Tourbillon Watches · Page 73

Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 62-01 Tourbillon Vibrating Alarm

Forget Odell Beckham Jr. and camouflage compass watches with hydration tables, it is all about this wild new RM.

Sotheby’s Removes A. Lange & Söhne No. 41000 ‘Jahrhunderttourbillon’ From November 2019 Masterworks Of Time Auction – And You Won’t Believe Why

Sotheby’s justifiably described the tourbillon pocket watch No. 41000 as the most important watch made by A. Lange & Söhne. Nicknamed the Jahrhunderttourbillon ("tourbillon of the century") and introduced in 1900, it was until recently part of Sotheby’s bombastic Masterworks of Time auction. However, Sotheby's has removed the Jahrhunderttourbillon from the upcoming November auction and here Elizabeth Doerr reveals why.

Patek Philippe Introduces the World Time Minute Repeater Singapore 2019 Ref. 5531R

Originally introduced in 2017 for the Grand Exhibition in New York, the Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater Ref. 5531R was the first minute repeater that could chime the local time, as opposed to a conventional world-time repeater that would only strike the home time. The reference then entered regular production in 2018 with a cloisonné enamel of Lake Geneva, or the lac Léman as locals know it, a recurring motif on Patek Philippe enamel watches. Patek Philippe has now unveiled a special-edition version for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2019 in Singapore, featuring a cloisonné enamel dial depicting the city centre of Singapore, along with the country’s name listed on the city disc in place of Beijing. It joins the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Singapore 2019 Ref. 5303R as one of the grand complications created especially for the event. As was always the case, the watch is in red gold and measures 40.2mm wide. it features hand-guillochéd, hobnail pattern on the case band as well as on the repeater slide on the left. In it is the self-winding cal. R 27 HU which features the patented repeater mechanism that chimes the time of the city at the 12 o’clock position on the world time mechanism. While a minute repeater usually operates independently from the world time and thus chimes only the home time, the two mechanisms in this case are mechanically coupled. The hour snail of the repeater is continuously driven by the time zone wheel of the world time mechanism. ...

Patek Philippe Introduces the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Singapore 2019 Ref. 5303R (With Price)

Of the special edition watches created for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019, one is entirely new, and it also happens to be the most complicated – the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Singapore 2019 Ref. 5303R-010. The model reference reveals the key design feature of the watch, like the preceding ref. 5304R, the new watch has no dial, so the mechanics below are revealed in all their glory. This creates a first for a Patek Philippe wristwatch – it shows the tourbillon regulator at six o’clock, something that has historically been hidden on the back of all wristwatch tourbillons. Protecting the tourbillon The rationale for hiding the tourbillon from view was to prevent exposure to UV light, which can ostensibly break down the lubricants that keep the tourbillon in optimum running condition. Consequently, the sapphire disc over the tourbillon regulator has a UV protection coating to prevent the lubricants from being exposed to sunlight. A reworked movement The new ref. 5303R is powered by the R TO 27 PS movement, which combines a minute repeater and tourbillon. Though it’s based on the longstanding cal. R 27, the movement was significantly reengineered to show off the striking mechanism under the dial. Amongst the changes are a larger base plate, as well as a rearrangement of the hammers and gongs, which required 20 new components to be added. Interestingly, the hammers have been slightly ground down around the edges that point towards the hands, so as ...

Introducing the RM 62-01 Tourbillon Vibrating Alarm Airbus Corporate Jets

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

The road was long, but we have arrived: at the start of the year, A. Lange & Söhne kicked off the gradual launch of the 25th anniversary editions of the Lange 1. Made up of 10 different models, unveiled one a month, the series has now come to a conclusion with the final model – the Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”. While all other watches in the Lange 1 family have remained in the catalogue since their debut, the Lange 1 Tourbillon was always a limited edition, making the last instalment of the anniversary series the rarest. The model was first unveiled in 2000 in pink gold (250 pieces) and platinum (150 pieces), followed by a honey-gold version (150 pieces) a decade later to mark the 165th anniversary of Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth. Then the watch received the “Handwerkskunst” treatment in 2014 (20 pieces), giving it a platinum case and glossy, black enamel dial, resulting in a very desirable watch. And Lange also quietly produced a handful of one-off examples over the years, including a recent one for retailer The Hour Glass in Tokyo. Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst The specially decorated movement of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst Interestingly, Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary” marks the first time that the watch is produced in white gold. The case remains the standard size, 38.5mm wide and 9.8mm in height, also the same dimensions as the standard Lange 1. And like all prior 25th anniversary editions, it features a solid...

New with live pics: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon 25th Anniversary

The final piece of the Lange 1 25th Anniversary collection is crowned by the Lange 1 Tourbillon. Limited Edition 25 pieces in Anniverary colours. Live pics.

Introducing the Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

Hands-On: A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”

A. Lange & Söhne is marking the 25th year since it first unveiled its modern line-up of wristwatches – led by the iconic Lange 1 – in 1994 with a 10-piece set of special Lange 1 models. The Little Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” is the third watch of the set, which has been progressively unveiled each month, with the last (presumably a Lange 1 Tourbillon) slated to be announced in October. The Little Lange 1 was first conceived in 1998 as a scaled down version of the Lange 1, with the case shrunk to 36mm. But it was originally a men’s watch, catered to markers like Japan and Singapore that wanted a smaller size. So the earlier versions had plain dials, essentially the same dials as found on the full-size Lange 1, but the Little Lange 1 has since evolved into a watch for ladies, so the current versions are only offered with ornate guilloche dials in purple or brown, with the option of a diamond-set bezel. But the Little Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” returns to the original concept of the model, with all frills removed and once again suitable for men. The standard Little Lange 1 with a brown guilloche dial Modern blue The “25th Anniversary” model of the Little Lange 1 pays tribute to the original design with a standard silver dial. In fact, the dial is identical to first generation Little Lange 1 dials, with the exception of the colours and printed indices; the originals had applied markers. As a recurring theme found in the other commemorative pi...

Richard Mille Introduces the RM 50-04 Kimi Räikkönen

As complications go, the RM 50 is the ultimate Richard Mille, combining a tourbillon and split-seconds chronograph. Descended from the RM008 of 2003, one of the brand’s foundational models, the top of the line complication now has now been dressed up in new livery for Finnish Formula 1 driver Kimi Räikkönen, who drives for the Alfa Romeo Racing Team. Launched at the start of the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, the RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen is large, lightweight, and complex, and dressed in a red, white and black colour combination that’s the same as the livery on the Alfa Romeo C38 Formula 1 car. Kimi Räikkönen Though it’s a mass of details and colours, the dial is actually easily to decipher. The two chronograph sub-dials are the six and nine o’clock. The fan-shaped indicator at 11 o’clock is the power reserve, and its mirror image to the right is the torque indicator. This indicates the level of wind in the mainspring, with the ideal being between 53Nmm and 65Nmm; “Nmm” is short for Newton millimetre. And at three o’clock is the power reserve display. Made of various lightweight carbon composites, the watch case is generously sized, like other top of the line Richard Mille complications – 44.5mm in diameter and 16.1mm high. The front and back plates are white Quartz TPT, while the middle is Carbon TPT. Both composites are made by North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT), a Swiss lightweight composite specialist that’s...

Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen Limited Editon

Formula One's Iceman gets an equally cool and complicated RM to call his own.

Introducing the RM 50-04 Manual Winding Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen

Richard Mille introduces the RM 50-04 Manual Winding Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen powered by the calibre RM 50-03

Arnold & Son Time Pyramid Tourbillon: A New Kind Of Pyramid Power

Since 2013, Arnold & Son has had a stunning watch series called the Time Pyramid inspired by early pyramid-shaped clocks seen in English clockmaking. At Baselworld 2019 the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid got an awesome update with a new tourbillon and some other tweaks.

Hands-On: The H. Moser Heritage Tourbillon Funky Blue

A rare double balance spring tourbillon, in very eye-catching livery.

Hands-On: The Zenith Defy Fusée Tourbillon Carbon

A sleek, modern take on two very traditional regulating systems.

Richard Mille Introduces the RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon

Most of Richard Mille’s recent – and bestselling – watches have mainly been ultra-light and extremely technical in terms of materials and styling. The new RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon is different. Instead it harks back to an earlier era of Richard Mille from not too long ago, when decorative techniques were employed to create unusually intricate watches like the Boucheron tourbillon. Originally unveiled in 2012, the RM 57-01 was initially launched as the “Jackie Chan” edition, designed in collaboration with the Hong Kong action star and bearing a miniature dragon sculpture on the movement. Subsequent iterations included the RM 57-02 where the dragon was replaced by a falcon, a motif popular in the Gulf. Available only in Asia, the RM 57-03 Tourbillon Sapphire Dragon is essentially a variant of the RM 57-01 the dragon executed in sapphire crystal and gold, the first time Richard Mille has created a sculpture in that material. The sapphire dragon is anchored to the movement ring with screws Produced by Olivier Vaucher, a micro-decoration specialist in Geneva that serves brands including Roger Dubuis, Van Cleef & Arpels and Zenith, the sapphire body of the dragon is first milled from a block of sapphire, and then laser engraved to create its detail. Then the engraving is finished and polished by hand. The sapphire pieces are then joined to solid red gold components that make up the dragon’s head, tail, limbs and spine. To highlight the dragon’s tongu...

Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395: Reinterpretation Done Right

Breguet is one brand that does "remakes" beautifully, and the recent release of the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 is clear evidence. The watch is incredible while feeling entirely classic and well within the boundaries of what is considered typical for Breguet. And yet it also feels like a departure into something a bit new that makes you take another look at the brand.

Bulgari is well placed to clean up at the GPHG, thanks to these 5 watches

There’s no doubt that Bulgari like the GPHG. In 2017 they won the men’s category for their Octo Finissimo Automatic and the Tourbillon prize for the Finissimo Skeleton. A few years earlier, in 2014, they took home the Jewellery prize for their Diva High Jewellery Emeralds. Their odds are looking strong for the 2019 edition of … ContinuedThe post Bulgari is well placed to clean up at the GPHG, thanks to these 5 watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon: ‘Artificial Gravity’ On The Wrist

The concepts of the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon and Vertical Tourbillon Skeleton rotate around a vertically oriented tourbillon in the center of the movement. Joshua Munchow sees an awesome spaceship with an artificial gravity ring in the center; how about you?

Business News: Laurent Ferrier’s Controlling Shareholder Takes Charge

Highly regarded for its classically finished timepieces, Laurent Ferrier has just announced a major change in its management – Francois Servanin, who owns most of the company, will be taking management control, alongside Laurent Ferrier and his son Christian. Though only being officially announced today, the news was made known to Laurent Ferrier retailers several weeks ago, with Mr Ferrier himself speaking to several to reassure them that it is a new beginning, with great things to come. An entrepreneur who made his fortune with Auverland, a maker of jeeps and armoured vehicles for the French military, Mr Servanin was an auto racer in the 1970s and 1980s, having competed at Le Mans. It was there that he met Mr Ferrier, himself a former racing driver. Mr Servanin bankrolled the founding of Laurent Ferrier, and has a majority stake in the company. Ferrier father and son – Laurent (left) and Christian The gorgeous Galet Tourbillon movement Taking over from outgoing chief executive Vanessa Monestel, Mr Servanin will be the fourth leader of the brand since it was founded in 2013. The management turnover at Laurent Ferrier has led to the brand losing some of the momentum its enjoyed in its early years, when it was a rising star of old school, Genevois watchmaking; Mr Ferrier had spent a large part of his career at Patek Philippe. Laurent Ferrier’s self-winding calibre Since its first two models – the Galet Tourbillon and Galet Micro-Rotor, both developed with the hel...

In-Depth: Realising Breguet’s Dream of the Natural Escapement

Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to horology are as numerous as they are fundamental. Practically every avenue of watchmaking is built on the foundations he laid down, from the perpetuelle self-winding mechanism to pare-chute shock-protection for balance pivots. But most famous of all was the tourbillon, patented in 1801. It was crucial to the precision of mechanical pocket watches and clocks, the only kinds of timepieces in use then, which normally sat in an upright, vertical position. The Breguet Souscription pocket watch of the 1990s that replicated the 19th century originals, right down to the pare-chute escapement The tourbillon, however, was not Breguet’s only effort in improving chronometric performance. Prior to the tourbillon, he created the lesser known but more elegant echappement naturel, or natural escapement, in 1789. It was a double-wheel chronometer escapement that in theory, needed no oil. Breguet managed to incorporate it into just 20 pocket watches, but serial production of the natural escapement ultimately eluded him as its design had inherent shortcomings – primarily backlash in the motion of its wheels – that made it impossible to commercialise. The idea was ahead of its time, and it would take some 200 years before technology made the natural escapement feasible. The concept of natural escapements continues to fascinate watchmakers, many of whom have conceived modern-day descendants, the most recent of which is the Ch...

A closer look at TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon in black ceramic 

Editor’s note: Earlier this week we had a look at a few TAG Heuer Tourbillons, including the impressive new Nanograph - with its fancy new carbon escapement and yellow highlights. But we’ve also still got the hots for one of the original models, this all-black beauty clad in ultra-tough ceramic. Dark, meet handsome.  Owning a … ContinuedThe post A closer look at TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon in black ceramic  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

EVENT: Tourbillon time with TAG Heuer in Melbourne

TAG Heuer is a brand that has always sat fondly in the hearts of Australians, with shared values of an active lifestyle spent outdoors. This week we were lucky enough to celebrate the launch of TAG Heuer’s latest novelties, including the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph and the exciting Autavia Isograph. Both releases are … ContinuedThe post EVENT: Tourbillon time with TAG Heuer in Melbourne appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon

When Zenith unveiled the El Primero Defy 21 two years ago, it was a breakthrough for the brand, offering a 1/100th of a second chronograph with twin regulators for an affordable US$10,000 or so. This year the brand has kicked things up a notch with the El Primero Defy Double tourbillon, which essentially replaces the regular escapements with two tourbillons – one conventional and the other ultra-fast. The high-frequency evolution The new double tourbillon chronograph is a logical evolution of the classic El Primero – albeit accomplished with some help from TAG Heuer – that remained unchanged for decades. Unveiled 50 years ago, the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph, and crucially, the first serially-produced, high-frequency chronograph running at 36,000 beats per hour (bph), allowing it to measure time down to the nearest tenth of a second. It would take 48 years for it to evolve into its first major iteration, the El Primero Defy 21 of 2017, which took the high-precision chronograph to its extreme with a monstrously high frequency of 50Hz, capable of measuring time down to a hundredth of a second. The Defy El Primero 21 launched in 2017 – an exotic chronograph for a basic price While it is true that a higher frequency regulator results in a higher resolution chronograph, it comes at a cost. An ultra-high frequency escapement requires tremendous energy, and the friction generated by the rapid motion of its components in turn mean more f...