What Is a Tourbillon Watch and Why Are They So Expensive?
The tourbillon is one of haute horlogerie’s most prestigious complications. But what makes the mechanism so special, and why do tourbillon watches often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars?
The word “tourbillon” comes from French, meaning “whirlwind.” The complication was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795 and patented in 1801.
What is a tourbillon?
In a mechanical watch, gravity affects the balance wheel and escapement, creating small timing deviations. Breguet designed the tourbillon as a solution: the entire regulating organ – balance wheel, pallet fork, and escape wheel – is placed inside a rotating cage that completes one revolution per minute.
By constantly rotating, the effect of gravity is averaged out, improving timekeeping precision. Today, the tourbillon remains one of the most complex and admired complications in watchmaking.
Why are tourbillon watches so expensive?
Building a tourbillon requires extraordinary precision. The cage often consists of more than 50 tiny components weighing less than one gram. Assembling and regulating the mechanism takes weeks of a master watchmaker’s time.
Tourbillon watches are typically hand-finished, produced in very limited numbers by maisons such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and of course Breguet. Their rarity and craftsmanship drive the price to exceptional levels.
Modern tourbillon variations
- Flying tourbillon – suspended without an upper bridge, creating the illusion of a floating mechanism.
- Double or triple-axis tourbillon – rotating on multiple axes to further counteract gravity.
- Skeleton tourbillon – with openworked movements that showcase the mechanism as a piece of kinetic art.
Is the tourbillon still necessary?
Technically, no. Modern materials like silicon and advanced movement engineering have greatly improved accuracy. Today, the tourbillon serves more as a symbol of horological mastery and artistic expression
The tourbillon as a status symbol
Owning a tourbillon is about far more than precision. It represents centuries of watchmaking heritage, artistry, and innovation. For collectors, it is both a technical marvel and a cultural statement.
Fact Box: Tourbillon
- Invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795
- Patented in 1801
- Rotating cage averages out gravitational effect.
- Still regarded as the pinnacle of haute horlogerie
