Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeiko

Tourbillon Watches · Page 76

2,337 articles · Page 76 of 98
TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition SJX Watches
Nov 29, 2019

TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition

Launched in 2016, the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T remains the most affordable Swiss-made chronograph with touribllon, starting at just US$17,000. Despite the price, the Calibre Heuer 02T is an in-house movement that’s automatic, COSC-certified, and equipped with a lightweight flying tourbillon that has a carbon composite upper carriage and titanium base. The latest variant of the affordable “grand” complication is a limited edition made for Singapore retailer Cortina Watch. Dressed in orange and back, the Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition is being offered only online, via the retailer’s website. As with the standard model, the case measures 45mm wide and 16.4mm high. It features the modular construction that characterises the Carrera line. The case middle is black-coated titanium paired with a black ceramic bezel, while the lugs, pushers and crown are steel. The dial is semi-skeletonised to reveal the grey, sandblasted base plate of the movement. Orange accents are applied to the dial and bezel, including the chronograph hands, and even the carbon composite upper cage of the tourbillon, creating a striking contrast with the black components. Mechanically the movement is identical to the standard Heuer 02T. Based on the CH-80 chronograph movement, it’s equipped with a column wheel and vertical clutch for the chronograph. And it has a 65-hour power reserve, with the balance running at a frequency of 4Hz. Key facts and price TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edi...
Read article
Kikuchi Nakagawa Introduces the Murakumo White Dial SJX Watches
Nov 28, 2019

Kikuchi Nakagawa Introduces the Murakumo White Dial

Unveiled last year as the debut product of Kikuchi Nakagawa, the Murakumo is modelled on the 1930s Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96, considered by its founders as the ideal classical men’s wristwatch. Originally available only with a matte black dial, Kikuchi Nakagawa has now unveiled its inverse – the Murakumo with white dial and black numerals. Black polishing Founded by a pair of Japanese watchmakers, Yusuke Kikuchi and Tomonari Nakagawa – with Mr Nakagawa having worked at Citizen as it developed the tourbillon – the brand is all about two things: components supplied by the very best Japanese specialists (save for the dial and movement), and exceptional black polishing of all the external steel parts. The three-dimensional hands are made by precision machine shop Yuki Precision, while the case and buckle are courtesy of Matsuura Works. The parts are all black polished by hand, creating a remarkably flat, mirror-like surface. With some Swiss help The dial on the other hand, comes from Swiss supplier Gilwatch, located in Geneva. Particular attention was paid to the printed numerals, which require several layers of pad printing in order to give them height. Also from Switzerland is the movement, which is a Vaucher VMF 5401. Though high quality in finish and construction – variants of the same calibre are used by Hermes, Richard Mille and Parmigiani – the movement is relatively pedestrian compared to the rest of the Murakumo. That being said, Kikuchi Nakagawa...
Read article
Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite SJX Watches
Nov 27, 2019

Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite is a highly technical yet decorative grand complication panelled in meteorite and aventurine. But it also evokes watchmaking of the early 2000s in its mechanical grandeur. Exotic tourbillons started to proliferate at the turn of the millennium, and soon the offerings were numerous, ranging from orbital to inclined to multi-axis. Today such tourbillons are commonplace, but in the early 2000s they were radical and cutting edge. While the orbital tourbillon was nothing more than a visual spectacle, the inclined and multi-axis tourbillons were attempts to adapt Breguet’s invention for the wrist, in other words they made chronometric sense, at least on paper. One of the earliest and most significant multi-axis tourbillons was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon of 2005. While it wasn’t the first multi-axis tourbillon in a wristwatch – that honour goes to Thomas Prescher – the Gyrotourbillon was distinguished by its elaborate, three-dimensional cage of lightweight aluminium, made possible only with the aid of modern technology. The original Gyrotourbillon of 2005, which also incorporated a perpetual calendar with equation of time With the leap year and power reserve displays on the back The Gyrotourbillon was arguably the complication that defined Jaeger-LeCoultre as an haute horlogerie brand rather than a movement maker for other marques. Since its launch the Gyrotourbillon evolved into several iterations, including thi...
Read article
Highlights: Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction - Complications and Enamel SJX Watches
Nov 18, 2019

Highlights: Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction - Complications and Enamel

Happening in just over a week, the Phillips Hong Kong watch auction is a 321-lot event spread over two days. Notably, the first session is an evening sale titled First, made up of 52 watches consigned by their original owners. The offerings in First, as well as the main sale the next day, are diverse array ranging from a possibly unique Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon with a black dial, and a wonderfully elegant Vacheron Constantin minute repeater (pictured above) – both consigned by the first owners no less – to vintage sports Rolex watches and Omega Speedmasters. The Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002G Another original owner Patek Philippe grand complication, the ref. 5033P Here we cover some of the complicated watch highlights, while other vintage and sports watches will be featured in a subsequent article. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. First, lot 833 – Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph One of the best values in the segment of perpetual calendar chronographs is a pre-owned Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. This example is in platinum, with a largish 43mm case that is suited to today’s taste for larger watches. The layout is traditional for a perpetual calendar chronograph, though the calendar windows are slightly small relative to the size of the dial. But this has a decorative flourish few of its peers have: the moon phase is a hand-engraved disc of white gold that features a tiny...
Read article
F.P. Journe Introduces the Astronomic Souveraine Grand Complication SJX Watches
Nov 14, 2019

F.P. Journe Introduces the Astronomic Souveraine Grand Complication

Just days after the F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue made for Only Watch 2019 sold for a record 1.8m Swiss francs, the watchmaker has unveiled the regular production version of the same – the Astronomic Souveraine. While the last unique F.P. Journe produced for Only Watch eventually made into production in a significantly different form, the Astronomic Souveraine is largely the same. Save for the steel case, dial colours, and movement decoration, the Astronomic Souveraine is identical to the unique Only Watch creation. Inspired by a pocket watch Francois-Paul Journe produced in 1987 – itself inspired by the earlier works of Breguet and George Daniels – the Astronomic Souveraine has 18 complications, shown on two faces on each side of the case. These include showing both mean solar time and sidereal time, as well as an annual calendar, equation of time, tourbillon with remontoir d’egalite constant force mechanism, and a minute repeater. Despite its complexity, the indications are remarkably well-presented, and furthermore, can all be adjusted via a single crown. Though the case is 44mm wide – the largest wristwatch ever by F.P. Journe – it remains notably compact at just 13.8mm high, helped in part by his ultra-thin minute repeater mechanism with flat hammers and gongs. As with most F.P. Journe watches, the dial on the front is solid gold, as are the bridges and plate of the movement. The 758-part cal. 1619 is equipped with double barrels, which are partly visible ...
Read article
That time Hublot pulled apart a tourbillon cage to show us how it worked Time+Tide
Nov 13, 2019

That time Hublot pulled apart a tourbillon cage to show us how it worked

Editor’s note: Early last year, our fearless leader Andrew McUtchen was fortunate enough to breach the inner sanctum of Hublot’s High Complication Department and have a chat with the boss, Emmanuel Missillier. What’s more, Mr Missillier proceeded to pull apart one of Hublot’s intricate tourbillon movements, all for our viewing pleasure.  Hublot have made big strides … ContinuedThe post That time Hublot pulled apart a tourbillon cage to show us how it worked appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Read article
Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part I SJX Watches
Nov 7, 2019

Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part I

Phillips’ thematic auction this season is titled Double Signed: A Celebration of the Finest Partnerships Between Manufacturers and Retailers, with a catalogue composed of watches with retailer signatures mostly on the dial, but occasionally on the case back. Though a retailer signature in itself does not make a great watch, many watches in the sale are already superb watches, but made even more special by the retailer’s mark, like the Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 below. More broadly, Double Signed is more historically evocative than most other thematic auctions, because many of the retailers cited within represent a particular time and place that is long gone, even if the retailer remains in business. Examples include Serpico y Laino of Caracas, which no doubt prospered during Venezuela’s good times that are now long forgotten, or Le Palais Royal of Havana that was the island’s premiere retailer before the Communist revolution. Here’s part one of the roundup of highlights from the sale. (And part II is here.) Lot 11 – Vacheron Constantin tourbillon pocket watch ref. 92244 “Asprey” One of the most proper examples of haute horlogerie in the sale is this Vacheron Constantin pocket watch that contains an observatory-certified tourbillon movement from the 1940s, though the watch was only finished and sold in 1992. It’s believed that in the 1990s, Vacheron Constantin discovered a small number of tourbillon movements that had been tested and certified as chronomet...
Read article
Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Nov 7, 2019

Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”

At Only Watch 2017, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic – but with a one-off blue dial – sold for a whopping 800,000 Swiss francs, with two phone bidders driving it to nearly seven times the high estimate. It was the third most expensive watch in the sale. This year’s contribution is no Royal Oak – far from it – but it’s surprisingly worthy of a second look. In fact, it’s probably the best-looking watch to emerge from the brand’s often criticised Code 11.59 line. Amidst the flak heaped upon it, the Code 11.59 range had a couple of standouts, including the Tourbillon Openworked. And that’s where AP started for Only Watch 2019. The Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch retains the slim, beautifully finished skeleton movement, eschewing the contentious Code 11.59 dial altogether. And the movement has a two-tone finish that smartly highlights the most important mechanical components. To match the movement, the Only Watch edition features a two-tone case that does justice to the Code 11.59 construction in a way the uniform colour of the standard models simply couldn’t. Superbly constructed In terms of size, the case is identical to the standard model – 41mm by 10.7mm. Beyond immediate impressions, the case is wonderfully constructed with a subtle and intriguing mix of shapes and finishing made obvious by the two-tone materials. The octagonal case middle is pink gold, while the rest of the case, including the lugs, are white gold,...
Read article
Highlights from Jean-Claude Biver’s Collection on Show in Geneva SJX Watches
Nov 5, 2019

Highlights from Jean-Claude Biver’s Collection on Show in Geneva

Now the non-executive chairman of the watch division at LVMH, Jean-Claude Biver has enjoyed a remarkable career in the watch industry that has spanned some 45 years. That success has enabled him to build a timepiece collection that is both magnificent and diverse, ranging from vintage Patek Philippe to modern independent watchmaking. Now the entire collection will be on display for the first time at Phillips in Geneva, after which it will embark on a world tour. Bookends of Mr Biver’s career so far: a Royal Oak ref. 5402 ST by Audemars Piguet, where he started his career And a Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Chronograph Titled Jean-Claude Biver: A Retrospective. Share, Respect, Forgive, the exhibition includes two dozen watches – including some lovely Patek Philippe pocket watches – that are amongst the best examples of 20th century watchmaking. Notably, the collection also includes several watches by prominent independent watchmakers, many of which were relatively recent purchases. They include a Philippe Dufour Simplicity in rose gold – the exact watch we featured several weeks ago in fact – and a fresh-off-the-press Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain in platinum. According to an inside source, Mr Biver’s late-in-life interest in independent watchmaking, and also the Rolex Daytona “Zenith”, is the result of counsel from his son, Pierre, who is a specialist at Phillips’ London office, showing that the love of watches can be hereditary. A Patek Philippe Ref. 15...
Read article
Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones SJX Watches
Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones

Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...
Read article
RJ Introduces the Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon SJX Watches
Oct 16, 2019

RJ Introduces the Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon

Though RJ has long used pop culture icons – from Hello Kitty to Pokemon to Super Mario – on its watches, the Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon is the most interesting to date, because it’s powered by a newly developed movement boasting a central flying tourbillon and a six-day power reserve. While earlier RJ cartoon- or comic-inspired were mostly standard watches with design tweaks, the new tourbillon modelled on Marvel’s web-slinger is mechanically interesting on several levels. The Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon is powered by the RJ-7000, a hand-wound movement that, according to the brand, was developed in-house at its recently opened manufacture in Eysins, about 30 minutes from downtown Geneva. More notably is the fact that the concept of the movement was first developed by RJ chief executive Marco Tedeschi while he was studying micro-technical engineering at the École Technique de la Vallée de Joux (ETVJ). Central tourbillon The movement is fully skeletonised, with the large flying tourbillon sitting right in the centre. Though conventional tourbillons are extremely common, central tourbillons are notably uncommon. Only a few brands produce them, most notably Omega and Beat Haldimann, and now RJ. Open-worked to resemble a spider’s web, the tourbillon cage is made of titanium, and sits just over a pair of eyes taken from Spider-Man’s mask. Because the tourbillon sits right in the centre of the dial, the hands are are peripheral, sitting on the edge of the dial, b...
Read article
Greubel Forsey Introduces the Entirely Hand-Made Tourbillon Watch SJX Watches
Oct 14, 2019

Greubel Forsey Introduces the Entirely Hand-Made Tourbillon Watch

The Hand Made 1 is a watch “95%” produced “using only hand-operated tools”, requiring some 6,000 hours, according to Greubel Forsey. That’s equivalent to three years of work, largely performed by a special team of watchmakers assembled by Greubel Forsey specifically for this project, along with independent specialists who produce certain components. Functionally, the Hand Made 1 is a straightforward timepiece – it shows the time, hours, minutes and seconds, and is equipped with a one-tourbillon regulator. The movement is made up of 272 parts, which is within the usual range for such a movement. The complexity of the watch comes from how it is made – by hand or by hand-operated tools – which is why only two to three examples will be produced per year. The genesis for the Hand Made 1 is the department within Greubel Forsey that produces prototypes, which are essentially one-off, hand-made watches. The same production techniques are applied to the Hand Made 1, except that they are taken to a far higher level, in order to create components that are produced with the same techniques as prototypes but to the same fit and finish as standard Greubel Forsey movements. So each screw is made on a manual lathe, and can take up to eight hours to complete. The case components are milled on a pantograph lathe, essentially a manually operated CNC machine that requires the operator to guide the cutting tool to by hand. And even the balance spring is rolled by a manua...
Read article
Hands-On: Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune SJX Watches
Oct 8, 2019

Hands-On: Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune

Hermès, as a brand, usually has an elegant, light and sometimes whimsical house style that makes it unique amongst luxury houses. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune unveiled at SIHH at the start of the year exemplifies the house style, although the case is thicker than ideal. Functionally, the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune is a straightforward watch – it shows the time, date and phases of the Moon in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. But the execution of the time and date is striking and clever. Orbital moon phases The two are essentially orbital displays, as each is on a sub-dial mounted on a rotating, central carousel. The carousel take 59 days to make one complete revolution around the dial. But each sub-dial also rotates on itself as the carousel turns. As a result, each sub-dial is always the right way up regardless of its position. Both sub-dials also double up as the moon phase indicator, with position of each sub-dial indicating the age of the Moon in each hemisphere. And in a bit of whimsy, the hemispheres have been inverted, with the Southern on top and Northern below. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune with a meteorite dial The inventive display was built by Chronode, the complications specialist founded by Jean-Francois Mojon, which has a diverse body of work that includes Urban Jurgensen’s P4 movement, the MB&F LM2, and the constant force tourbillon of IWC. The display module by Chronode. Photo – Hermes Chronode conceived and builds the ...
Read article
Cartier Opens ‘Crystallisation Of Time’ Exhibition in Tokyo SJX Watches
Oct 8, 2019

Cartier Opens ‘Crystallisation Of Time’ Exhibition in Tokyo

In the tradition of its extravagant exhibitions, Cartier has recently opened Cartier, Crystallisation Of Time in Tokyo’s National Art Centre. Made up of some 300 items, ranging from jewels to clocks to objet d’art, the exhibition is the third Cartier exhibition in Japan since the 1990s (and the 34th globally). Notably, half the exhibits are on loan from private collections, with the rest being from the Cartier Collection, the jeweller’s own trove of over 3000 items spanning 1860 to the modern day. More unusually, this is the first exhibition that includes contemporary Cartier creations from the 1970s and later, in contrast to past events that only included historical objects. The exhibition explores the jeweller’s rich history by juxtaposing vintage jewels, timepieces and objects against their modern equivalents or relations. So a lavish portico mystery clock made of gold, rock crystal and onyx from 1923 sits beside a 2016 mysterious tourbillon pocket watch hanging in its rock crystal and jade stand. Large ‘Portique’ mystery clock (left); and mysterious tourbillon pocket watch with stand Desk clock, circa 1929, made of ebonite, mother-of-pearl, and coral (left); and magnetic clock from 2016, in white gold, lapis lazuli, and mother-of-pearl It’s organised into three themes, detailing the jeweller’s work in materials, design, and cultural inspiration. The two scarab motif jewels, for instance, are six decades apart, but share the same Ancient Egyptian theme...
Read article
Taking another look at the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Sapphire Rainbow Time+Tide
Oct 4, 2019

Taking another look at the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Sapphire Rainbow

Editor’s note: OK, yes, it seems as though every time you scroll through Instagram these days, it’s highly probable that your feed will be inundated with myriad “rainbow” bejewelled-bezel timepieces.            And whether you’re for or against them, there’s no denying it – these bedazzled technicolour flex watches are firmly solidified in the zeitgeist of current … ContinuedThe post Taking another look at the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Sapphire Rainbow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Read article

Comments 1

  1. Anonymous
    So the rotating cage just averages out gravity's effect on the balance wheel across the full rotation? That's actually elegant. Makes sense why these cost so much.

Leave a comment

All comments are reviewed before they go live. Email is for our records only - it's never published.