Do you love complexity the way a watchmaker loves complexity? The more complex the watch mechanism, the more accurately and sophisticated they measure the time, the more skillfully the master who created them is considered and the more expensive and valuable they will be for the buyer.
Meet the Tourbillon, a unique device that is one of the most complex in watchmaking.
A bit of history
In 1801, a certain watchmaker named Bregh received a document giving him the right to his invention - the tourbillon mechanism ("whirlwind" in French). Before obtaining a patent, the French-Swiss watchmaker took 6 years to develop his project.
The task of the device is to make the movement of pocket watches more accurate. Master Abraham-Louis Breg believed that the course of the watch was influenced by gravity. The train of thought of the creator of the complex mechanism was as follows: the watch is in a pocket in different positions, the force of gravity acts on the watch mechanism, thereby forcing the watch to rush or lag behind.
The goal of his project, Breg outlined to find a balance between the positions when the clock is rushing or falling behind. In his opinion, this balance is guaranteed to compensate for all differences.
The watch created by Breguet met his expectations. By means of a special device developed by the watchmaker, it was possible to smooth out the earth's gravity.
Promotional video:
Abraham-Louis Breg.
On the rotating surface, which makes one revolution per minute, the escapement elements and the balance system were installed. Thus, the center of gravity of the asymmetrical node changes position, and the differences that occurred during the clock due to gravity are balanced.
The tourbillon was originally developed for watches that are worn in a pocket and which are almost always vertical. A large number of details of a complex movement required almost jewelry execution. It took quite a lot of time and effort to create one watch, and the mechanism itself was rather fragile.
Almost 200 years later, there were still dozens of tourbillon watches. Experts believe that this was done on purpose. After all, there cannot be many collectibles.
But everything changed at the end of the twentieth century. A watch from an ordinary everyday thing suddenly turned into an object that could tell a lot about the status of its owner. The price of the watch increased greatly and the watchmakers remembered the tourbillon.
A particularly distinguished watchmaking company is worth highlighting here.
The Swiss company "Progress" has received a patent for a tourbillon with an updated design - "Preciplus" ("Ultra-precise"). The cost of such watches was much lower than "real" tourbillons.
The Swiss watch federation intervened in the production of such tourbillons, but it was too late - there was a precedent. As a result: tourbillons are available in many watch brands, nobody is particularly surprised by this. The watchmaking giants have to come up with something new in order not to lose the interest of a sophisticated buyer in their products.
Many are skeptical about the mechanism. Why is it needed at all? In their opinion, the tourbillon is an example of complexity for the sake of complexity itself.
Tourbillon watch.
But until now, the most skilled watchmakers are working on these devices, thus they demonstrate their undoubted skill. And watches that have deceived earthly attraction are very attractive for wealthy buyers who want to emphasize their high social status.