AP is contributing to Only Watch 2023 with this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch Edition
Tourbillon
The tourbillon (which is French for “whirlwind”) is an extra mechanism to the escapement of a watch. It aims to counter the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage. This negates the effect of gravity when the timepiece, thus the escapement, is stuck in a certain position. Because of the continuous rotation of the entire balance wheel and escapement assembly positional errors are averaged out.
The tourbillon was developed around 1795 and patented by the French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet on June 26, 1801 as an attempt to improve accuracy.
The (mechanical) mechanisms of modern watches are so accurate that a tourbillon is not really necessary. Still, they can be found on (mostly expensive) watches, but more as a demonstration of watchmaking virtuosity.
Watches with a tourbillon
The IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton is a new collaboration with Lewis Hamilton
To mark its 135th anniversary, Bucherer unveils three minute repeaters: the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Minute Repeater Anniversary
The Richard Mille RM 74-02 Automatic Winding Tourbillon is a combination of gold and carbon, with a bit of titanium
This TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde Chronograph Tourbillon is all about diamonds: 124 pieces
The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 timepiece is all about numbers
One of the world’s most known superhero’s is captured in this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Spider-Man
If you are looking for a vibrant high-end time piece then take a look at this Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise
The Ulysse Nardin Freak One is the latest Freak model by UN, a project that started 12 years ago with a weird design
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface is another retrograde from VC