Tourbillon: What is a Tourbillon – the functionality briefly explained

The tourbillon is a testament to high watchmaking craftsmanship and is praised as a valuable complication in numerous luxury watches. Technically, it is not a complication but a valuable device to maintain accuracy in mechanical watches. Translated from French, tourbillon means "whirlwind."

When purchasing a luxury watch with fine mechanics, collectors and watch enthusiasts will frequently encounter the term "tourbillon." This sophisticated function originated in the former pocket watches of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose accuracy was significantly affected by being carried vertically.

Development of the Tourbillon by Abraham Louis Breguet

This complex problem was addressed by Abraham Louis Breguet in 1795, who then developed the tourbillon and revolutionized the watch world. The problem was that pocket watches were always carried vertically in the vest or pocket, and the balance wheel inside had to constantly fight against gravity as the driving force. On the downward path, the balance wheel ran slightly faster, and on the upward path, a bit slower, which over time affected the accuracy of pocket watches.

The tourbillon causes the cage with the balance wheel to rotate once per minute in the opposite direction, counteracting gravity. In the following decades and centuries, further developments of the tourbillon were made, such as the flying tourbillon by Alfred Helwig. A relatively recent advancement is the Gyrotourbillon by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Here, the cage of the Gyrotourbillon rotates three-dimensionally, completely compensating for all effects of gravity.

Is the Tourbillon still contemporary?

The transition from pocket watch to wristwatch is now almost complete, although there will of course still be enthusiasts of pocket watches. In a wristwatch, the tourbillon is somewhat outdated, since the original problem no longer exists. Instead of a constant vertical position of the balance wheel, the arm is almost always in motion, and gravity does not need to be compensated.

However, the tourbillon remains an attractive feature and above all a sign of the highest watchmaking art. Probably for this reason, many manufacturers continue to choose to use the tourbillon.

Tourbillon Watches

• Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon
• Hublot Tourbillon
• Breguet Tourbillon
• Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon
• A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon in platinum
• TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T