Tourbillons: From Precision Device To Collectors Favorite Complication

The tourbillon is one of the most highly regarded complications you can buy in a wristwatch The reasons for this are usually a combination of its perceived technical difficulty together with its aesthetic beauty The contribution of a tourbillon to the precision of a wristwatch is always a heavily debated topic It was originally developed for pocket watches which remain the vast majority of their time in one or two positions.

When our timekeepers migrated from our pockets to our wrists, the movements of our arms brought the balance wheel in so many different positions that this almost acts as a natural ‘tourbillon’ But then again, we don’t wear a mechanical wristwatch because it is so precise, we wear it because they are objects of great beauty and technical perseverance. After the invention of the tourbillon by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, it remained a rare and exclusive complication In fact, only a. Source