Honouring the Tourbillon with Six Showstoppers

Since its invention by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon has remained one of the most mesmerising mechanisms in watchmaking. Often regarded as a complication in its own right, despite not actually indicating anything most of the time, it is a very complex and extremely precise testament to the maker’s abilities, whoever it is. Rotating at various speeds or even over multiple axes, it remains a truly captivating feature in a watch. With this in mind, we’ve gathered six mechanical marvels that make a downright spectacle out of the tourbillon escapement in various ways! 

Henri Grandjean & Cie The Magician

With no visual mechanical connection for its triple-axis mysterious tourbillon, the Henri Grandjean & Cie The Magician truly lives up to its name. Suspended between two transparent discs that connect it with the rest of the movement, the whole sphere seems to be floating in mid-air. The super-fast rotation is a feast for the eyes, but the rest isn’t half bad either. The indication of time is relegated to the right side, with a date function in the centre, and a day/night indication above it. The Magician comes in titanium or rose gold, with the option of having the latter ornately engraved. All this watchmaking trickery doens’t come cheap, though, as prices start at CHF 350,000 in titanium!

For more information, please visit Henri-Grandjean.com.

Quick Facts – 45mm x 16mm – titanium or rose gold case – optionally engraving or gem-setting – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – offset hour & minutes dial, date, day/night indication – calibre 1831, in-house – manual-winding – triple-axis mysterious tourbillon (10s, 18s, 60s rotations) – 21,600vph – 40h power reserve – alligator leather strap with rose gold folding clasp – CHF 350,000 (titanium) – CHF 380,000 (gold) – CHF 480,000 (gold, engraved)

Vanguart Black Hole Tourbillon

A mechanism as mesmerising as a tourbillon deserves its pedestal in any watch it regulates, so Vanguart decided to put it smack-bang in the middle of its Black Hole Tourbillon. This engineering marvel tells time with three rotating concave discs, aligned horizontally at 9′ to show you the exact hour and minute of the day. The entire three-dimensional construction looks very SciFi, with the dual crowns mimicking a pair of thrusters. One is used for winding and setting the time, while the other is used for quick time adjustments and the time zone function. Limited to 8 pieces per version (titanium or gold), prices start at CHF 355,000.

For more information, please visit Vanguart.com.

Quick Facts – 45mm diagonal x 15.75mm thickness – titanium or rose gold exo-skeleton case – double crowns – sapphire crystal front & back – concentric automaton dial with concave hour & minute discs – levitating flying tourbillon – vertical power reserve – calibre T-1701, hand-wound – 775 components – 21,600vph – 42h power reserve – integrated rubber strap with pin buckle – limited to 8 pieces per version – CHF 355,000 (titanium) or CHF 410,000 (rose gold)

Breguet Classique tourbillon Sidéral 7255

On the more classic side, we have the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 to mark the brand’s 250th anniversary. Set in a Breguet gold case is a dark blue Grand Feu aventurine enamel dial with a rather large aperture for its regulating organ. And this isn’t any old regulating organ, but a mysterious flying tourbillon. The lower bridge and support for the tourbillon are made from sapphire, vanishing in thin air, much like in the Henri Grandjean The Magician. Time is read on a raised blue PVD-coated Breguet gold ring with gold hands. Around the back, the finishing almost looks restrained, almost sober. Only 50 will be made, priced at CHF 190,000.

For more information, please visit Breguet.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 10.2mm – Breguet gold case, polished – fluted caseband – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – blue Grand Feu aventurine enamel base dial – raised blue hour ring – gold Breguet hands – exposed mysterious flying tourbillon – calibre 187M1, manually wound – 18,000vph – 50h power reserve – navy blue alligator leather strap with Breguet gold triple-folding clasp – limited to 50 individually numbered pieces – CHF 190,000

Montblanc Star Legacy suspended Exo Tourbillon

While the tourbillon usually puts the escapement in an external rotating cage, the Montblanc Star Legacy suspended Exo tourbillon Versailles actually does things a bit differently. The escapement in this opulent Château de Versailles-inspired edition is mounted over the tourbillon cage, allowing it to oscillate independently. It’s suspended underneath a single arm-bridge, which is engraved with the Minerva signature. Time is indicated in the upper half, and the whole watch is finished with an incredible level of detail. Montblanc will make only 8 of these splendid Métiers d’Art creations, and will set you back an eye-watering EUR 259,000.

For more information, please visit montblanc.com.

Quick Facts – 44.8mm x 15.52mm – 18k yellow gold case, polished & engraved – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – 18k white gold base dial with marquetry decoration – exposed Exo Tourbillon escapement – champlevé enamel hour & minute dial – calibre MB M16.68, manually wound – in-house – 18,000vph – 50h power reserve – grey calfskin leather strap with alligator print & yellow gold triple-folding clasp – limited to 8 pieces only – EUR 259,000

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Skeleton Tourbillon

As one of the very few brands capable of manufacturing hairsprings, it’s only natural that H. Moser & Cie. regularly puts them on full display. The latest captivating watch to do so is the gorgeous Endeavour Skeleton Tourbillon, which features a double hairspring for the tourbillon escapement. A double hairsping improves chronometric precision and stability by smoothing out imbalances between the two. It’s set in a beautifully skeletonised movement and housed in a rose gold case. Worn on a dark brown alligator Nubuck leather strap, it is part of the permanent collection and retails for CHF 85,400 before taxes.

For more information, please visit H-Moser.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 10.7mm – 18k rose gold case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – openworked dial/movement with anthracite finish – gold-plated markers & hands with SLN – calibre HMC 814, in-house – automatic winding with skeleton rotor – one-minute tourbillon with double hairspring – 21,600vph – 72h power reserve – dark brown alligator Nubuck leather strap with pin buckle – permanent collection – CHF 85,400 excl. VAT

David Candaux DC7 Blue Hawk

The DC7 Blue Hawk by independent watchmaking mastermind David Candaux inclines its exposed flying tourbillon escapement at 30°. This angle mitigates the influence of gravity on the hairspring even further than a regular tourbillon would, and improves chronometric stability. It regulates the manually wound calibre H70, which is also inclined into the case, but this time at 3°. The full titanium case is polished by hand, and features Candaux’s patented Magic Crown and a blue titanium dial with a sandwich construction. It’s limited to 8 pieces and is worn on a rubber strap with various buckle and clasp options, priced at CHF 149,000.

For more information, please visit DavidCandaux.com.

Quick Facts – 44mm x 14mm – grade 5 titanium case, polished – asymmetrical basin-shape – sapphire crystal front & back – retractable “Magic” crown – multi-level sandwich dial in blue – applied markers & hands with SLN – exposed 30° inclined tourbillon escapement – calibre H70, manually wound – in-house – 21,600vph – 72h power reserve – haute horlogerie finishing – rubber strap with velcro closing, folding clasp or pin buckle – limited edition of 8 pieces – CHF 149,000 excl. VAT