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Results for Flying Tourbillon

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Wiki · Guide
Tourbillon

Breguet's 1801 rotating-cage escapement, explained.

Wiki · Guide
Flying Tourbillon

Alfred Helwig's 1920 tourbillon variant with no upper bridge; the entire cage is visible.

Exclusive: TAG Heuer To Introduce A COSC Certified Flying Tourbillon Chronograph For Under 20,000CHF (14,900CHF !!!) Revolution
TAG Heuer Mar 22, 2015

Exclusive: TAG Heuer To Introduce A COSC Certified Flying Tourbillon Chronograph For Under 20,000CHF (14,900CHF !!!)

Today, recently appointed General Manager of TAG Heuer, Guy Semon dropped a bombshell on the Revolution team with news of an upcoming watch that certainly is a provocative statement of intent. We at Revolution love our watches, and the passing parade of the best that the Swiss watch industry has to offer is by no means something […]

Pre-SIHH 2015: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon Revolution
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Jan 10, 2015

Pre-SIHH 2015: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon

In the rarified world of fine skeleton tourbillions, Roger Dubuis stands at the forefront. At SIHH, the Manufacture will introduce a timepiece that takes the art form to new heights: the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillion. The Spider name is, of course, inspired by the creators of the complex, gossamer sculptures found in nature. The […]

Introducing - The Bianchet Rotondo UltraFino now in Rose Gold Monochrome
Bianchet Jul 17, 2026

Introducing - The Bianchet Rotondo UltraFino now in Rose Gold

Earlier this year, independent Swiss brand Bianchet expanded beyond its signature tonneau-shaped watches with the launch of the Rotondo UltraFino, a sleek round interpretation of its distinctive designs. With an ultra-thin profile, an integrated bracelet and a flying tourbillon movement, the titanium and carbon models introduced a more versatile side to the young brand while […]

Breguet Quartet for Tourbillon 225th Anniversary SJX Watches
Breguet Quartet Jun 26, 2026

Breguet Quartet for Tourbillon 225th Anniversary

Enjoying a new lease of life under chief executive Gregory Kissling, Breguet is continuing with the revamp and revival of its product range, this time marking the 225th anniversary of Abraham-Louis Breguet invention of the tourbillon. Breguet is rolling out a quartet of models for the occasion, starting with the compact and enthusiast-oriented Classique Tourbillon ref. 7357 that’s an old school 35 mm in diameter. That’s followed by variants of existing models. The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral ref. 7255PT takes things up a notch with a “mysterious” flying tourbillon and aventurine enamel dial, while the Tradition Tourbillon ref. 7047PT is a new look for the long-tenured model featuring a chain-and-fusee transmission. Lastly the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante ref. 5887PT gains a translucent, luminous grand feu enamel dial. The enamel dial of the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante ref. 5887PT features a Super-Luminova star chart Initial thoughts Breguet has steadily refreshed its current line up since Mr Kissling took over, while releasing a handful of all new models, like the innovative Experimentale 1. The new tourbillons mostly fall into the former category; all are based on existing models to varying degrees. Ironically, of the four new models, it’s the entry-level piece that’s arguably the most novel. The Classique Tourbillon 7357 is clearly based on the ref. 3350 of 1989, but it has a new case and dial (but retaining the small case size). The mov...

Introducing: Breguet Celebrates the 225th Anniversary of the Tourbillon with Four New Releases, And the Return of a Collector Favorite (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Breguet Celebrates Jun 26, 2026

Introducing: Breguet Celebrates the 225th Anniversary of the Tourbillon with Four New Releases, And the Return of a Collector Favorite (Live Pics)

The year was 7 Messidor Year IX—or for those who don't follow the French Republican Calendar, June 26, 1801. After years of intense study and experimentation and some correspondence with his friend John Arnold (who similarly experimented with the concept before his death in 1799), Abraham-Louis Breguet was granted a 10-year patent for the "tourbillon." By 1829, Breguet and his workshop would only make 40 watches with the regulating organ, which was designed to eliminate positional errors and distribute oil (which often thickened in place), thereby lubricating parts more evenly. A Breguet four-minute tourbillon watch with échappement naturel, which sold at Sotheby's last year for CHF 1,880,000. Photo courtesy Sotheby's. Well, Abraham-Louis Breguet (and John Arnold) would be proud of how far the concept of the tourbillon has come—he may even be spinning himself if he saw some of the things that have happened with the tourbillon, like Alfred Helwig's invention of the flying tourbillon, let alone the first tourbillon wristwatch—and how many of those concepts have been integrated into watches made under his name. Add to that the fact that Breguet annually makes multiple times the number of his lifetime production, and it's just pretty cool how far things have come in 225 years. The Breguet Experimentale 1, which was launched late last year. The 10Hz, 1-minute tourbillon was one of the most extreme tourbillons ever made. Exposition out of the way, Breguet is celebrating t...

Max-imum cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” SJX Watches
MB&F; Jun 10, 2026

Max-imum cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian”

After more than 20 years, avante garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. It combines a Horological Machine with a high-end shaped movement, flying tourbillon the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a designer. That Maertens did the har...

MAXimum Cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” is a Robot Watch-Clock SJX Watches
MB&F; Jun 10, 2026

MAXimum Cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” is a Robot Watch-Clock

After more than 20 years, avant-garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. The HM12 is a Horological Machine containing a high-end shaped movement featuring a flying tourbillon, nestled in the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and founder Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a...

Hands-On: The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Skeleton Hodinkee
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon May 22, 2026

Hands-On: The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Skeleton

The Schaffhausen-based H. Moser & Cie. made quite an unconventional splash this year at Watches & Wonders, with its completely out-of-left-field collaboration with Reebok for the Streamliner "Pump," a watch-and-sneaker release that only this brand could somehow manage to pull off. But there was a release that kind of slipped under the radar earlier in the year that I think offers a really excellent combination of Moser's strengths in one watch, which warrants a closer look. I'm talking about the Endeavour Tourbillon Skeleton launched at the end of January, and it's been a watch I've wanted to see in person since the announcement went live. On paper, it seems like a simple enough concept: take the skeletonized flying tourbillon movement Caliber HMC-814 introduced back in 2024 for the integrated bracelet Streamliner collection, and pair it with one of Moser's more classic and conservative Endeavour silhouettes. For me, that skeletonized flying tourbillon caliber has remained one of my favorite architectures that the brand has ever come out with, and I think the extra bit of elegance gained with the Endeavour case makes it stand out on its own. That 40mm Endeavour case, in 5N red gold, should feel very familiar to those who like Moser's designs. It is a twist on a dressier silhouette that looks simple from the top down, but at any other angle, the Endeavour has many interesting little design touches, from the concave bezel to the distinctive sculpting of the case flanks. They...

Hands On: FVF Genève FVF1 “Seven Poets” SJX Watches
May 21, 2026

Hands On: FVF Genève FVF1 “Seven Poets”

FVF Genève founder Franc Vila has created a unique piece of his flagship tourbillon for a noted European collector of independent and complicated watches who goes by @thedeadwatchsociety on Instagram. The FVF1 Tourbillon “Seven Poets” is a romantic twist on the day complication that assigns a daily reading from one of seven historical poets. Initial thoughts Franc Vila is a man of many passions. His atelier in central Geneva is packed with art, and each piece has a story — I can’t think of anyone better to create a poetry-themed watch. Neither, it seems, could the lucky owner who commissioned the Seven Poets. The watch is fundamentally similar to the standard FVF1 C2 Tourbillon Superligero, with its 42.5 mm case, titanium monocoque construction, seven-sided day roller, and flying tourbillon architecture. Even in its basic configuration, the FVF1 is a distinctive offering that relaunched Mr Vila’s career after he parted ways with his eponymous brand. But the Seven Poets is anything but basic. Like the “Today” edition reviewed last year, the Seven Poets deviates from the norms of traditional watchmaking. Instead of indicating the day of the week, the day roller has been repurposed to feature the hand-engraved names of seven poets that are personally meaningful to the owner who commissioned the watch. I liked the conceptual, philosophical statement made by the “Today” edition, and the Seven Poets takes it one step further. This simple change to an indicat...

Introducing: The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Vanguart May 4, 2026

Introducing: The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic (Live Pics)

What We Know If there's a young brand that's certainly made an aggressive push in the realm of industrial-aesthetic haute horlogerie, it's Vanguart. Mark Kauzlarich told the brand's founding story last year, highlighting a team with an absolutely stacked resume in high-end watchmaking. So today, we're taking a look at the brand's newest take on its second watch, the Orb, with its newest treatment—pink ceramic. It's a unique offering in the space, certainly due to its all-pink livery, but also thanks to its collaboration with retailer Material Good for this 25-piece limited edition. The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic's exclusivity with the retailer is probably no surprise, given the large push by Material Goods' Yoni Ben-Yehuda to promote the upstart brand through its sales channels. Here, what was originally an aggressive machine in black and silver gets toned down in shades of powdery pink thanks to the inclusion of colored ceramic within the 41mm by 10.5mm titanium case, seen in both the side of the case as well as the function selector pusher in the crown (more on that in a little bit). The accent extends onto the openworked dial of the watch, which is more a three-dimensional city of components that puts the flying tourbillon on full display. The handset, skeletonized and filled with lume at the ends, sits above everything else. Though telling the time probably isn't the strict mission of the Orb, a nicely decorated minutes track sits between strips of pink, color and tex...

Introducing - H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Monochrome
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Minute Apr 18, 2026

Introducing - H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton

H. Moser & Cie. fearlessly takes two of its most prestigious complications, strips away all superfluous elements, and reveals them up front in the Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton. Exposing its dial-side minute repeater and cylindrical hairspring flying tourbillon in a fully skeletonised form, Moser ascends to new heights on the complications ladder. Launched […]

Introducing - Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum Monochrome
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Apr 16, 2026

Introducing - Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum

A year after Piaget broke the record for the thinnest tourbillon with its 2mm Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, Bulgari, following its decade-long pursuit of ultra-thin watchmaking, unveiled the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon in titanium, now the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon at just 1.85mm. The new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum edition does not aim to break […]

Louis Vuitton’s Arty Automata is Psychedelic Metiers d’Art SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton s Arty Automata Apr 6, 2026

Louis Vuitton’s Arty Automata is Psychedelic Metiers d’Art

The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest creation from Louis Vuitton to feature jacquemart, or mechanical animations. Like the Tambour Opera before it, the Arty Automata features a complex, multi-layer dial with multiple mechanisms that whir into motion at the press of a button, including spinning hearts and a swivelling eyeball. But this also incorporates a flying tourbillon at six, while the dial itself is grand feu enamel – and tiny bird feathers for the eyelashes. Initial thoughts The flamboyant, psychedelic Arty Automata is definitely not for everyone, but the mechanical and artisanal credentials of the watch are impressive (save for one detail, more on that later). To start with, the Arty Automata is a more manageable 42 mm by 13.6 mm, compared to earlier automata models that were several millimetres larger. Combined with the form of the new Tambour Taiko case, this makes the Art Automata more wearable than its predecessors. More than ergonomics, the scaled down case also underlines the movement development prowess of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). The attention to detail in terms of the movement also shows in its aesthetics: the calibre adopts the house style of LFT with its relief bridges, but adopted to the “Arty” aesthetic with stars, clouds, and a lacquered rotor. That said, the Etachron-type regulator index for the balance is definitely out of place in a watch of this price. The watch also illustrates the capabilities of the metiers d’art workshop in ...

Ferdinand Berthoud, Inverted: The Chronomètre FB 2TV.1 SJX Watches
Chopard s haut de gamme Apr 3, 2026

Ferdinand Berthoud, Inverted: The Chronomètre FB 2TV.1

Ferdinand Berthoud (FB), Chopard’s haut de gamme sub-brand, introduces its first flying tourbillon just weeks before Watches & Wonders. The Mesure du Temps 1787 Chronomètre FB 2TV.1 is exceptional in both quality and price, presenting almost everything of interest on the dial side - chain and fusee included - along with hacking and zero-reset seconds. The dial-side spectacle will be the calling card of the new Mesure du Temps 1787 collection. Initial thoughts The revival of long-dead masters’ names to sell unrelated watches is a practice that invites scepticism - and often deserves it. The Ferdinand Berthoud brand, however, is a different matter. There is nothing cynical about it, and one suspects the man himself wouldn’t mind being associated with some of the finest mechanical watches being made today - in his home town, no less. A different name on the dial, Scheufele perhaps, might still feel more authentic, but that’s a minor quibble with what is otherwise an overwhelmingly high quality watch. The latest take on the brand’s chronometer-inspired formula adds one of my favourite features: a zero-reset seconds hand. Though I prefer the designs of the brand’s past projects, the FB 2TV.1 suggests the team at FB understands what the market wants, and the movement-as-a-dial aesthetic is hot right now. The flying tourbillon is new for the brand, in both technique and aesthetics. Until now the brand’s massive revolving regulators were secreted away on the...

First Look - The New David Candaux DC6 Night Forest, In Carbon and Titanium Monochrome
Jaeger-LeCoultre Mar 30, 2026

First Look - The New David Candaux DC6 Night Forest, In Carbon and Titanium

David Candaux, a native of the Vallée de Joux with experience at Jaeger-LeCoultre and collaborations as a concepteur horloger for renowned brands, launched his own brand in 2017 with the DC1. The watch that followed, the DC6, established his signature: a bassinet-shaped case, a 30° inclined flying tourbillon, and the patented “Magic Crown” at 6 […]

Louis Vuitton Returns Home with the Escale Worldtime SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe These Jan 19, 2026

Louis Vuitton Returns Home with the Escale Worldtime

Louis Vuitton revives its emblematic Escale Worldtime complication with significant technical upgrades and metiers d’art craftsmanship. Powered by a new family of mid-sized movement from La Fabrique du Temps, the collection comprises two models distinguished by their decorative treatments: the standard Worldtime features a hand-painted flag disc reproducing the brand’s iconic trunk motifs, while the Worldtime Flying Tourbillon elevates the execution with an arduously made champlevé grand feu enamel city ring requiring 40 firings to achieve its kaleidoscopic palette. This reimagining of the worldtime complication draws directly from Louis Vuitton’s heritage of hand-painted personalised monograms on historical trunks - a visual language no other watchmaker can authentically claim - translating the brand’s trunk-making legacy into haute horlogerie. Initial thoughts Last year, Louis Vuitton launched a new line of high-end movements built and decorated to the standards of industrial-haute horlogerie automatics from the likes of Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe. These movements debuted in the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, a complication requiring a small-diameter movement - 23 mm in that case. Though finely made, these movements were arguably too small for a ~40 mm watch, as seen with the otherwise excellent Monterey re-issue. Demonstrating the impressive capacity of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), Louis Vuitton has filled that void in its movement portfolio with a li...

Hands On: Ulysse Nardin UR-Freak SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin UR-Freak One Dec 22, 2025

Hands On: Ulysse Nardin UR-Freak

One of the standout releases from Dubai Watch Week was the UR-Freak, a collaboration between Ulysse Nardin (UN) and Urwerk that embodies some of the most enduring motifs of each brand. More UN than Uwerk, the UR-Freak nonetheless incorporate’s the latter’s satellite wandering hours display, adapted to the Freak’s slow-moving flying tourbillon. A limited run of just 100 individually numbered pieces, the UR-Freak confers some of Urwerk’s disruptive cache to UN, a legacy brand celebrating its 180th anniversary next year. The wandering hours tourbillon To understand why the UR-Freak is such a compelling collaboration, one must understand what UN and Urwerk bring to the table, respectively. The UN Freak turns 25 in 2026, marking a quarter-century of the quirky tourbillon that introduced silicon to watchmaking. That innovation alone would have secured the Freak’s place in watchmaking history, but it was arguably more memorable for its unusual design that put much of the movement (including the escapement) on a rotating platform on the dial. The Freak One is an example of the typical Freak architecture. Ulysse Nardin refers to this architecture as a flying carousel, perhaps to differentiate the standard models from those with a nested tourbillon. Nomenclature aside, it’s technically a tourbillon by nature of its operation, which powers the escapement through a fixed-ring gear (which can be seen around the edge of the dial). In all previous Freak models to date, the mo...

Precious Pocket Watches at Sotheby’s, Including a US$7.7 Million AP SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet dubbed “Grosse Pièce” Dec 8, 2025

Precious Pocket Watches at Sotheby’s, Including a US$7.7 Million AP

Pocket watches were the main driver of value at Sotheby’s New York auction that just concluded today. The four most valuable lots of the sale were three pocket watches and one clock, totalling over US$16 million with fees. Notably, all four were accrued by the late Robert M. Olmsted over more than six decades, along with numerous other pocket watches in the sale. In all the Olmsted Collection brought over US$20 million, underling the late Olmsted’s discerning eye. The top lot was the most complicated watch ever made by Audemars Piguet, dubbed “Grosse Pièce” for its size. The oversized watch set a record for the brand, selling for just over US$7.7 million including fees. It seemed a rising tide lifted all boats as many other pocket watches in the sale, including those from brands with little cachet today, blew past their high estimates. The big results included a 1930s school watch with a flying tourbillon by German watchmaker Heinz Eberhard that sold for US$355,600 and an oversized tourbillon clockwatch by Charles Frodsham that sold for US$1.12 million. Interestingly, many of these pocket watches went to the same paddle. Patek Philippe The “Grosse Pièce” wasn’t the first timepiece in the sale to clear seven figures. That distinction went to lot 32, a previously unknown Patek Philippe paperweight desk clock made for Thomas Emery, which sold for US$2.73 million. It is one of only three known Patek Philippe desk clocks of this type, with the other two – made...

Ensemble Debut: The Cavasino Inaugural Tourbillon FT60-S SJX Watches
Bulgari focused Dec 3, 2025

Ensemble Debut: The Cavasino Inaugural Tourbillon FT60-S

Cavasino makes its debut with the Inaugural Tourbillon FT60, a compact flying-tourbillon wristwatch that reflects the industrial engineering background of its founder, Didier Cavasino. Before establishing his eponymous brand, Mr Cavasino spent more than a decade at Rolex working on the industrialisation of new projects, followed by a leadership role at Bulgari focused on process optimisation. That experience informs both the FT60’s ensemble execution and supports the brand’s vision, which emphasises modern manufacturing methods and traditional haute horlogerie craftsmanship in equal measure. Initial thoughts Cavasino is a new brand making its debut with a deceptively intricate flying tourbillon. An engineer by training with dual degrees from École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), founder Didier Cavasino entered the watchmaking industry through industrial engineering roles, including more than a decade at Rolex working on the industrialisation of new projects. From there, he moved on to Bulgari where he led a team of 20 people focused primarily on process optimisation and continuous improvement. This background contrasts with the bench training that is more typical among up-and-coming independent watchmakers, but it’s this industrial orientation that makes Mr Cavasino’s plan to produce and deliver 15-20 pieces per year seem quite feasible. While it’s unreasonable to expect to fully derive a new brand...

In-Depth: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie SJX Watches
Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie Blancpain Nov 24, 2025

In-Depth: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

Blancpain has just unveiled its most complex modern-day watch, the Grande Double Sonnerie, to mark its 190th anniversary. This CHF1.7 million grand complication signals Blancpain’s return to the highest tier of haute horlogerie. One of the most technically ambitious chiming wristwatches ever made, the Grande Double Sonnerie incorporates traditional complications: grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, flying tourbillon, and retrograde perpetual calendar, but also offers an unexpected twist with two distinct chiming melodies, a Westminster chime plus a a bespoke sequence composed for Blancpain by Eric Singer of rock band Kiss. Initial thoughts It has been some time since Blancpain unveiled a truly headline-grabbing complication. The manufacture made its name in this arena with the 1735 of 1991, but in the decades since, its output has leaned toward more conventional high-end offerings - perpetual calendars, tourbillons, carrousels, and chiming watches - while its commercial momentum has come largely from the Fifty Fathoms and Villeret triple calendar. The unexpected Grande Double Sonnerie is therefore a reminder of what Blancpain can do at the very top level of watchmaking. The Le Brassus-based manufacture tends to be overlooked when speaking of high horology today, but the Grande Double Sonnerie should remind enthusiasts how sure-footed Blancpain is in this regard. Even before considering the many complexities of the timepiece, the watch impresses from the fir...

First Look - The New Vanguart Black Hole Tourbillon in Rose Gold Monochrome
Vanguart Nov 22, 2025

First Look - The New Vanguart Black Hole Tourbillon in Rose Gold

Independent watchmaking loves a good origin story, and Vanguart has got one. Founded in 2017 by APRP alumni Axel Leuenberger and Jérémy Freléchox, designer Thierry Fischer and F1-insider Mehmet Korutürk, the brand debuted with the Black Hole Tourbillon in 2021. That first watch featured a levitating flying tourbillon, concentric automaton discs that warp time around […]

Hands-On Review Of The New Zenith DEFY Skyline Tourbillon WatchAdvice
Zenith DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Nov 15, 2025

Hands-On Review Of The New Zenith DEFY Skyline Tourbillon

A tourbillon with attitude and a dial that refuses to be ignored. Zenith takes the DEFY Skyline to a whole new level with this rose-gold powerhouse. Bold, modern, and seriously impressive on the wrist! What We Love The combination of a brick-red dial with 18kt rose gold is the perfect combination. Rich, warm, and instantly eye-catching. High-frequency movement and a flying tourbillon is an extremely rare combination that Zenith has executed with some serious technical finesse. From the mirror-polished chamfers to the brushed facets and the rose-gold rotor, everything feels intentional, premium, and beautifully executed. What We Don’t Limited versatility when on the full-gold bracelet. It pushes the watch firmly into “special occasion” territory. A premium model with stunning looks and highly technical movement, the price, however, might put the watch out of reach for many. While the rotor and caseback finishing are gorgeous, much of the movement is still closed off, and some collectors may wish for a more open view. Overall Rating: 9.1/10 Value for money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9.5/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build quality: 9/10 Zenith has long stood as a brand that has valued itself on precision and bold mechanical innovation, all the way from its roots back in Le Locle in 1865. This has become apparent even more with the invention of the El Primero movement, cementing the brand’s position as one of the leaders of high-beat performance. In the modern era of watchmaking, Zenith...

SJX Podcast: AP Reinvents the Chronograph, Big Brands vs. Indies, and VC CEO SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Oct 5, 2025

SJX Podcast: AP Reinvents the Chronograph, Big Brands vs. Indies, and VC CEO

On episode 12 of the SJX Podcast, SJX shares his hands-on impressions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5, the fifth and final watch from the brand’s R&D; skunkworks. We also address listener questions about the (great) leadership at Vacheron Constantin, and whether brands like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin can gain market share from independents – why not? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.  

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5, a Thin Watch with Tall Ambitions SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet s Royal Oak Chronograph Oct 1, 2025

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5, a Thin Watch with Tall Ambitions

Audemars Piguet (AP) reinvents the chronograph with the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5. Inside the titanium and palladium BMG case – standing just 8.1 mm high – is the cal. 8100, a new take on the chronograph mechanism that employs spring-loaded racks to gather and store energy. The RD#5 is the fifth and final instalment in the “RD” series of watches that underline the impressive technical know-how of AP, particularly its Le Locle manufacture that evolved from Renaud & Papi (APRP). Conceived with the goal of creating a chronograph that is extra slim and easy on the fingers, the RD#5 boasts exceptionally light and comfortable pusher feel, an instantaneously-jumping minutes counter, and an exceptionally slim profile (thanks in part to peripheral winding), all while remaining amenable to industrial-haute horlogerie manufacturing. It’s one of the most technically interesting debuts of 2025, and we explain AP’s new take on the chronograph in detail below. The cal. 8100 with its unorthodox chronograph and peripheral rotor Initial thoughts Outwardly just another Royal Oak, with the same ideal proportions and class-leading bracelet as the iconic “Jumbo”, the RD#5 is actually one of the most innovative mechanical chronographs in recent years. Perhaps the only comparison for out-of-the-box chronograph construction is AgenGraphe that was unveiled almost a decade ago. The watch was evidently developed with two goals in ...

H. Moser & Cie. has a New Take on the Wandering Hours SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie has Sep 4, 2025

H. Moser & Cie. has a New Take on the Wandering Hours

Schaffhausen-based H. Moser & Cie. returns to a complication it once offered with the Pioneer Flying Hours, a new take on the wandering hours. The watch indicates the minutes on a central ring, while the hours seemingly jump from one window to the other. With this intriguing new display, the Flying Hours might just be being one of the most interesting jumping hours on the market.  Initial thoughts The Pioneer Flying Hours is not Moser’s first attempt at the wandering hours: the Endeavour Flying Hours was launched some seven years ago and an update on the historical complication. With new Pioneer, however, Moser manages to capture the mystique of both early wandering hours and mysterious clocks with its darting, wandering display. It is a tidy and admittedly novel reinterpretation of the wandering hours, which will surely appeal to collectors. There is something poetic about the minutes scale moving continuously across shuttered apertures, its sweep much like a bridge between points in time, here represented spatially. The combination of the sporty and large Pioneer case is also odd with the wandering hours, historically a complication associated with more formal, slim cases. At almost 43 mm, the case is large even for a sports watch. And to nitpick: if there is anything objectionable from the get-go, that is the name. Strictly speaking, “Flying hours” describes a revolving platform that is only supported from below - like a flying tourbillon. Here the hour disks a...