 |
| Croton Imperial Mechanical Tourbillon Black/Red Dial Watch |
At ZULUTIMEZONE.COM, one can purchase a Croton Imperial Mechanical Tourbillon for just $900.00. This is an excellent price considering a tourbillon is one of the most sought after watch mechanisms . One only has to glance at the numerous tourbillon timepieces unveiled at this year's SIHH and GTE.
 |
| Abraham-Louis Breguet |
As the balance wheel swings back and forth, the hairspring must extend and retract leading to potential hiccups in regulation. Thus the greatest challenge for watchmakers is the reliability of the movement. If a movement is unreliable, it will fail miserably in efficiency and precision. Of course today we have high tech watch timing machines, which can time the accuracy of a watch .In Breguet's day he required another watch by which to regulate his newly assembled timepiece. A tourbillon eased the regulation hassles of a watchmaker by reducing the amount of positions a watch must be tested to ensure constant reliability in timekeeping.
A Tourbillon is includes a cage ,which turns at one complete revolution per minute , in which the balance wheel and escapement is placed. This rotation reduces the variation of effects gravity plays on the movement of a watch and increases a watch's precision.
Today watch precision can be bought for around $10 in the form of a highly efficient quartz watch. However, the attraction of a tourbillon is not so much in the original function proposed by Breguet, but rather as a recognized feat of horological expertise. The tourbillon is one of the most complex watch mechanisms to assemble, and achievement of this kind elevates the status of a watch manufacturer not to mention delighting the eye of the beholder. There is no watch mechanism comparable to the hypnotic revolutions of a tourbillon. I have heard it described again and again as the beating heart of a watch.
Below is an excellent video on tourbillon assembly.
I'm Blown away by that Video, Ive never seen a Tourbillon assembled. Great article and priceless info !!
ReplyDeleteThe tourbillon was invented to deal with a problem that modern manufacture and materials have virtually eradicated. Its return has been engineered by high-end watchmakers desperate to find a new way of demonstrating their ability as watchmakers and as masters in the art of extracting money fro snobs and folk with more money than good sense.
ReplyDeleteI paid about $2000 for a Europe-built COSC approved chronometre. COSC standards are those that most high-end manufacturers apply to their watches. My watch is in steel, soo add $2500 for the gold. My watch is engraved with the usual designs applied to good watches, so perlage, cotes de Geneve, clous de Paris, but no "artistic" decoration, so add $1000 for that.
That's a total of $5500. Blanncpain have $145 500 to "play" with. Beats having to work for your living...
You are right - the tourbillon is functionally redundant; however, gravity aside, it does hold a certain aesthetic attraction. The tourbillon is one of the most visibly pleasing watch mechanism. As far as the exorbitant prices of high end watches, I think quite a bit of it stems from the ultra-complications of the watch, individual craftsmanship of customized components - in-house movements would increase the price even though they may be as efficient or even less efficient than an ETA movement. In addition one pays for the brand name which encompasses the brand's overall impeccable rating as well as the status which comes from owning a high end watch. Also some of these watches make great investments - look at the Henry Graves Patek Philippe 24 complication watch which Sothebys sold in 1999 for $11 million and then in November 2014 sold for $24 million and change. So there's that!
Delete