On ownership:
Though only a small percentage of the population know what a tourbillon movement is, owning one is a pleasure. It gives one an opportunity not only to impress, but to educate with the conversation piece you wear on your wrist.
What is a Tourbillon?
A tourbillon movement was invented by Abraham Louis Bréguet in 1795 to counteract the effects of gravity on a watch movement. The entire escapment including the balance wheel, escapement wheel, hairspring, and pallet fork are encased in a rotating cage, that usually rotates once per minute, also acting as a second hand. The most popular type of tourbillon is a 'flying' tourbillon, where the balance wheel and hairspring move along the edge of the cage. This type of tourbillon defines the name, which translates to 'whirlwind' from French. A 'center wheel' tourbillon places the balance wheel and hairspring in the center of the cage, while the escapement wheel and pallet fork move around it.
The tourbillon is considered to be one of the most challenging of watch mechanisms to make and is valued for its engineering and design principles. The tourbillon is one of the most valued features of collectors' watches and premium timepieces. High-quality tourbillon wristwatches, made in Switzerland are very expensive, typically retailing for tens of thousands of euros.
Modern implementations typically allow the tourbillon to be seen through a window in the watch face. In addition to enhancing the charm of the piece, the tourbillon acts as a second hand as it rotates once per minute. (There are many "Tourbillon" fake/replicas of premium brand watches that emulate this feature with the oscillating balance wheel visible through the watch dial. However, these are not tourbillons.)
Below is a video of the actual tourbillon movement in the Krähe Nächtlich
A common 'fake' tourbillon. This is basically a decorated second hand.
Copyright Krähe Watches 2008