Give it a whirl

To mark the 220 years that tourbillons have graced our timekeeping instruments, here is a selection of novelties that celebrate this tricky complication

Breguet

No conversation about tourbillons would be complete without a mention of Breguet, heir and namesake of watchmaker extraordinaire Abraham-Louis Breguet. The Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de l’Horloge is heavily patented, with two mechanical hearts beating independently of each other, driven by their own barrels. The twin tourbillons animate the 950 Platinum canvas that is the case, completing one revolution every 12 hours.

Audemars Piguet

In a remarkable collaboration with Marvel Entertainment, Audemars Piguet presents the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon. The 250-piece limitededition white gold watch features the intricately-carved and handpainted Black Panther crouched above a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. With the hero poised to spring into action and the relentless thrumming of the gleaming regulator, this piece pulses with life.

Roger Dubuis

Taking skeletonisation to the next level is the Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon, with every unwarranted micrometre of material removed. The iconic Roger Dubuis star levitates above the barrel, its aggressive lines and polished angles tempered by the rounded symmetry of the double tourbillons. Considering that just three elements comprise the entire dial, the watch expresses a multi-layered, voluminous aesthetic that testifies to the watchmaker’s unparalleled technical prowess.

Arnold & Son

Artistry is thrust to the forefront of the Ultrathin Tourbillon Dragon & Phoenix, which references a myth y surrounding g these legendary creatures. The timepiece captures the hand-engraved hand- engraved gold protagonists as they rush to catch the mother-of-pearl mother-of- pearl tumbling down from the heavens. ThThe The stone dials are available in Bronzite, Eudialyte, Marcassite, Pietersite or Verdite, each limited to five pieces, while the spinning ultra-thin ultra- thin tourbillon highlights the drama of this evocative scene.