A CASE OF TOURBILLON

A TOURBILLON WATCH CAN OFTEN FETCH ASTRONOMICAL PRICES. BUT WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY?

QUICK FACTS

• The tourbillon was invented by A. L. Breguet (founder of the Breguet brand) in 1795 to counter the effects of gravity. In the past, pocket watches were often kept vertically in a pocket, causing the escapement to become stuck in a single position. The tourbillon rotates the escapement so that the effect of gravity’s pull is distributed evenly across all axes.

• Unlike pocket watches of the past, today’s watches no longer suffer from the same gravity-induced inaccuracy issues. A tourbillon has, therefore, become a status symbol rather than a necessity.