Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate it. Here are a few more tourbillons from some of the lesser known / newer manufacturers. I’ll also have a think about what I can do on some of the other topics requested. This post is really just a gallery, but there are some ‘talking point’ watches.
As I mentioned in my first post many watchmakers look to tourbillons to promote themselves above their competition, but for some companies it’s more than that. Zenith comes up with things like the Zero G to get media coverage, and to heighten attention on the brand. They know that they aren’t going to sell many (indeed they aren’t going to make many), but they will sell more Zeniths in total. However if they didn’t produce watches like the Zero G people would still know of them.
For some companies though a wild tourbillon can define their very survival – it’s what gets them the media attention that is the only way that they can get their name known to the watch collecting public. Without it, they will be ignored by the press. Let’s start this review of some of these niche companies with one of my favourites – Romain Jerome.
To be fair, they didn’t need a tourbillon to get attention, and they had been around before, but they fundamentally reinvented themselves with their Titanic line of watches – and that got them attention. What took them over the edge though was the Cabestan.
Just one look at this and you know it’s something special – it has a chain and fusee , and a vertical one minute tourbillon. It may also be the only tourbillon watch where the tourbillon is irrelevant. Now here’s where marketing really kicks in. Ask most watch collectors, even the knowledgeable ones who made this watch and they’ll tell you it was Romain Jerome – but it wasn’t. The watch received the Romain Jerome Titanic DNA makeover, but it was designed and produced by two master watchmakers – Vianney Halter and Jean Francois Ruchonnet. Never heard of them? That’s the problem. This watch was marketed as a Vianney Halter for $220,000 – a steal for what it is, but it got no attention. I don’t know what RJ expect for it – but considerably more.
With a similar visual inspiration to the Cabestan comes HD3 Complication’s attempt to yell ‘Hey – over here’ to the watch media – the Vulcania. You can pick one of these beauties up for just a tad over $300,000 according to the original release, realistically plan on $400,000 (if you can find one of the 11 produced) and more on the secondary market. The name will resonate with Jules Verne fans – Vulcania was Captain Nemo’s home port.
The tourbillon here is another bi axial tourbillon and does take more of a centre stage role than in the Cabestan.
Next up is a watch that makes you realise just how much smarter some people are than you – or it does me. The Primus is the first watch from Aaron Becsei, a Hungarian born in 1979 – this is the work of a 29 year old! It’s a triple axis tourbillon, enough to make anyone sit up and take notice, although being made by a 29 year old probably helped garner attention. It’s a completely in house movement and has no ball bearings in it – instead using jewels. Reportedly Becsei was originally going to put this into a clock (he had been producing clocks for a couple of years), but because he also wanted to produce a watch he decided to just miniaturise everything to fit in a watch case – sounds so simple doesn’t it!! Price ‘upon request’.
This following photo really shows the three axes of the tourbillon – just think how much work has to go into one of these:
This next watch isn’t anything remarkable as far as tourbillons go – in fact the movement isn’t even made by the manufacturer. The watch is produced by Nivrel, the movement is an ETA base, and the retail price is believed to be competitive with JLC’s steel cased tourbillon at around $40,000 street (the JLC list is $50,000). Here it is:
So what makes this watch so special in this sea of freaks? Just the small matter that it’s waterproof to 3,000 metres. That’s right, a tourbillon capable of diving to over 2 miles down!
Of course not all of the wilder tourbillons are from the small and new guys – some of the oldest manufacturers can go out of their way to try and create some ‘shock and awe’ with their tourbillons. Maybe no one does this better than Ulysse Nardin, who aren’t exactly famous for understated dress watches.
They really started stealing print inches with the Freak – now almost 8 years old. Not all of these are tourbillons, although the very first piece was, and that set the standard. For those not familiar with the Freak, it has no hands and no crown. You wind the watch by twisting the case and the time is indicated by the movement itself. Current prices – who knows, they don’t come to the market much anymore
There are a thousand more that I could have chosen for this – I just want to give you a sense of what’s out there. For knowledgeable members who think that I should have included a particular watch that I omitted – I’m sorry – this is just my choice. I’ve also tried to stay away from pieces that aren’t really different from a technical standpoint – the Jacquet Droz Dragon Tourbillon is incredible, but not specifically because of the movement.
Of course I can always add more later……
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