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So Basel opens up in only a few days and there will undoubtedly be a huge influx of new tourbillon models from the major and niche players alike who are crying out for attention.

So I thought that I would start a quick tourbillon quiz - I'll announce the answers on Thursday when Basel actually opens, and no cheating - I'm sure that Google could find the answers for you but that would spoil the fun. I can't promise any prizes, but the winners will have my undying admiration

If this goes well then maybe I'll make this a regular thing and to the number of questions.

So........


Since watches became fairly common around 1860 or so until the start of the mechanical renaissance in the ealry 1980s, approximately how many tourbillons were produced worldwide?

When was the first wristwatch tourbillon introduced?


Good luck!

edit- sorry, i didn't see the rules for no googling. Hope I didn't taint the quiz.

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SA Blue Dial Silver Subs Pro 2

without looking google-ing it.... I know that Abraham Breguet invented the tourbillon before 1800 (1790's or so?) sometime but as far as on a wristwatch, I have no idea when it was first introduced, but I can imagine that Breguet was the first to use it seeing as how they were the original inventors.... good question though.

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wow great question....hmmm i wonder. correct me if i am wrong but turbillions were first made for pocket watches since the gravity forced them to wind faster/slower cuz they hung upside down correct? i am going to take a wild guess here and say 1910 was the first wrist watch tubillon. am i even close or am i out to lunch lol

Trying to play by the Professor's rules, I have neither googled nor read the other responses:
Breguet invented the Tourbillon, I would only assume he (his company anyway) produced the first, no idea when. As far as number produced before the mechanical rebirth, I will WAG (Wild-Assed Guess) at an extremely low 100.
As usual I have no basis for what I am saying, just trying to stir the pot!

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Chronomat, Steel/Gold, MOP Dial, 2-tone band (2008)
Super Avenger Black Baton Dial (2009)
Bentley B04 GMT Silver Dial (2013)
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Tourbillon, which is French for whirl wind, was invented in 1795 by A.-L Bréguet (a Swiss and not a Frenchman as the French would have liked and having nothing to do with the French Bréguet aviation brand), born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. But it was not until 1930 that is was used on a wristwatch.

I believe there were only around 650 tourbillons made until 1980, when production exploded due to AP and competition.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

I'll have a go without consulting google etc.

The 1st wristwatch tourbillon was created by Breguet in 1801.

I have absolute no idea whatsoever about the number produced between 1860 and 1980 but I'll say 10. No doubt I'll be well off

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"Ingrid Bergman"

Well I guess it was worth a try, but probably not worth a lot of effort to repeat this.

The Googlers would have come up with the date of 1930 and the number 650 for their answers, ironic because the two numbers are completely inconsistent.

The 650 is based on the assumption that all tourbillons produced between 1860 and 1980 were pocket watches because the wristwatch tourbillon was invented in 1986 by AP.

Any date earlier to 1986 refers to 'science' projects - one off pieces to prove that the complication could be produced in a wristwatch case - 1930 was LIP, 1945 was PP, Breguet were in the same time window.

So the correct answer is that no one knows on the number but it is likely around 660 tourbillons in that 120 year period and that the tourbillon wristwatch was invented in 1930 but only commercialised in 1986.