Apple hires watchmaker to help design next, even thinner MacBook Air

Apple's next-gen MacBook Air will arrive as an 11.6-inch device, but the feats of engineering required to get it thinner than the already-thin MacBook Air we all know and love have seen the company hire another watchmaker, according to our friends over at MobileGeek.

MobileGeek's sources in the supply industry claim that Apple's next MacBook Air will be "even thinner, lighter, and above all more compact". According to people familiar with the matter, Apple has hired an extra watchmaker for the development of the new MBA. The watchmaker has the experience in working with highly complex, and very small components.

What Apple wants to see, is an 11.6-inch MacBook Air released, but on the dimensions of the classic 10.1-inch netbook form factor. If there's a company that can get the engineering and design right, it's Apple. It should be quite the small notebook when released later this year.