2,244 articles · 2 videos found · page 36 of 75
Alfred Helwig's 1920 tourbillon variant with no upper bridge; the entire cage is visible.
Breguet's 1801 rotating-cage escapement, explained.
A quartet of new releases, one returning collector favorite, and a date that matters more than most anniversaries in watchmaking.
42.8 mm × 11.4 mm, lug 22 mm, Cal. R 27 HU
Quill & Pad
The cover of the Hermès Arceau Pocket Aaaaargh! pocket watch is like looking through a keyhole in a door opening into a 'Jurassic Park' movie. The ferocious dinosaur on the cover of this artful, limited edition pocket watch is fairly lifelike, both in the way it is portrayed and because it is made of leather. And the watch features a flying tourbillon and minute repeater!
Quill & Pad
All the delicious details of this mechanical birthday cake of horology base upon the concept of acoustic resonance: Vianney Halter's Deep Space Resonance comprises a triple-axis tourbillon paired with resonating balance wheels and a far-out look. Joshua Munchow digs into the nitty-gritty of this brand-new timepiece by the independent watchmaker and reports back from somewhere in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.
Quill & Pad
GaryG has long wanted to meet and learn from independent horologist David Walter. He had the opportunity to spend some time with him in his California workshop, soaking in a tiny fraction of his deep knowledge of clockmaking and encountering DeeDee’s Tourbillon, an ultra-interesting unique piece clock.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin is closing the year with the elaborate and artistic Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin, a limited edition of its flagship 14-day tourbillon. Engraved by hand on the case and dial, the watch gets its name from the mythical creatures on the dial. Prominent in East Asian mythology, the qilin is often depicted as a horse covered in scales, but with the head of a dragon. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin is graced by a pair of qilin, both sitting on golden clouds. Initial thoughts For a couple of years starting around a decade ago, watches with East Asian – or more specifically, Chinese – motifs proliferated rapidly as Chinese demand for watches grew rapidly. Even if the individual watches were finely executed, and many were, the sheer number of such watches made them less interesting as a whole. Now such watches are less common, which makes them more unusual, and interesting once again. The Qilin tourbillon is grand watch with intricate details (and a price to match). While the theme and style is doubtlessly catered for a specific taste, it does impress with its artisanal decoration and technical excellence. Vacheron Constantin’s metiers d’art watches are always executed impeccably, regardless of technique. Decorated with engraving and guilloche, Qilin tourbillon looks remarkably fine in its details in photos, and will certainly look better in the metal. Perhaps the only downside of the watch is its size, which is substantial for a watch intended t...
SJX Watches
A noted collector of art, objects, and also timepieces – he famously once owned the world’s most complicated watch that is now lost – banker J.P. Morgan was a frequent client of Charles Frodsham, having no doubt inherited the inclination from his father, also a client of the English watchmaker. Once preeminent globally, particularly in the late decades of the 19th century when Morgan was active, Charles Frodsham is perhaps most famous for supplying top-of-the-line pocket watches to Morgan that he then gifted to friends and partners of his eponymous bank. Sometimes known as “Morgan caliper” watches, these watches were amongst the most expensive watches in the world at the time. Some two dozen of these presentation watches are known – and 11 have been sold publicly – with all being identical in combining a minute repeater with split-second chronograph and tourbillon. Perhaps the most important of these watches is the one that will soon go on the block at Sotheby’s in New York on December 15 at 10:00 am EST. The watch once owned by J.P. Morgan Jr., bearing the serial number “010’330” The ebauche was probably produced by Nicole Nielsen The tourbillon with a Nicole Nielsen Type 2 cage Being offered by the estate of Alexandra McCain Morgan, who’s perhaps better known as the older sister of the late Senator John McCain. The watch was originally purchased by J.P. Morgan Jr. in 1933 – the lot is accompanied by a copy of the original invoice. The watch on ...
Deployant
Jaeger-LeCoultre combines the complications of the tourbillon, moonphase and jumping date display in a Master Ultra Thin package in this new watch.
SJX Watches
Launched with a solid-colour, grand feu enamel dial, the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon has been given simple but significant facelift with a new dial that’s a mix of aventurine glass and vitreous enamel. Made up of ground, powdered aventurine glass mixed with enamel powder, the dial has a deep, glossy surface with the characteristic sparkly metallic inclusions of aventurine glass. Initial thoughts When Audemars Piguet first launched the Code 11.59, only the perpetual calendar model had an aventurine-glass dial, and it was one of the best looking watches in the line up. Though not exactly identical, the aventurine-glass dials on the new tourbillons are no doubt as appealing, especially since they fill up the expanse of the dial. Even though the Code 11.59 lacks the desirability of the fashionable Royal Oak, it is an appealing watch when done right, as this one is. The new dial is a good fit for the case, which was well done to begin with. Featuring a fairly complex construction for a round watch, the case is sharply finished. Arguably the only downside of the case is its size, which is not large at 41 mm wide, but feels chunky on the wrist. The cal. 2950 made its debut last year with the Code 11.59. Also found in the recently launched Royal Oak tourbillon, the cal. 2950 is an attractively designed movement with an unusual detail: a grande sonnerie-style winding click integrated onto the barrel ratchet wheel. With a retail price of about US$150,000, the Code 11...
SJX Watches
Combining an unusual variety of complications that nevertheless go well aesthetically, the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is the latest tourbillon wristwatch from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has made something of a speciality in iterating its tourbillon movements with various additional complications. Powered by the newly-developed cal. 983, the new watch features a moon phase, pointer date, and tourbillon regulator. And its case is made of Le Grand rose gold, a fade-resistant gold alloy unveiled only earlier in the year. Initial thoughts The Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon is a handsome watch executed in the typical Jaeger-LeCoultre style. The design is classical, with a handful of details that refine the look, including the applied hour markers and metal-deposition moon phase scale. And the movement is decorated well, though largely by mechanical methods, and the result is visually appealing. But it is a bit large at 41.5 mm in diameter, and also thick at 12.1 mm high – giving it dimensions similar to a sports chronograph. The cal. 983 in the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon And the retail price of US$88,500 is high. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s strength is haute horlogerie in the middle of the price segment – though it’s been drifting upwards – alongside brands like Ulysse Nardin and H. Moser & Cie. But both those brands recently launched tourbillons of comparable quality – the Blast and Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon respectively – that cost less. Master To...
SJX Watches
The tourbillon regulator first found its way into the Royal Oak in 1997, with what was then a novel automatic movement with a hammer winding mechanism. Audemars Piguet has just announced the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 mm, a nod to the 1997 original, but with a twist – it’s the first Royal Oak equipped with a flying tourbillon. Launching in three variants, the new model is superficially similar to the existing Royal Oak tourbillon – it is very much the octagonal watch – but it is notably different, both in aesthetics and mechanics. From left to right: pink gold, steel, and titanium Immediately, the titanium version stands out, not only because the metal is used sparingly by the brand, but also because the dial has a grained finish instead of the conventional tapisserie guilloche. And it is powered by the newish cal. 2950, a self-winding movement, no doubt a subtle reference to AP’s status as a pioneering maker of wristwatch tourbillons – the brand introduced the first ever automatic tourbillon wristwatch in 1986. The Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in titanium Initial thoughts The Royal Oak is an appealing watch in most guises – usually the simpler the better – not just for its design but also the complex and sophisticated case finish. And the tourbillon in titanium is particularly distinctive for its clean, modern dial that goes well with the industrial-chic style of the case design. Importantly, this is not a mere facelift. It’...
Time+Tide
If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide, you’ll probably know that Audemars Piguet are well known for their skill in making tourbillons. This year alone, the Le Brassus-based brand has released a number of tourbillon watches, which we’ve covered here, here and here, but Audemars Piguet isn’t slowing down. Today the watchmaker announced the release … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41mm is a bridge between the past and the future appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Chopard recently unveiled the latest iteration of its Mille Miglia chronograph, a long-established model with conventional looks lightly inspired by classic cars. But it also unveiled the Mille Miglia Lab One Tourbillion, which is also automobile-inspired but instead by modern-day, hybrid hypercars. Drastically different and unabashedly contemporary, the Lab One is large, lightweight, and boasts a technically-impressive form movement with two notable features, a vertical hacking mechanism for the tourbillon as well as a back-winder crown. Initial thoughts While Chopard’s catalogue includes numerous classical, complicated watches that are well done – basically the entire L.U.C line – few of them possess strong design and rarely jump out at you. The Lab One is the opposite: unusual and original, and appealing – but polarising in terms of design. This not Chopard’s first foray in high-end, complicated sports watches, though it has not had much success in a segment dominated by brands like Richard Mille and Hublot. While its peers have refined their aesthetic into a recognisable style, Chopard is not well versed at such design. The watch is replete with car-inspired elements, but incorporated with varying degrees of coherence. It does, however, excel at watchmaking. Compared with the competition, the Lab One wins hands down in terms of technical achievement relative to price. Impressively kitted out with a hacking tourbillion, the Lab One is priced at $129,000,...
Time+Tide
Anyone who knows anything about watches knows that watchmaking is hard. And anyone who knows anything about watchmaking knows that the bar set by George Daniels is extremely high. But despite these daunting challenges, there is a young watchmaker in Canberra, Australia, who is making a complete tourbillon pocket watch according to the George Daniels … ContinuedThe post WHO TO FOLLOW: @reubenschoots, an Australian independent watchmaker building a George Daniels Tourbillon pocket watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève is an unabashedly large futuristic dark metropolis under sapphire. I see an angular maze-like horological architecture within an organic patterned cutting-edge composite case. Hypnotised by the 9 o’clock rotating magic of the Flying Tourbillon you’ll notice it being delicately cut into the dark and recognisable … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The dark traveller, Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Not just any ordinary tourbillon equipped wristwatch, God forbid that a tourbillon can be allowed to be called ordinary, but one which feature the tourbillon and another complication. Double Whammy so to speak. Here is a list of six of the best when it comes to piling another complication over the grand tourbillon. From theRead More
Quill & Pad
Based on the most popular releases of 2017, it is possible that the almighty tourbillon may about to be usurped by something new and rather old at the same time: the chronograph. In this installment of Joshua Munchow's “Here’s Why” series, he explores why the chronograph could be the new tourbillon.
SJX Watches
Russian clockmaker Anton Suhanov has just unveiled his next table clock, one that is even more monumental than his preceding creation, last year’s Alexandria lighthouse-inspired Pharos. Standing on a long, thin stem, the Lotus is a flower-like clock with a triple-axis tourbillon within a sphere enclosed by metallic petals. Running for 14 days when fully wound, the clock is also an automaton – the petals open and close slowly in a 12-hour cycle, much like a real flower. Initial thoughts A feat like this inevitably costs a substantial amount of money – €45,000 in this case – but it is worth every euro, because the clock is incredible, and there is nothing else like it. Mr Suhanov makes almost the entire clock himself in his workshop – and there is a lot of clock. Beyond the obvious features, namely the world time within the base and the intricate yet organic triple-axis tourbillon at the top, the mechanism of the clock is ingenious and intriguing. Like the mystery clocks Maurice Couet invented for Cartier, the tourbillon is driven by a long, narrow pinion, one so long it runs all the way up the stem. Beyond the mechanics, the clocks is also impressive for its design, which manages to blend organic forms and colours with vast expanses of metal, resulting in an appealing, sci-fi aesthetic. Night and day The central feature of the clock is within seven petals made of rhodium-plated brass, which function as a day and night indicator. Fully open at midday, the petal...
Quill & Pad
French independent watchmaker Theo Auffret has called Paris his professional home for many of the last eight years. His debut watch, the Tourbillon à Paris, is both testament to his watchmaking philosophy and a fine example of French tradition in practice.
Quill & Pad
The GPHG foundation describes the Men’s Complication watches as remarkable in terms of their mechanical creativity and complexity. But many of our panelists are scratching their heads as the perennial question "is a tourbillon a complication?" comes up yet again.
Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept line can easily be not just confusing, but confounding when you first come across it. The case shape is so alien … who is it even made for? When the first Concept was released in 2002, it more resembled a piece of lab equipment from a sci-fi movie than a watch, … ContinuedThe post The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT is about as avant-garde as Switzerland gets appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The GPHG foundation describes the Ladies Complication category for watches entered as “women’s watches that are remarkable in terms of their mechanical creativity and complexity." And our panelists wonder: is a tourbillon enough to take home the prize?
SJX Watches
Having unveiled mostly simpler watches in the year so far, like the new Tradition with retrograde date, Breguet is now launching something big, both mechanically and literally. The Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de l’Horloge is, admittedly, a heavily fancied up variant of an existing model, but in typical Breguet style, it is executed to a high level of fit and finish. Originally launched in 2006 as the ref. 5347 with a guilloche dial (and subsequently as the ref. 5349 set with diamonds), the Classique Double Tourbillon has been refined and elaborated upon. It now boasts a skeletonised dial with upgraded decoration, hand-engraved bridges, as well as a thinner case band, but the watch remains enormous. Initial thoughts The original Double Tourbillon was enormous – 44 mm by 17.05 mm – with a tall, bulbous bezel that made it look even thicker. Named after the located of the original Breguet workshops in Paris, the new Double Tourbillon 5345 addresses that as much as possible by narrowing the bezel case band as much as possible, and instead using an highly-domed sapphire crystal that’s almost half the total height. It’s still a very large watch, but it looks less voluminous and massive, especially with the open-worked dial. The sapphire chapter ring for the hours and minutes that encircles the movement Decoration and materials are top class. There is a lot of decoration, but it goes well together, unlike on the original model. The decor seemed incongruous o...
SJX Watches
Invented in 1920 by German watchmaker Alfred Helwig, the flying tourbillon marks its 100th year anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, Glashütte Original – Helwig spent most of his career in Glashütte, including several decades teaching in the town’s watch school – has unveiled a watch featuring, unsurprisingly, a flying tourbillon. Limited to 25 pieces, the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 is pared-back on the front but smartly executed on the reverse, with the cal. 54-01 ticking away inside. Not only does it have an extra-long power reserve of 100 hours, the cal. 54-01 is finished to a high standard that is recognisably superior to earlier Glashütte Original tourbillon movements. A young Alfred Helwig and a scale model of his invention Initial thoughts This is the third tourbillon watch Glashütte Original has launched this year, after this and this. That’s a lot. Although Glashütte Original has had countless tourbillon models in its catalogue over the years, with most being fairly short-lived, what it really excels at are affordable, well-made watches like the Sixties. Compared to the tourbillons unveiled earlier in the year, both of which were decorated with extensive, floral engraving, the Tourbillon 1920 appears less elaborate – although the movement is finished very well, and very traditionally. The finishing does look excellent, but the US$135,000 price tag feels a bit steep for Glashütte Original. In comparison, the Senator Chronometer T...
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: In the latest episode of Watch & Chill, we happen on the subject of Royal Oak Concept models for women, and after again seeing the footage of this extraordinary stepped dial sparkle machine, we had to give it its own post, and exploration. Ask the average person what the purpose of a watch … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Conceived for the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Richard Mille and Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal, the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal is an ultra-light, ultra-exotic, and ultra-expensive mechanical wristwatch. Equipped with a hand-wind movement suspended on a dense network of steel cables within the case, the RM 27-04 has the greatest shock resistance of any Richard Mille wristwatch, or about 12,000 g. And its case is carbon composite, which combined with the skeletonised movement, means it weighs as much as a few sheets of paper. Initial thoughts While the recent RM 72-01 chronograph went in a different direction than usual for Richard Mille – it’s equipped with a new, in-house movement with an unusual, double oscillating pinion construction – the RM 27-04 is very much in keeping with the brand’s spirit. Mr Nadal’s nickname is engraved on the side of the case The RM 27-04 is a more extreme version of what Richard Mille has done before, with more cables, more skeletonisation, and more advanced composites. And it is also US$1 million, give or take. Judged by what the brand does, the RM 27-04 is a successful product in concept and execution. But more broadly speaking, Richard Mille has been all about such watches for several years now, so the RM 27-04 doesn’t feel that exciting or interesting. Strung like a racquet Weighing just 30 g including its strap – equivalent to about six sheets of A4 paper – the RM 27-04 takes the cable-suspension...
Quill & Pad
Close to 120 years after Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the tourbillon, master watchmaker Alfred Helwig (1886-1974) created a “flying” tourbillon at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte. The flying tourbillon became somewhat characteristic of Glashütte and lives on in a few very special watches today. Who was Alfred Helwig? Find out here.
SJX Watches
Last year’s debut of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet was widely panned, with with most of the criticism centred on the dial that was widely regarded to be flat. That left the highlight of the new model to go unnoticed – a new case made up of an intriguing blend of geometric forms and intricate edges. Just after launching warmly-received variants with smoked dials (following last year’s Bolshoi edition in smoked-finish enamel), Audemars Piguet has taken the covers off the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph, which follows the aesthetic direction set by the record-setting Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”. Initial thoughts Audemars Piguet did well in combining two classical complications – a flyback chronograph and flying tourbillon – in a surprisingly contemporary and slightly sporty watch, which owes its looks to the complementary movement and case design. The skeletonised movement echoes the clean, angular lines of the case and open-worked lugs. A newly-developed movement – and one seemingly designed from ground-up as a skeleton – the cal. 2952 is thoughtfully constructed with a neatly symmetrical layout. As important is the high-contrast finish that emphasises the skeletonisation, achieved with rhodium-plated bridges against a matte-black base plate. The styling of the watch addresses the key shortcoming of the original Code 11.59 – the plain dial – and allows the Code 11.59 to come into its own with a cohesive des...
Revolution
A horse-shaped cut-out in unique piece Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes gives us a glimpse into Hermès’ latest high complication movement.
Quill & Pad
The effect of the blue sapphire crystal bridge on the De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Sapphire Tourbillon is astonishing. It is simultaneously light, airy, and (importantly) blue. It reflects the light back in the friendliest of ways. It is De Bethune blue, but it is also translucent to reveal the layers below it. The layering makes it feel sculptural, unique, and complicated without becoming busy. And that is just one component. Find out what makes up the rest of this incredible timepiece here.
SJX Watches
Hermès introduced its first tourbillon, the Arceau Lift, in 2013, an early indication of the leather goods maker’s ambitions in technically-oriented watchmaking. The intertwined, double “H” tourbillon cage was modelled the wrought-iron door of the elevator in the Hermes’ fabled store in Paris at 24, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, hence the name. Seven years later, the Arceau Lift has been upgraded to incorporate a minute repeater. The Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes is being produced in just two examples – each unique – in pink and white gold respectively. Initial thoughts While combining two “high” complications is impressive, the whimsical house style of Hermes is what stands out at first glance. Elements like the asymmetric watch case and open dial are simple quite quickly identifiable as Hermes. More subtle is the dial, which is surprisingly discreet until you spot it. It’s cleverly designed to incorporate the brand’s familiar horse-head motif that takes the form of a cut-out that serves to show off the racks and snail cams of the minute repeating mechanism. The H1924 movement within is high quality in both finish and construction, and also incorporates the equestrian theme with a barrel bridge shaped like twin horse heads. But it is produced by Manufacture Haute Complications (MHC), a respected but struggling Geneva-based movement specialist that has supplied the same calibre to H. Moser & Cie., Dolce & Gabbana, and Artya. So while ...
SJX Watches
A tourbillon is not uncharted waters for Seiko, as evidenced by the Credor Fugaku Tourbillon of 2016. The extremely rare, and modestly unattractive, Fugaku was something of a statement, as much about its ornate case and dial as the mechanics. Now an independent brand after being spun off from its parent, Grand Seiko has just announced a movement that squarely emphasises on timekeeping, the T0 Constant-Force Tourbillon. Announced as a concept movement – with no plans for commercialisation publicly revealed – the movement is Grand Seiko’s first equipped with a tourbillon, and also marks the first time Seiko or any of its brands is utilising a constant-force mechanism. The T0 disassembled Initial thoughts It is not often Grand Seiko launches a new and truly novel movement; this year has seen a few. The recent 9RA5 Spring Drive and the 9SA5 Hi-Beat automatic are interesting and practical movements that will be found in future models. On the other hand, the T0 tourbillon stakes a claim of technical prowess oriented rather than practicality, a claim bolstered by the remontoir constant-force mechanism integrated in the tourbillon cage. While Grand Seiko’s integrated remontoir constructed is patented, this is not exactly novel. Precedents in the watches of IWC and Andreas Strehler, for instance. While each of these executed the idea of an integrated constant force differently, all share the common approach of a one-second remontoir. In short, the Grand Seiko construc...
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.