Tourbillon watches are some of the most luxurious timepieces on the market. However, their rarity leaves many people questioning ‘what is a tourbillon?’. These fascinating mechanisms are most often found on high-end and luxurious timepieces. Watches with this mechanism tend to be highly priced due to the incredibly high level of watchmaking expertise required to build each timepiece. Tourbillon watches have been around for decades and have improved exponentially with time. Modern tourbillon watches are ultra-precise and expertly crafted, making them some of the most desirable models on the market.
A Brief History of the Tourbillon
The tourbillon was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795. This was the time that the pocket watch was at the height of its popularity. The movements used in pocket watches often struggled with the effects of gravity due to how they were orientated in the pocket. Breguet’s goal was to create the ultimately precise timepiece by avoiding the effects of gravity.
The complication gets its name from the French ‘tourbillon’ meaning ‘whirlwind’, in reference to the motions of the complication. The original design was patented by Breguet in 1801. This set a new precedent for precision in timepieces, forcing other watchmakers to follow in his footsteps. Over the years, new iterations of the tourbillon have been created. This has included the multi-axis, triple axis and double axis designs which all bring their own benefits to a timepiece. Today, tourbillons are not quite as necessary as they once were as modern movements are designed to combat the negative effects of gravity. In modern watchmaking, tourbillons are a beautiful mechanism that exhibits true watchmaking skills.
What is a Tourbillon and How Does it Work?
A tourbillon is a mechanical complication that is found in the movements of some high-end watches. It counters the drag effects that gravity has on the smaller components in the escapement of a watch. When held in certain positions, gravity prevents the easy movement of several parts of a watch’s movement. This can slow the rotations of the components and lead to the watch falling out of time. A tourbillon works by placing the balance wheel and the escapement of a watch in a rotating cage. The cage is slowly rotated, often at a rate of one rotation per minute. This counteracts the effects of gravity and will reduce any positional errors of accuracy. The precision and knowledge required to build this complication mean that watches with tourbillons can be very expensive. They are often collector’s items that are owned by very committed watch enthusiasts.
What are your thoughts on tourbillon movements? Would you consider adding one of these impressive timepieces to your collection? Let us know in the comments!
