Tourbillon Watches · Page 47

Introducing: Audemars Piguet Quietly Releases A Pair Of Royal Oak Flying Tourbillons With New 'Dimpled' Dial

A new dial pattern gives the Royal Oak a fresh face.

Audemars Piguet Introduces Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon “Dimpled Dial”

Arguably the most significant Audemars Piguet timepiece ever, the Royal Oak celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with a host of new models, including the all-new Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 16202 and even a skeletonised, selfwinding flying tourbillon. And just before entering the New Year, Audemars Piguet (AP) dropped the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon “Dimpled Dial”. Essentially identical to the standard model, the new version – which is available in either white or pink gold – is distinguished by its surface finishing: dimples on the dial and frosting on the bezel. Limited to 33 pieces each, the pair are primarily for Japan, with only a handful of watches available outside the country. According to our sources, the unusual combination of finishes were proposed by Japanese watch influencer Chronopeace, explaining why most of the run will be sold only in Japan – though this has neither been confirmed nor denied by AP. Initial thoughts I first heard about this discreet release when images were shared with me. As AP occasionally won’t say what drops, the watch was not announced officially, but instead quietly added to its online catalogue, perhaps because it is only available in Japan. Despite being low key, this new release will surely appeal to anyone who likes the Royal Oak but wants the added oomph of a special dial. At a glance, the watch easily reveals itself to be stunning. The layout and style are familiar, but the few tweaks to the dial an...

Best Chronograph 2022: Jacob & Co. Jean Bugatti Tourbillon Chronograph

Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra Plat Anniversaire 5365: Celebrating 220 Years Since The Invention Of The Tourbillon With Easter Eggs – Reprise

The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra Plat Anniversaire 5365 marks the 220th anniversary of the invention of the tourbillon by Abraham-Louis Breguet, and it approaches the milestone with restraint and an 'Easter egg' nod to those in the know.

Best Tourbillon 2022: Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon

A Collector’s View: Is Akrivia Bound For Glory? (Spoiler Alert – Yes!) – Reprise

If you follow the world of independent watchmaking, by now you’ve almost certainly heard of watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi and his Akrivia watches. Since arriving on the scene in 2012 with its first tourbillon-based watch, Akrivia has continued to delight. But is this independent bound for glory? GaryG predicts the future.

Pushing case design with the Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve

What is a watch case? Is it simply a container for the movement? The frame to a beautiful piece of art? For Hublot it seems the case is much more and should be a continuation of the design. And nowhere do we see this ideology play out better than in the new Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon … ContinuedThe post Pushing case design with the Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Up Close: Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minutes Rétrograde

While Blancpain is best known for its retro dive watches and triple calendars, the brand’s catalogue includes a surprisingly broad range of complications, especially for a brand of its scale (but the fact that the brand is part of Swatch Group clearly helps). One of its most interesting recent complications is the Villeret Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minutes Rétrograde, the first Blancpain watch with either a jumping hours or retrograde display. Despite the lengthy name, the Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minutes Rétrograde, from now on simply THSMR, is a simple watch on its face, but one executed in an elaborate manner with details that speak to its quality. The dial is champlevé enamel with a symmetrical time display and “floating” flying tourbillon, while the movement has a six-day power reserve and bridges finished with guilloche. Initial thoughts Unlike most of Blancpain’s complications that formal and busy, the THSMR is an elegant watch with an almost minimalist design. The fired enamel dial has a figure-of-eight display that gives it almost perfect symmetry, except for the charmingly quirky hour window that is off-centre but just right. And up close the tourbillon appears to be “floating” thanks to a clear sapphire lower bridge. It is a fairly large watch as most Blancpain watches now are, though it’s not too thick at just over 11 mm high. But the size is grounded in its mechanics: the cal. 260MR is a sizeable movement with an impressive six-day power r...

INTRODUCING: The Zenith Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon is high-tech AF

Even though it’s one of the most involved complications in the industry, developments in expertise and technology have enabled many brands to experiment with the tourbillon. A double tourbillon, however, is more rarely seen. Whether that’s due to the inversely proportional relationship of time and the usefulness of tourbillons in wristwatches or the inherent complexity … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Zenith Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon is high-tech AF appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Year In Review: Ten Things Our Ex-Newbie Learned About Watches In 2022

I know what a tourbillon is. Sort of.

Grand Seiko T0 Constant Force Tourbillon: I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes – Reprise

As Joshua Munchow swiped through posts on Instagram one day, he was stopped in his tracks, toothbrush dangling from his gaping mouth, eyes wide, and one singular thought running through his head as he stared at his phone: Grand Seiko doesn’t make movements like this. This is an avant-garde tourbillon movement with a constant force escapement and incredible, exposed mechanics! What in the world . . .?! Meet the T0.

New: Zenith DEFY Extreme Double Tourbillon

Zenith DEFY Extreme Double Tourbillon combines the best of complications with a 1/100th second chronograph and a double tourbillon.

Auction Watch: The Unique Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT001

On very rare occasions does Grand Seiko create unique versions of its watches. But it has done so with a unique version of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon – the one-off reference SLGT001 – that will go under the hammer at Phillips’ New York auction December 11, with some proceeds from the sale going to a children’s charity. Anyone who read our earlier in-depth, two-part story on the Kodo (part I covers the watch and part II its technical features) will understand the the impressive technical achievement that is its movement. The SLGT001 has all of that, but in a unique execution specifically for the auction. Engraved “Unique Piece No. 1/1” on the back, the SLGT001 is instantly recognisable as a one-off. While the standard version of the model has a monochromatic grey palette, the SLGT001 is set apart by its colour: heat-blued and gilded components against rhodium-plated bridges. Most of the screws are blued steel, while the three-armed tourbillon carriage is blued titanium. And the SLGT001 is also distinguished by its case material. Unlike the standard model that has a case made up of both titanium and platinum, this is entirely in Brilliant Hard Titanium, the brand’s proprietary alloy that boasts a brighter, more silvery hue than most titanium alloys. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the SLGT001 will go to the Children’s Heart Foundation. Besides benefiting a good cause, the winning bidder will also get a trip to Japan to meet the team behind...

New: Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Tourbillon Phoenix and Dragon

Vacheron Constantin continues to delve into its massive capabilities in  Métiers d'art with the new Traditionelle Tourbillon Phoenix and Dragon.

Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve Rainbow 3D Carbon: The Color Does The Talking

The MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve Rainbow 3D Carbon is an excellent example of Hublot doing what it does best: challenging the status quo as a conversation piece. And Martin Green loves it!

Review: The Grönefeld 1941 Principia Special Edition for Sincere Fine Watches

Grönefeld – managed by brothers Bart and Tim Grönefeld – is a household name in high-end independent watchmaking. The brand, based in the Netherlands, is known for its contemporary design, immaculate finissage and technical complications. For a long while, watches with technical complications such as the tourbillon, remontoire and deadbeat seconds were the only normRead More

Introducing The Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve in Rainbow 3D Carbon

A Closer Look at the Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie

Launched in 2017, the Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie is one of the brand’s most complicated and innovative timepieces. Wei takes a closer look at this repeater with a 43.5 x 16.13mm case, 72 hours of power reserve and a hand-finished tourbillon inclined at 25 degrees that completes a full rotation every 24 seconds. Its crisp […]

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique: Excellence In Tourbillon Chronometry

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique from 2016 is a dress tourbillon of the modern era that does much more than look pretty. Tim Mosso takes a closer look here and divulges in-depth background.

Hands-On: Patek Philippe Ref. 5004J-017 “Michael Ovitz”

Going on the block at Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction is the Patek Philippe ref. 5004J “Michael Ovitz”. It’s lot 2520 and one of the watches from The Triazza Collection, an impressive accumulation of watches owned by a prominent Hong Kong businessman. The collection is heavy on Patek Philippe. Amongst the other timepieces in the collection is the Patek Philippe tourbillon pocket watch that won first prize at the Geneva Observatory in 1931 (which is also being offered in the same auction) and the Patek Philippe ref. 2499 that once belonged to Eric Clapton (but is not for sale, yet). “MSO” – Michael Steven Ovitz The “MSO” initials on this ref. 5004J instantly reveal it was one of the many, I would two dozen at least, special-order watches that Patek Philippe made for Michael Ovitz starting in 2011. Often described as a “super agent”, Mr Ovitz cofounded Creative Artists Agency (CAA), once the dominant talent agency in Hollywood. After a short-lived spell at Disney, he’s now known for his impressive art collection, some of which is on show in his equally impressive home in California. Though the reason behind Patek Philippe’s accommodation of Mr Ovitz is not publicly known, industry lore has it that the watches were an expression of gratitude by the Sterns after Mr Ovitz assisted them in a significant way. Mr Ovitz has only commented on these watches publicly once, in a 2021 article in Robb Report: “It was the first time Ovitz, who has be...

HANDS-ON: Hublot flex their collab muscles with the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross

Pair a watch brand with a designer. Tell them the only limit is their imagination. The result? The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross.The post HANDS-ON: Hublot flex their collab muscles with the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In-Depth: What Can A Watch That Looks Like A Horse Teach Us About Hermès' Past, Present, And Future?

A horse is a horse, of course, of course. Unless there's a tourbillon and minute repeater and nearly 200 years of history behind the horse, of course.

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Christie’s Hong Kong Auction

Having looked at some of the most fascinating pocket watches and clocks on offer at Christie’s Important Watches auction that happens soon in Hong Kong, we now turn to attention to the genre that many collectors are now pursuing, independent watchmaking. As expected, amongst the offerings going on the block are works from the big names like F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, and H. Moser & Cie. But beyond the usual suspects, the sale also encompasses hidden gems, like the highly complicated tourbillon perpetual calendar by Gerald Genta presented as a Cartier Pasha. The Important Watches auction (lots 2306-2523), including watches from The Triazza Collection, begins at 1 pm on November 27 – the catalogue is available here. It’s followed by the second session (lots 2201-2282) offering watches from The Champion Collection at 7 pm – see the full catalogue here. The fully-engraved Gerald Genta movement inside the Cartier Pasha Lot 2382: Cartier Pasha Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Considered one of the most successful watch designers of the 20th century – though his most influential designs were for Audemars Piguet and the Patek Philippe rather than his own – Gerald Genta was also responsible for some of the most complicated watches of the 1980s and 1990s when his namesake brand was at its peak. In fact, the Genta brand was so proficient at making highly complex watches that Cartier tapped Gerald Genta as a movement supplier for its top-of-the-line complications in the 19...

Cambodian Watchmaking School Debuts an In-House Tourbillon

Presented to the world leaders who were recently in Phnom Penh for the ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN Lotus Tourbillon was created by the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center, the impressively-equipped watchmaking school set up by local conglomerate Prince Holding Group. (I visited the school in 2020 just before it opened its doors – see our report here.) Produced in an initial run of 25 pieces for the summit, it contains a hand-wind movement that is as notable for both its hand finishing and the one-minute tourbillon regulator. Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen was personally involved in the design of the watch – he received the very first example – and posted photos of the watch on his Facebook page a few days before the summit with the comment “Khmer can do it”. Initial thoughts Having been aware of the project and its ambitions since I visited the school two years ago, I was expecting much of the Lotus Tourbillon and I wasn’t disappointed. The quality of the execution is immediately apparent in the hand finishing of the components, particularly for the key components of the tourbillon, namely the cage and bridge. Equally impressive is the fact that it was developed and completed in under two years. Admittedly, the Lotus Tourbillon is plain in terms of the dial and case aesthetics, but the mechanical excellence is obvious. Importantly, the movement is likely to make it into a series of watches that will be sold publicly to raise funds for watchmaking school,...