We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each Friday we share five standout pieces with you.
We’ve considered truly complicated watches here at Collecting Time before, such as Patek Philippe calendar-watches, open-dial watches from Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and others, and elsewhere we’ve compiled the 10 greatest complicated watches in the world. There is something about mechanical complexity, even for its own sake, that just makes some collectors swoon, and just about no complications is as superfluous today as the tourbillon.
The word tourbillon is French for whirlwind, and the mechanism was invented by the great watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, who patented the mechanism in 1801. Back then, the biggest problem for mechanical watches was positional stability, meaning that as one moved the watch into different positions it would perform differently due to small gaps where the balance wheel pivot met the balance cock. In plain-speak, the axil of the main power source of the watch was just loose enough back in the day that moving the mechanism created inconsistent performance (this has largely been solved through precision machining, modern lubrication compounds, and synthetic rubies). You could see as much as a 60-second variance when running a watch upright as when laying flat, for example. So, Breguet thought something like: what if we averaged out all the positional instabilities and regulated the watch? It was a brilliant idea, and his solution was the wildly complicated tourbillon mechanism that rotates the balance wheel inside a cage.
While needless today, the tourbillon remains a spellbinding high-complication, and its persistence in high-end watchmaking is probably the best evidence we have that watchmaking has become a postmodern art form, one in which utility has been cast aside in favor of products that provide semi-ironic historical references and sheer pleasure.
So, with all that said, let’s get on to what we believe are the very best tourbillons on the pre-owned market this week.
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A Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar | $249,500
Image Credit: Analog Shift There’s a mysterious appeal to watches equipped with a tourbillon that you can’t see from the dial of the watch. Like a secret waiting to be discovered. This is exactly what we find with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, which brings a new level of complexity to the brand’s flagship design. The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar references use a mirrored version of the regular Lange 1 design, pushing the famous sub dial structure to the right side of the dial, with the usual power reserve indication now marking the day of the week, with the month indicated at the bottom of the dial via a ring set at the perimeter. It’s an efficient design that doesn’t compromise on the core qualities of the regular Lange 1, and this example is made all the more special as it employs a tourbillon with the automatic caliber L082.1.
This Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar comes to us from Analog Shift, and features a platinum case with an argenté silver dial. This watch is listed in outstanding overall condition, with only minimal signs of age, which is a good thing considering its sale date of December 2020. This is a full kit example, and the peak of the Lange 1 collection.
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H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton | $86,900
Image Credit: H. Moser If you prefer to experience a tourbillon in all its glory front and center, then the H. Moser Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton is a compelling proposition. This watch features the HMC 811 automatic movement, herre skeletonized to a degree that leaves only whispers of the most necessary bridges. What’s left frames the dramatic cylindrical hairspring within a large tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock. The structure of the tourbillon makes for a highly three dimensional experience made all the more impressive as it makes a complete rotation every minute. There’s plenty of H. Moser personality built in, as well, with a funky blue fume dial upon which an hour and minute hand track the time.
This example is listed by The 1916 Company, who is an official retailer of the H. Moser brand. One somewhat unusual feature for a watch of this stature is the use of a stainless steel case, which measures 42.8mm in diameter, though it uses a relatively short lug. The result is a surprisingly wearable watch, even on the supplied alligator strap.
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Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon | $112,500
Image Credit: European Watch Company Leave it to Vacheron Constantin to find the best of both worlds with the Traditionnelle Tourbillon, which manages to create plenty of drama within the relatively conservative confines of the Traditionnelle framework. The Traditionnelle Tourbillon houses the brand’s excellent Calibre 2160/1, which boasts 80 hours of reserve and an automatic winding rotor that is relegated to the perimeter of the movement, allowing for an unobstructed view of the inner workings which are, as you might imagine, quite nicely finished. This layout also allows the watch to remain just over 10mm in total thickness, meaning this 41mm watch will wear flat on the wrist.
This example, which is being sold by European Watch Company, gets a platinum case and a striking sunburst green dial which appears to be emanating from the center. The large aperture at 6 o’clock reveals the tourbillon in stunning detail with the Maltese cross bridge design in full view. The design cues of the hands, hour markers, and even lugs are Vacheron design at their best, with sharp, crisp lines. This example is a full kit in like-new condition.
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Openworked | $310,000
Image Credit: Chrono24 Nobody does openworked dials quite like Audemars Piguet, and their Royal Oak collection hosts some of the best in the business. We’ve featured the Double Balance in this series before, and this week we’re featuring the Royal Oak Tourbillon in stainless steel with a skeletonized caliber 2950, making it the caliber 2972. The design and finishing of the bridges are uniquely Audemars Piguet, leaving plenty of material to move your eye throughout the dial. Eventually, you’ll settle on the star of the show, a flying tourbillon nested at 6 o’clock. The symmetrical architecture places equal weight on the right revealing the keyless works, as the left, revealing the going train. The opened mainspring barrel resides at 12 o’clock, serving as something of a visual base for the design as a whole.
This watch was released in 2022, and this example found on Chrono 24 is listed as a full kit in like-new, unworn condition. The caseback reveals a 50th anniversary design on the oscillating weight, as this watch led the charge of the famous model’s 50th anniversary year. That makes this one of the most collectible modern Royal Oaks you’re likely to come across.
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F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain | $640,000
Image Credit: Wind Vintage Finally, we can’t have a list of tourbillon watches without an example from F.P. Journe. Released in a box set of five in 2015, this steel Tourbillon Souverain is a part of the final 38mm cases to ever be made by the brand. Just 38 sets were produced, and the watches within represent the only steel mechanical watches to be produced by F.P. Journe. The full set consists of this Tourbillon Souverain; the Chronomètre à Résonance; the Octa Automatique; the Octa Calendrier; and the Chronomètre Souverain. The Tourbillon Souverain is the crown jewel of the lot, and it’s a watch that could not be purchased outside of the full set of 5. That makes this example an exceptionally rare opportunity.
This Tourbillon Souverain in a 38mm steel case is listed by Wind Vintage, and is in unpolished condition. The yellow dial is also unique to this set, which echoes the original brass dials produced in the early years of the brand. This watch represents the very best of both old and new F.P. Journe.
Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.
Authors
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Blake Buettner
Credit: robbreport.com
