not in good running order when I bought it and it proved to be unrepairable. Even Audemars Piguet could not repair it. That sad tale reveals the unhappy side of very thin pocket watches: They are quite fragile. Mainsprings are hard or impossible to find for them. I obviously am attracted to very thin pocket watches, but I am trying to resist buying any more of them, since they are a headache to own. For example, in the 16 years I have owned the Cartier, it has had to be professionally overhauled three times even though it resides in my safety deposit box and only gets wound a few times a year.
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To get things started, here are two photos comparing a range of some of the thinnest watches in my collection, in order of relative thinness, starting with thinnest (1) below.


Top row, left to right: (1) platinum & diamond Cartier (shown below), (2) platinum, 18k & enamel Verger-cased unsigned movement by Louis-Elisee Piguet (or a successor) with two Geneva seals, (3) platinum, enamel & diamond Verger-cased V&C, (4) 18k or platinum & enamel unsigned watch with two Geneva seals, (5) 18k V&C.
Bottom row, left to right: (6) 18k & platinum Touchon, (7) 14k Cress Arrow-case C.H. Meylan, Type A in my classification system, (8) 18k & enamel Cress Arrow-cased C.H. Meylan, Type N in my classification system, (9) 14k Illinois, Grade 438, (10) platinum Waltham Maximus A
I think the thinnest watch presently in my collection is the Cartier (watch (1) above), which is 3mm thick, cased.




I understand that V&C made an even thinner pocket watch movement, but they are quite uncommon and I have not been able to acquire one.
Audemars Piguet also made some very thin pocket watches. I used to have one that was about as thin as the Cartier. The photo below shows that watch (bottom right), the Cartier (bottom left), and a stack of two quarters, showing how thick those watches are. Behind the quarters is another very thin watch (I forget which), but it is a thick watch compared to the Cartier and the Audemars.

I no longer have the Audemars because it was not in good running order when I bought it and it proved to be unrepairable. Even Audemars Piguet could not repair it. That sad tale reveals the unhappy side of very thin pocket watches: They are quite fragile. Mainsprings are hard or impossible to find for them. I obviously am attracted to very thin pocket watches, but I am trying to resist buying any more of them, since they are a headache to own. For example, in the 16 years I have owned the Cartier, it has had to be professionally overhauled three times even though it resides in my safety deposit box and only gets wound a few times a year.
View attachment 618867 View attachment 618868 View attachment 618869 View attachment 618876
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