2,262 articles · 1 video found · page 37 of 76
Alfred Helwig's 1920 tourbillon variant with no upper bridge; the entire cage is visible.
Moser's wildest Streamliner yet pairs a flying tourbillon skeleton with a ceramic case, all under the Alpine F1 banner
Four new calibers in 12 months. The latest drops a flying tourbillon and a micro-rotor into a 39mm Laureato case, and it looks the part.
Breguet's 1801 rotating-cage escapement, explained.
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...
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko's new concept tourbillon is its first tourbillon, and its first constant-force caliber as well.
Quill & Pad
Many watches hold a special significance for their owners. Some timekeepers may be a powerful emotional reminder of an esteemed person, place, or event. Others the long-searched-for keystone in a valued collection. There are watches that can change your mood and generate a smile just by thinking about them. There are even watches that have changed lives, and the Two-Minute Tourbillon by Jean Daniel Nicolas significantly changed Ian Skellern's life. Read how right here.
Deployant
De Bethune presents the DB28 Steel Wheels now equipped with a tourbillon. The movement’s delta bridge and two barrel covers are made of sapphire crystal.
Revolution
De Bethune introduces the DB28 Steel Wheels Sapphire Tourbillon, a new take on the DB28 Steel Wheels with its delta bridge and two barrel covers made of blue sapphire crystal.
Revolution
Bulgari sets its 6th world record with the 3.5mm thick BVL 388 calibre, powering the new 7.4mm thick Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic
Deployant
Audemars Piguet presents a new take on its women’s Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, interweaving the eollection's refined feminine aesthetics and complicated micro-mechanics.
SJX Watches
A fountain-pen maker for most of its history, Montblanc ventured into watchmaking and found success with its entry-level watches produced in its Le Locle factory. But the brand’s high horology watches are made at the former Minerva manufacture in Villeret – Montblanc acquired the brand in 2007 – which produces only a few hundred timepieces each year. The latest model to emerge from Villeret is the Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton, which boasts a skeleton movement that’s been hand-finished the traditional way. Though there is little movement left after the open working, there’s much left to decorate. According to Montblanc, the bridges include 420 inwards angles on their bevelled edges. Initial thoughts Measuring 44.8 mm by 15.01 mm, the Star Legacy Exo Tourbillion Skeleton is a surprisingly massive watch – a characteristic of many Montblanc watches powered by Minerva-derived movements. That’s because most of the calibres are descended from Minerva movements of the early 20th century that were originally built for pocket watches. The advantage is an appealing, old-school layout and aesthetic, but accompanied by the downside of extremely large size, making it impractical as an everyday watch. Priced at about US$160,000, the Exo Tourbillon Skeleton is priced similarly to comparable watches. In fact, it arguably has a finer movement finish than the competition, going by the average standard of movement decoration at Villeret. But at the same time, it is ext...
SJX Watches
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of its first extra-thin wristwatch that was launched in 1957, Piaget launched a series of anniversary watches in 2017, including the flagship Altiplano Tourbillon High Jewelry watch, powered by the cal. 670P caliber that’s a mere 4.6mm tall. Piaget has since continued the series with additional variants featuring exotic dial materials, such as last year’s Altiplano Thin Meteorite. And now Piaget unveils the Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue, a trio of limited-edition, high jewellery tourbillon wristwatches decorated with the infinity symbol rendered in diamonds. Initial Thoughts The race to produce the thinnest wristwatch ever reached its zenith in the 1970s and 1980s, after which tastes shifted in the new century towards ever-larger watches, particularly with the rise of luxury-sports watches. But some watchmakers, notably Bulgari and Piaget, have continued to slim their watches. In that context, the Tourbillon Infinite Blue does not do anything revolutionary, but take takes a tried-and-true formula and elaborates on it with a high level of execution. Baguette diamonds on the bezel and dial, brilliant-cut diamonds on the case band and lugs of the Ref. G0A45044 Like many other modern-day extra-thin watches, the largish diameter of 41 mm is necessitated by the movement’s architecture, which sees the components are spread out, instead of stacked up as in a conventional movement. The size and thinness of the bezel means that the w...
SJX Watches
Originally a series of highly-complicated, extra-large watches for men, the Royal Oak Concept line up has grown to include a handful of women’s watches, including the brand-new and extremely striking Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon. Powered by a hand-wound tourbillon movement, the Royal Oak Concept for women combines the traditional, faceted Concept with the granular Frosted Gold finish conceived by an Italian jeweller for Audemars Piguet, along with a distinctive new dial style of stacked, concentric rings. Initial thoughts When this arrived in my inbox I was quite taken by the styling. Thanks to the shapes and simple finishes, the dial and hands have a clean geometric style that works surprisingly well with the angular Concept case. And the tourbillon serves a higher, aesthetic purpose, with the cage continuing the concentric-ring motif of the dial. With the men’s Concept watches being so large they don’t really fit well on most wrists (especially due to the integrated strap), the women’s Concept at 38.5 mm in diameter probably sits well on most wrists, male or female. Given AP’s mastery of case finishing and the typically high quality of its dials, I expect the watch will be gorgeous in real life. But also given AP’s aggressively high pricing for its watches, I expect this watch to be extremely expensive (prices were not available at press time). Stepped rings The most unusual feature of the new watch is the dial design, a first for the Roy...
Time+Tide
Bulgari has, for more than a century, been regarded as one of the finest luxury jewellery makers on this blue marble we call earth. Their expertise, attention to detail, passion and visionary design has resulted in some of the most stunning pieces of jewellery and objet d’art imaginable. As such, throughout the 20th century, the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite Ref. 103231 is where Bulgari’s two worlds meet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Complicated haute horlogerie doesn’t get much better than twin triple-axis spherical tourbillons as found in the Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon. And while in some cases less is more, here more is definitely more. The tourbillons are mesmerizing in part thanks to their high rotation velocity; they make full revolutions in respectively 8, 16, and 30 seconds. What is behind this masterful piece of high watchmaking?
SJX Watches
Originally introduced as the 12-piece limited edition ref. 5303R-010 for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019, the Minute Repeater Tourbillon was a unique watch amongst the brand’s grand complications. It combined an open dial, partially-skeletonised movement equipped with a minute repeater and tourbillon, within a case with contrast-colour gold inlays. Now the reference has entered the catalogue as a regular-production model with the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Ref. 5303R-001. Initial thoughts When first debuted during the Grand Exhibition in Singapore, the ref. 5303R was polarising but popular. Traditionalists who favour the old-school Patek Philippe style (think Breguet numerals and leaf hands) didn’t appreciate it, but those who wanted something more contemporary or unusual loved it. Initially I though the look was too much, but came to appreciate it, especially in the context of a Patek Philippe collector who already has several watches. This looks different, while still having all of the key features that make it appealing, namely the excellent minute repeater sound and the “octopus” wheel on the back. Skeletonised and inlaid The key features of the new watch are identical to the Singapore edition. The movement is the Cal. R TO 27 PS, featuring both a minute repeater with cathedral gongs and tourbillon. Both the complications are visible on the dial, with the hammers and racks exposed at 11 o’clock, and the gongs circling the dial. Th...
Deployant
Featuring a new Tourbillon Souscription as the first commercial watch made by 23 year old watchmaker Rémy Cools - his background & details of the new watch.
SJX Watches
Originally an 18th century Danish brand, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) was resurrected in 1981 by Peter Baumberger (1939-2010), an antique watch dealer turned watchmaker. While the brand’s best-known timepieces were elegantly-styled wristwatches with teardrop lugs, its greatest technical achievements were pocket watches, all of which were built by Derek Pratt (1938-2009), a deeply talented English watchmaker who was a contemporary of George Daniels. As was typical of the era when pocket watches were the preeminent genre of watch collecting – and the tourbillon was the ultimate complication – Pratt’s best work for UJS were his tourbillon pocket watches. Pratt not only built the movements, but also fabricated some of the dials that were decorated in exceptional guilloche. Peter Baumberger. Photo – Dr Helmut Crott The oval pocket watch The pièce de résistance in Pratt’s series of tourbillon pocket watches is no doubt the Ref. 1 “Hommage”, an oval pocket watch featuring a tourbillon with an integrated remontoir d’egalite. Writing in Derek Pratt – Watchmaker, a book dedicated to the watchmaker’s life and works, watch expert and auctioneer Dr Helmut Crott explained the Ref. 1 was originally conceived as a series of five watches for an Asian collector in the late 1980s. But after the first watch was complete, the client cancelled the rest of the order, making it a “financial disaster for Peter [Baumberger]” according to Dr Crott, , a longtime f...
SJX Watches
A French watchmaker who is just 23 years old, Rémy Cools has just revealed the finished prototype of his debut watch, the Tourbillon Souscription. Mr Cools’ creation is a large watch with no visible crown, giving it a contemporary silhouette, but the look is still heavily classical in style, with the movement and dial strongly influenced by 19th century watchmaking, especially the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet and Jacques Frédéric Houriet according to Mr Cools. Initial thoughts I met Mr Cools at Baselworld 2019 and got to examine the unfinished prototype. It was complete and working, but had not yet been decorated. The prototype was an extremely striking watch, with a strong pocket watch aesthetic but still unique. While clearly modelled on the works of Breguet, it manages to avoid looking like a Breguet. Now that the watch is finished, it is no doubt more impressive; Mr Cools’ photos of the movement and its parts reveal an impressively high level of decoration. Two things go against the watch. One is the pair of crowns on the case back. They are easy enough to use, but feel unnecessarily complicated. The crowns, however, are probably something you get used to and forget about afterwards. The second drawback is the massive height of the watch, which is only 40 mm wide. It stands 15 mm high – including 7 mm of domed sapphire crystal – which gives it a really tall profile. And the thickness is accentuated by the relatively small diameter. That said, the height is ...
SJX Watches
Born in Holland but now based in Geneva, Kees Engelbarts is one of the most prominent and established engravers in Swiss watchmaking. He moved to Geneva in 1994, and began a career as an independent engraving not long after. Amongst the brands he has worked for are major names like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Hublot, but also independent watchmakers like Philippe Dufour and Svend Andersen. Mr Engelbarts also makes watches under his own name, focusing on elaborately engraved or open-worked movements. His latest creation is the Argentium Tourbillon, an incredibly airy yet organic tourbillon that’s been skeletonised entirely by hand. Initial thoughts Mr Engelbarts is one of the oldest names in movement skeletonisation, so whether or not you like the aesthetic, the work is always excellent. His engraved creations are mostly figurative, often depicting a mythological creature, while his skeletonisation is usually organic and extremely striking. Though the look of the Argentium Tourbillon is too alien for me, the work is impressive. The bridges are refined and organic, and looking almost soft, but they are metal. Going from a full bridge made of German silver to an extraterrestrial life form is tedious work made up of cutting and filing. The craft is both delicate and physical, and similar to the craft of a high-end jeweller. A reductive process The Argentium Tourbillon starts with a CH016 movement made by Le Cercle des Horlogers, a movement specialist in Neuchatel that specialise...
Quill & Pad
GaryG loves a surprise! And in the case of the newly-minted H. Moser x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and MB&F; x H. Moser LM101, he is surprised not once, but twice: two distinctive watches that somehow manage the tricky task of maintaining the core brand identity of the lead brand for each, while successfully integrating identifiable cues from the other.
Deployant
We go hands-on with the new H. Moser x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon in funky blue fumé dial, and discussed technicalities with Edouard Meylan.
SJX Watches
Long rumoured and much anticipated, the tie-up between MB&F; and H. Moser & Cie. is here. Moser applied its sensibilities to the MB&F; LM101, while MB&F; revamped its Moser Endeavour Tourbillon. The result is the H. Moser × MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon, which is more than a new, smoky paint job. It is indeed a Moser tourbillon enhanced with MB&F; design, but the redesign goes beyond the styling. An indirect going train was added to reposition the time display, and more importantly, the tourbillon has been reconstructed to feature a cylindrical hairspring, which is surprisingly cool in action. Initial thoughts When I found out about the Moser and MB&F; collaboration some months ago, I expected it to be a wristwatch with a fumé dial and MB&F;-inspired detailing – and it is. At a distance, it is reminiscent of the recent MB&F; LM Thunderdome Triple-Axis Tourbillon, which is substantially more complicated, but also substantially more expensive. Up close, the details reveal it is a Moser. Some details, like the fumé dial, are obvious, while others, like the curved hairspring stud holder and two-tone balance wheel, are more subtle. The watch is not as predictable as the MB&F; x Moser formula might imply. Despite sticking to Moser’s minimalist leanings, the face manages to be thoroughly three-dimensional, though legibility is so-so. Most importantly, it boasts a compelling tourbillon – that is really impressive in motion – while being less expensive than the typical...
SJX Watches
A Singapore-based “micro brand”, Zelos Watches has found success with affordable sports watches, mostly priced at about US$1,000 or less, but often incorporating unusual materials such as carbon fibre or meteorite. But in a significant departure from its usual fare, Zelos has just unveiled the Mirage, a flying tourbillon powered by a calibre made by a noted Swiss movement maker La Joux-Perret. With the case options including Timascus and mokume-gane, which are pattern-welded titanium and bronze respectively, the Mirage certainly sticks to the brand’s design ethos of exotic materials. Initial thoughts While it’s not surprising that the Mirage is substantially more expensive than Zelos’ past models, it is still good value for a watch featuring both a respectable tourbillon movement and an exotic-metal case. The case is sleek and modern, machined to create sharp, wide facets that give it an aggressive stance and complement the contemporary look of the movement. Of the three case materials on offer, the Timascus versions are the most intriguing. Typically found in high-end custom knives, Timascus is being used in a watch for the first time according to Zelos. Flying tourbillon In terms of complications, the Mirage is a radical departure from the brand’s previous offerings. Powered by a skeletonised flying tourbillon movement from La Joux-Perret, the Mirage enters the realm of technical horology. The movement is hand-wound, with its bridges and base plate coate...
Deployant
We take an in-depth look at the Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon Blue - a magnificent grail watch, with many photographs and insights.
SJX Watches
Postponed from its usual mid-May date to end-June, Phillips’ spring watch auction is Geneva is nonetheless the full works, with 214 lots on offer, including the four spectacular Patek Philippe watches from the collection of Jean-Claude Biver, including a ref. 1518 “pink on pink” and a second-series ref. 2499. Also amongst the offerings at the Geneva Watch Auction XI are two important examples of contemporary watchmaking – a pair of F.P. Journe souscription watches consigned by the original owner – Lorenz Bäumer. A jeweller whose workshop is on the storied Place Vendome in Paris, Mr Bäumer is perhaps best known for crafted the tiara worn by Charlene Wittstock when the former Olympic swimmer wed Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2011. But Mr Bäumer is also a watch aficionado who met François-Paul Journe via a mutual friend. Mr Journe had then decided to launch his own brand by taking inspiration from Abraham-Louis Breguet, who had offered clients the opportunity to purchase a newly-developed, fairly-affordable watch by first putting down a deposit – thus “subscribing” to the offer. The jeweller became a “subscriber” and paid the down payment for a Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite “Souscription”, subsequently receiving the watch numbered “14/20” on the dial. A year later, Mr Bäumer was approached once again to “subscribe” for the new Chronomètre à Resonance “Souscription”. He took up the offer, and again got the watch number “14”....
Revolution
Celebrating the digital Watches & Wonders launch, Parmigiani is introducing the Toric Tourbillon Slate, which celebrates both Michel Parmigiani and the FHH’s digital platform.
SJX Watches
The very first case designed by Michel Parmigiani when he founded his eponymous brand, the elegant Toric is now primarily used for haute horlogerie watches. The latest to join the line up is the Toric Tourbillon Red Gold Slate, an extra-thin wristwatch with a flying tourbillon. Initial thoughts Though Parmigiani has tried its hand at contemporary case designs, its true strength is still classical style that references Breguet and other past century greats that Mr Parmigiani is familiar with thanks to his background in watch restoration. So it is with the Toric Tourbillon. Despite being relatively simple in style, the watch is immediately recognisable as a Parmigiani. It has a strongly balanced aesthetic between the guilloché dial, knurled bezel and flying tourbillon. But the prominent “Tourbillon 60 Secondes” label on the dial detracts from the clean style of the dial. Also, the 42.8mm case, though slim, might be a point of contention as it is on the large side for a slightly formal watch. Styling aside, Parmigiani quality is impeccable, for both the internal and external components. In that respect, there’s little to criticise. Toric tradition The very first watch designed by Mr Parmigiani when he launched his brand in 1996 was the Toric Memory Time, a slim, dual time zone watch. Though slightly tweaked, the current Toric case sticks closely to the design of the original, particularly with the prominent knurled bezel that is decorated by a hand-operated machine...
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.