Watchmakers are putting a new spin on the complex tourbillon in a myriad permutations and awe-inspiring designs. Here are some of our favourite tourbillon watches right now.
Magnificent tourbillon watches that combine artistry with technical mastery
Art Direction LEE KUAN LENG
MB&F
The second collaboration within the Legacy Machine FlyingT collection saw MB&F work with young French jewellery designer Emmanuel Tarpin to create two 39mm MB&F x Emmanuel Tarpin Legacy Machine FlyingT editions. Each limited to only eight pieces, they’re aptly named Ice, and as featured here, Blizzard. Inspired by the Alps, where Tarpin has been skiing since he was two, he interpreted memories of being caught in snow blizzards into the watches’ aesthetic. Brilliant-cut diamonds are set under the sapphire crystal dome and into the matte lapis lazuli dial to depict snowflakes on the ground. Adding to the glacial theme are turquoise Paraiba gemstones set in the centre of the tourbillon and the two crowns.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN
The Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface timepiece combines an avant-garde aesthetic with mechanical sophistication that took three years to realise. The openworked sapphire dial with a guilloché segment reveals on both sides the in-house Calibre 2162 R31, whose retrograde mechanism plate boasts a slate grey tone achieved by an NAC surface treatment. Styled in the shape of a hollowed-out Maltese cross, the tourbillon’s carriage interior is hand-bevelled, while its cone-shaped transversal bar is hand-polished to give it a mirror-like shine.
AUDEMARS PIGUET
This new 100-piece limited-edition Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph showcases architectural black PVD-coated titanium bridges enriched with striking green accents. Two translucent chronograph counters, outlined with a black outer ring, allow the wearer to admire the mechanisms within. A matching green anodised inner bezel serves as the minutes track, while red chronograph hands add a racy pop of colour. This 43mm model also boasts a dramatic evolution of the self-winding Calibre 2967 launched in 2021. The 526-part flyback chronograph movement is regulated by a flying tourbillon, whose single underlying bridge holds the rotating cage at 6 o’clock. The watch is fitted with the maison’s interchangeable strap system that complements the latest generation of Royal Oak Offshore models.
GIRARD-PERREGAUX
Presented in white gold, which is a first for the maison’s La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition, this timepiece boasts a case with intricate hand-engraved decoration and grand feu enamel, as well as a caseback comprising a blue enamelled secret cover that opens to reveal a sapphire crystal. Clients can select from three colours for this reinterpretation of the legendary 1889 La Esmeralda pocket watch – green, grey or, as shown here, blue, with each option limited to just 18 numbered pieces. The breathtaking 43mm creation is equipped with a self-winding movement, the GP09600-2083, and features a tourbillon with a lyre-shaped cage at 6 o’clock.
ZENITH
The manufacture places its most advanced and complicated chronograph movement into the Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon. There are two independent tourbillons here – the time-keeping tourbillon completes rotations in 60 seconds, while the chronograph’s tourbillon completes a rotation in five seconds, making it among the fastest tourbillons ever made, in addition to the only 1/100th of a second chronograph that beats at a phenomenal rate of 360’000 VpH. Two options are available for the 45mm watch: The first is executed in titanium with a mix of satin-brushed, polished and matte surfaces, while the second, seen here, is made from carbon fibre with a sandblasted matte rose gold bezel and pusher protectors on a black textured rubber strap. The open dial, with applied chronograph counters and tinted transparent sapphire elements, allows for a full view of the groundbreaking movement and its two tourbillons with star-shaped cages.
CVSTOS
Developed in collaboration with Télôs Watch, the calibre CVS8550 housed within the Cvstos Sealiner Double Tourbillon takes technical prowess to new heights as it boasts two new patents. Beyond the two independent flying tourbillons, the beautifully balanced dial offers a three-dimensional representation of the openwork movement made up of 364 components displayed on four different levels. A limited edition of 25 timepieces, this 35.55mm by 36.06mm red gold creation is festooned with a snow setting of coloured sapphires in an arresting rainbow-hued palette.
